REVIEW: Two Door Cinema Club @ Hordern Pavilion

In the country for the Field Day Festival (and a handful of other festival) TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB made their way to Hordern Pavilion oN Thursday the 3rd of January for a side-show filled with an audience that just so happened to include this very excited reviewer.

The first thing I notice when making my way to the Hordern Pavilion to see Two Door Cinema Club were the swarms of sixteen year olds surrounding me, gliding toward the venue like flies to a zapper. Now as someone who definitely is not sixteen I guess I am just conditioned to despise these young folk as a way of combating their inevitable contempt for me, but they definitely do have their benefits. Firstly, young people are young, so they tend not to be fully-grown, this means there is a good chance that there will be less tall people obstructing me vision of the stage (which I can confirm was indeed the case). Secondly, young people can’t drink meaning short bar lines. So overall, that is a huzzah for all age’s events.

In regards to the actual music that plays, Two Door Cinema Club made their way to the stage only after the two solid opening sets by The Jungle Giants and The Vaccines. As is often the case with open acts audience members were slowly trickling in through both openers, but by about mid way through The Vaccines the venue was fairly well filled. It appeared as though a big chunk of the audience were just as excited to see The Vaccines as there were for the main act. The Vaccines displayed exactly why they are gaining such a strong following by overflowing with enough energy and charisma that equaled that of their very English tunes.

By the time 9pm rolled around Two Door Cinema Club had finally made their way to the stage. The whole set exhibited a healthy mix of songs off the bands two albums Tourist History and Beacon, which allowed audiences to experiences both of Two Door Cinema Club’s outputs without complaining that there wasn’t enough of either. Also, the never seemed to be more than three songs played together from a single album which helped people like this reviewer who knows every word from album one and not yet familiar with the rest of the bands output, because sometimes you just need a break from singing your heart out.

Accompanying Two Door Cinema Club on stage was a charming LED light show. Throughout the set the triangle shaped screen hovering behind the bad illuminated purple, pink and blue lights onto the members and the audience. It was one of those things that would most likely go unnoticed given how enthralling the band themselves were, but it actually was just an element adding a little extra life to the show.

Speaking of life, lead singer Alex Trimble turned out to be quite a chatty man, adding little anecdotes about the band's time in Sydney, their last tour here and the the audience they were playing to. It is always nice to know that the band are having a good time and acknowledges their audience.

And then before I knew it balloons were falling from the ceiling and Two Door Cinema Club where playing their last song of the night. Overall, the band play very well, they did added flourishes here and there to a few songs but mostly they stuck to the album arrangements of the music.

In the end, a good night with a very good band.

Words by Luke Letourneau