LIVE REVIEW: Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw Stop, SF 3/8/12

March 12. 2012 | By Justine Fields

Scottland's Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

Fresh from tourist excursions to Alcatraz and a Golden State Warriors game, Twin Atlantic swung around San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop to headline a Popscene night this past Thursday. After seven weeks on the road, the Scottish men of Twin Atlantic have been digging their time in the US. Before taking the stage, lead singer Sam McTrusty told me, “We like it here. The people are a lot more friendly than I ever thought they were gonna be ‘cause I was always brought up being told American people are really rude.”

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

While it’s questionable if their swoon-worthy accents may have something to do with their many friendly encounters, we’re lucky the lads have been enjoying our side of the Atlantic as they offer each city a taste of their boisterous sophomoric release, Free.

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

Although Twin Atlantic has two LPs to their name, rather than playing their entire discographies, they opted for a less than hour-long set, mostly with tracks from Free and it rocked the modest crowd at Rickshaw Stop. In discussing this latest release, McTrusty said, “I think the main difference is that we’re a couple of years older. I mean that sounds obvious to say, but we just didn’t have any experience the first time around. So when we went into the second record, we knew how to define ourselves a little more. We knew what we wanted to do and what we didn’t want to do and it kind of just helped us put our own stamp on it.”

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

What

exactly is the Twin Atlantic stamp? Unquestionably it’s McTrusty’s gorgeous Scottish vocals applied to an insane volume that could have filled a venue ten times the size of Rickshaw Stop. During the set this took form in recent releases, “Make A Beast of Myself,” “Time For You To Stand Up,” “The Ghost of Eddie,” and “Free” as well as first album anthems like “What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?” and “You’re Turning Into John Wayne.”

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

While many a bands could have created raucous sounds on Thursday night, few have the nuanced vocals of Twin Atlantic’s McTrusty. Drummer Craig Kneale weighed in about how their noticeable accents affect their ability to garner fans, “I think it helps us a lot, but it also hinders us a lot. It hinders us in the UK as well, because people are kind of used to people putting on American accents even though they’re from somewhere in the middle of England or Scotland. I think it helps us stand out, but it also makes things a little bit harder.”

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

Certainly their inflection stands out, but regardless, Twin Atlantic was a band about loud arena-ready rock on Thursday night. A group of ladies moshing up front proved that adorable vocals can be enticing, but raging rock is really the Twin Atlantic style.

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

Twin Atlantic @ Rickshaw 3-8-12

Click here for more badass photos of Twin Atlantic at Rickshaw Stop.

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