As soon as I saw that Twin Tribes were touring in the UK again, I knew that I had to be there. It’s not every day that your favourite band is playing within an hour’s reach. I had my wallet ready as tickets were released, prepared to drain my bank account if it came to it, but they were only £20! Unheard of in this day and age.
The day of the gig rolled around, albeit very slowly as I was counting down very impatiently.
Before I knew it, I’m standing outside Gorilla in Manchester, along with every other goth in a 10-mile radius. I’m nowhere near the front of the queue, but I’m still in high spirits. Little do I know, I’m going to be nowhere near the front of the crowd either. I get inside Gorilla and immediately make a beeline for the merch-stand. This is where things start to go downhill. After standing in line and watching the venue slowly fill up, I notice a sign hanging from the wall. “No Contactless.” It’s all over. Is this medieval Britain? I become very aware that my card is an hour’s train-ride away, which makes no difference considering I don’t even know what my PIN is. Wounded but not defeated, I make my way into the crowd, determined to get as close to the front as I can. Which is not very close. At a goth show, getting to the barrier becomes the only goal. If you’re anywhere else, you get half the stage obscured by someone with eight-inch-tall hair, or eight-inch-tall platforms. I manage to find a spot on the left side of the venue, where my platforms are slightly taller than those of the person in front of me. And so began the wait for the opening act.
Twin Tribes’ original supporting band, Denuit, were unfortunately unable to perform at this gig, so A Thousand Mad Things took their place.
As I watch the duo bathed in red spotlights, I am utterly transfixed. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but A Thousand Mad Things are undoubtedly the best opening band I have ever seen. A Thousand Mad Things sound more eighties than the eighties did, and manage to push synthesisers to a level I didn’t know they could reach. As their set flows, every single song gets better than the last, which should be impossible as the first track was perfect by my standards. I have never seen such raw talent radiate from a band before, so you can only imagine how stunned I am when frontman William Barradale says,“This is the biggest crowd we’ve played for!”
As I stand listening to synth arrangements that I can only describe as transcendent, I become increasingly aware that I am witnessing The Next Big Thing before it is The Next Big Thing. As A Thousand Mad Things launch into their final track of the night ‘Wide Awake,’ I find myself wondering how they aren’t selling out international shows. Although I highly doubt that it’ll be long until they are. A Thousand Mad Things are a prime example of why you should never skip out on the support band, as they might just end up being one of the best performances you’ve ever seen.
I’ve only just had enough time to collect myself after the phenomenon that was A Thousand Mad Things when Twin Tribes make their first appearance. Wearing their signature sparkly outfits, Luis Navarro and Joel Niño Jr launch into ‘Shadows’, a track from their first album of the same name. I’m already having the time of my life, as ‘Shadows’ is the track that got me into their music in the first place. Navarro’s guitar tone sounds identical to the tone used throughout Twin Tribes’ albums, so much so that it almost sounds like I’m listening to the studio recording. Niño Jr switches between playing bass and keys seamlessly throughout the performance, all whilst managing to interact with the crowd. I’m hypnotised as Twin Tribes barrel through a medley of fan favourites, and it seems the rest of the audience is too. Navarro motions for the crowd to begin clapping during ‘Upir’, and everyone begins clapping in sync. Never in my years of attending gigs have I seen an audience be so in-time with the music. We must be under a spell.
In amongst their original tracks, Twin Tribes perform some well-known Latin synth-pop songs throughout their set. I feel a profound sense of community in the Gorilla as a room full of British goths sing ‘Lobo-Hombre en París’ by La Uníon, entirely in Spanish. Alas, I took GCSE French in high school, so I settle for dancing enthusiastically instead.
As the end of their set inevitably draws nearer, and I become increasingly frenzied in my dancing (if you can even call it that) Twin Tribes tear into ‘Fantasmas’. Their performance of this track alone could instantly destroy the stereotype that all goths are mopey; Twin Tribes are unbridled and unapologetic.
After quite an awkward encore (consisting of a few seconds of enthused whoops and a lot more of impatient mutterings) Twin Tribes are back onstage to play their final few songs!
I’m in my element as they play ‘Heart and Feather’, although it’s evident I’ve been in my element since I stepped foot in Gorilla.
Bringing the night to a close is ‘Monolith’, the track that has recently gone viral on social media. The crowd somehow goes wilder. I can feel the synth reverberating through my bones, a feeling I have grown to savour. Navarro calls “Bring me to silence!” across the venue, but of course not a single soul was silent during ‘Monolith’.
After officially finishing their performance, Navarro and Niño Jr stay on-stage for a little while longer, shaking hands with fans and interacting with the audience. Small gestures like these make the musicians you idolise seem so much more human, and although I thought I couldn’t love Twin Tribes anymore, they proved me wrong.
As I leave the venue, lungs sore and heart full, I’ve almost forgotten that I don’t have any merch on my person. Almost.
Twin Tribes supported by A Thousand Mad Things in Manchester ended up being a dream gig line-up for me, and I imagine for the rest of Gorilla. Darkwave legends supported by soon-to-be darkwave legends, what more can you want?
