All Tvvins At The Olympia Theatre – Review & Photos

I went along to All Tvvins Olympia Theatre show not really knowing what to expect. Granted their album is a great listen, but I was somewhat sceptical as to how they would get their sound across in a live setting without damaging the electro-synth qualities that dominates their music.

With the room packed from the floor to the rafters, they definitely have popularity on their side, and emerging into a maze of lights they begin by playing several of their IIVV album in sequence. ‘Book’, ‘Thank You’ and ‘End of the Day’ were enough to make me realise that in terms of bringing looping synth guitar riffs and deep bass lines to the stage, they succeeded and surpassed expectations. Lar Kaye rarely gets a minute to stand still, and puts absolutely everything he can muster into each loop and swoop of the contant synth lines he throws around like they were going out of fashion.

At the same time, Conor Adams occupies the role of vocals while also delivering bass lines in his wake. This is where I began to have an issue, and it had nothing to do with the band performance as a whole, but more that I was struggling to hear some of the words Conor was singing. Being quite central in the standing section meant distance wasn’t an issue but even still I was straining to make out the lyrics. Due to the synth elements they incorporate, at times there is that muffled, robotic element to the vocals, but in this instance I think the actual bass sound was so high that it overpowered and subsequently drowned out a lot of Conor’s efforts.

Regardless of this their multitude of fans were not deterred in the slightest, making their voices heard for the infectious and ever popular ‘Too Young To Live’, while also basking in a continuous haze of lights for ‘These 4 Words’ that really ramps up the electro-pop mood, giving a glimpse into their course of popularity within the Irish alternative scene.

The first few chords of ‘Darkest Ocean’ are enough to make everyone lose all sense, and the FIFA famous track is met with an excited frenzy of flailing arms and bodies not too dissimilar of an average night-club scene, culminating with an explosion of confetti that goes absolutely everywhere.

It is clear that All Tvvins have all the right heads nodding and bopping to their anthemic creations, and will continue to build their legion of fans into an empire across the Irish music contingent.

Review by Nicole Leggett
Photos by Pedro Giaquinto