Words by Heather Judge, pics by Jonathan Morgan
The Twang just scream ‘positive Indie’, it’s all in their name; unlike other alternative bands who lay it on heavy with the whole ‘yeah life is good but don’t forget the bad’.
I was part of the crowd years ago when they were at support act at the Carling Academy and even then you could sense how they were going to turn out.
Now, years later, The Twang have had to add an extra date on to their stay at The Rainbow Warehouse due to significant demand. This Birmingham bred band have gone from having bad reviews calling them thugs, to having a sell-out crowd. Twice. In a row. At Christmas.
But tonight’s (and tomorrow night’s) gigs are more than just a ‘homecoming’; there’s a new addition to The Twang’s back line, and album No4 is scheduled for release in early 2014 with this being the first outing for their new material. Plus The Twang all still live in Birmingham, so ‘homecoming’..?
But despite the ghost of new songs future, I couldn’t quite catch the new tracks from the set. The Twang have some stalwart anthems in their arsenal, and I guess it’s hard to beat lines like “what was I thinking with that MILF”. But five minutes in and it was evident these lads are proud to play in their hometown, and to their own people if you will; the energy, love and pride is distracting, and streaming off the stage in waves.
And the crowd are locked in. I hold a quick mobile count (judging audience attentiveness by how many handsets I see) and see The Twang significantly more supported than other live bands I could currently mention. There is a handful of texting, but the vast majority of the room are here with one unanimous intent. It is actually quite beautiful.
In fact, the only negative thing of the whole night is the venue. Although The Rainbow Warehouse is known for hosting major Birmingham events and club nights, tonight it neither looks or feels like it.
Dark and dingy, I hold on tight to my shoes and continue to wipe down my bottle before drinking; The Twang roaring through the first of their Xmas sets as I slowly become glued to floor.
Still, there could be worse places to get stuck at Christmas.
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For more on The Twang, visit http://www.thetwang.co.uk/
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For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com
For more on The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk/