Gig Review: The Twilight Sad (Editors Support Set) – 18th October, O2 Academy
Posted by Laura Imrie
“Hello Glasgow! We are The Twilight Sad from Glasgow!” announced frontman James Graham as they appeared, prompting cheers and applause from the crowd – it’s always a proud moment to see a homegrown act supporting a well-known band. This announcement was then followed by “We won’t say anything about the rugby score…” (we won’t either – it’s still too raw…) drawing laughter from the crowd before they launched into their set. It was clear from the outset that this was going to be a performance filled with personality.
Despite starting out with a rather timid crowd to play to, the band’s enthusiasm wasn’t dampened as Graham seemed to have enough passion and energy for the entire country never mind the population of the O2 Academy. It’s incredibly refreshing to see musicians who clearly love what they do and there was no question about how much this meant to the band as Graham regularly held his hands up in praise after finishing a song showing how grateful he was to be where they are. It also added a great amount of emotion to each performance.
The audience soon livened up once the band announced they were about to play I Became A Prostitute, the track remains, and will ever do so, an instant crowd pleaser. It was definitely one of the highlights of their set as the band’s energy became infectious and the die-hard fans showed their presence in the crowd transforming the feel of the crowd. This was then followed by It Never Was The Same, a somewhat more laid back affair from their latest album, giving the crowd a chance to mellow after the previous energy boost.
They bowed out with another old favourite, and regular set closer Cold Days From The Birdhouse which saw them receive bounteous applause and admiration from the crowd. The transformation of their onlookers from beginning to end is a credit to the power of their music and stage presence. If anyone wasn’t a fan at the start, they sure would be by the end.
As they left the stage, they graciously thanked Editors for giving them this opportunity and then exit stage right with the crowd suitably warmed up for the gig that would follow. A perfectly chosen support act.