The Twang

On the same night England experienced an earthquake, Edinburgh experienced The Twang and judging by the reception, the tremors were no coincidence. The Edinburgh Uni venue at Potterrow welcomed Brummy wide boys The Twang last week as they bravely broke from Scotland's well trodden gig circuit to entertain an eager east coast crowd.

The five piece arrived on stage with varying degrees of detectable energy, from guitarist Stu's cool stroll, to Phil Etheridge and Martin Saunders' ready for action leery swaggers. Guzzling their drinks during opening instrumental bars of 'Ice Cream Sundae', the band launch headlong into this much anticipated gig, the deafening welcome from the crowd wiping away any shred of doubt from their faces.



Although bemused the venue was covered in "F*cking Egg Cartons!?" front man Phil's vocals are clear enough and still maintain an edgy sneer. I can't vouch for the sound on stage, or at the back of the elongated venue, but any audio shortcomings mean nothing when you have a full house of sweaty fans belting back every line.

Glancing at the wide eyed faces in the front row as Stu drops the instantly recognisable 'Either Way' riff, it's clear this tale of emotional struggle has touched many people. Frequently scorned as just another 'The Streets: Dry your eyes', The Twangs' 'Either Way' is delivered with the same gritty vigour, emotionally charged and believable style as Skinner's musings. So what if the song themes are similar and lyrically simplistic – the Eton Riffle types can go shoot themselves; love and life is tough for everyone, not just pretentious Elton John fans.



Grabbing an acoustic guitar for what I believe is a new song 'May I Suggest', Phil slowed things down and proved The Twang are about more than fast paced riff laced stomps, but can chill any raucous crowd. Later more new songs on the set list included 'Elusive Soul' and 'Took the Fun', each warmly welcomed and fitting nicely along side their current sing-along anthem 'Push the Ghosts' – sure to be a hit at this year's festivals.

Mid gig, it took three attempts to get though 'The Neighbour', Phil halting the band and restarting from the top each time; perhaps seeking perfection, but perhaps due to the copious amounts of pre-gig beer? You decide. Regardless, the un-phased crowd embrace the 'rewinds' as part of the charm. Eventually Phil successfully punches out line after line of the drunken anecdote, a story of personality clashes – each line delivered with an aggressive yet cheeky stomp, the addition of Saunders' melodic backing vocals rounds the sharp edges of the tale to the delight of the bouncing crowd.



The band disappear for a brief smoke break, with Phil emerging quickly to enjoy the standard chants for more. There is a noticeable gearing up for the final few songs, 'Two Lovers' and 'Your Beats' which contains the line picked as the album title 'Love it when I feel like this!'. Closing the set with show stopper 'Cloudy Room', a feel good romp through a recognisable scenario of drinking and debauchery, acted out in the gig floor by what has become essentially a swirling, bouncing mosh pit, reminiscent of a Gallows gig!

Whether you like The Twang or not, one thing is undeniable; these boys love every minute of performing and it shined through this crowd's reaction. Yeah, sure it's good practice for a reviewer to declare any bias, but even as a huge fan I fear no reprise in stating this Twang gig was incredible – and I defy anyone who experienced it up close to say otherwise.

Set List:
Ice Cream Sundae
Loosely Dancing
Either Way
Don't Wait Up
May I Suggest
Push The Ghosts
Elusive Soul
The Neighbour
Took The Fun
Got Me Sussed
Wide Awake
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Two Lovers
Your Beats
Cloudy Room

FUTURE GIGS