TWIN TRIBES + WINGTIPS – THE HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 26.8.24
Twin Tribes hail from Brownsville in Texas and have become an emerging force in the expanding darkwave scene. The duo consists of Luis Navarro (lead vocals, guitar, synth) with Joel Niño Jr. (bass, synth, backing vocals) and they first turned heads back in 2018 with the release of their debut album ‘Shadows’. They returned in 2019 with the ten-track album ‘Ceremony’ which showcased their progression as a band. Covid then put a hold on everything for a while, but a remix album titled ‘Altars’ dropped in February 2021, but the band’s plans were still messed up somewhat and they were forced to cancel all tour plans which was to include a date in Brighton on 8th June 2022. Not to be beaten, the guys returned to the studio and they unleashed their new 10 song ‘Pendulum’ album which dropped on 26th January this year. It’s fair to say that it’s an absolute corker and it keeps selling out and having to be repressed a number of times in different coloured vinyl already. Check it out on their Bandcamp page HERE.
Twin Tribes have gained some serious credibility on the US live circuit and have successfully played alongside such acts as Clan of Xymox, She Past Away, ACTORS, Ash Code, and Kaelan Mikla. Thankfully a mass of 37 new European concert dates were booked in order to promote their new platter. The first of which was yesterday in Belgium and this evening sees Luis and Joel play the first of only four UK dates, this being here in Brighton at The Hope & Ruin. Tomorrow they head off to Bristol, then Manchester and London, before crossing the water to mainland Europe.
Not surprisingly, tonight’s gig is sold out and the first floor venue is packed with post-punk, darkwave and electronic music fans, who like Twin Tribes are mainly sporting the colour black. We take our positions at the front of the room and Twin Tribes grace us with their presence at 9:30pm and perform an impressive 17 track set, lasting 66 minutes and kicking off with the first of seven cuts from ‘Pendulum’, this being album opener ‘Absolute’. It’s immediately apparent that Twin Tribes have been influenced by the likes of The Cure Clan Of Xymox and Depeche Mode.
Luis reminds me of Placebo’s Brian Molko, whereas Joel, with his white painted face, is an amalgamation of Salvador Dalí, Sparks’ Ron Mael and Batman’s Cesar Romero. There is no idle banter between tunes, or any of the tracks introduced, which would be very unGothlike! Despite being just a duo, there certainly is a great depth of sound in their material, and their tools of the trade are put to good use. These include a decent rumbly sounding five string bass, a guitar, Arturia keys, other keyboards and presets. Luis’ vocals are often echoey during the tracks and in the main Twin Tribes are further down the Goth spectrum than their tour support act, who we will come to shortly.
The first few tunes whizz by and within these there are is trio of nods to the work of The Cure in the form of ‘A Forest’ (from 1980’s ‘Seventeen Seconds’ album), ‘Jumping Someone Else’s Train’ (from 1980 ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ compilation album) and ‘One Hundred Years’ (from 1982’s ‘Pornography’ album). I also hear nods to Gary Numan’s ‘M.E’ (from 1979’s ‘The Pleasure Principle’), Pet Shop Boys ‘Heart’ (from 1987’s ‘Actually’ album), and a similar backing beat to New Order’s 1983 epic ‘Blue Monday’. Mid set there’s also a vibe similar to the Stranglers ‘European Female’ (from 1983’s ‘Feline’ album), but obviously if re-recorded by The Cure or even Antipole. The electronic drum machine sounds are also very much akin to the Sisters Of Mercy at their very best.
None of Twin Tribes tracks outstay their welcome and the band’s tune selection appears to be a decent representation of their 2018 to 2024 work thus far, which can sound a little samey, but that certainly didn’t affect the likes of the Ramones! The Twin Tribes post-punk vibe shines through near the tail-end of their set when Joel lets loose on his bass and with my eyes shut, I could easily be listening to Stan Stammers from Theatre Of Hate.
Suffice to say that Twin Tribes went down a storm this evening as was reflected from 10:36pm onwards, when the set finished and the merch stall queue started to grow. Fans of Clan Of Xymox and The Cure take note, there are Twin Tribes albums waiting to be added to your record collection!
Twin Tribes:
Luis Navarro – lead vocals, guitar, synth
Joel Niño Jr – bass, synth, backing vocals
Twin Tribes setlist:
‘Absolute’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Another Life’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Perdidos’ (from 2019 ‘Ceremony’ album)
‘Portal To The Void’ (from 2018 ‘Shadows’ album)
‘Heart & Feather’ (from 2019 ‘Ceremony’ album)
‘Sanctuary’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Upir’ (from 2019 ‘Ceremony’ album)
‘Paradox’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Cauldron Of Thorns’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Sangre de Oro’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Lobo-Hombre en París’ (La Unión cover)
‘The River’ (from 2019 ‘Ceremony’ album)
‘Still In Still’ (a 2018 single)
‘Monolith’ (from 2024 ‘Pendulum’ album)
‘Shadows’ (from 2018 ‘Shadows’ album)
‘Talisman’ (from 2018 ‘Shadows’ album)
‘Fantasmas’ (from 2019 ‘Ceremony’ album)
Support for the first half of Twin Tribes tour comes in the form of exciting goth-pop duo WINGTIPS who are signed to Toronto-based Artoffact Records. The duo comprises Chicago-goth mainstays Vincent Segretario and Hannah Avalon. They produce unforgettable music that has already captured the attention of media and festival taste-makers alike.
Their debut release ‘Greyarea’ was unleashed to an unsuspecting world back at the tail end of 2016. They dropped their debut album ‘Exposure Therapy’ in mid 2019, which was followed in 2021 by their second long player ‘Cutting Room Floor’. ‘Exposure Therapy’ found the duo’s guitar work inherently in the vain of ‘Disintegration’-era Cure, while injecting electronic elements that would be at home on records by OMD, is a refreshing mix of synthpop, darkwave, and goth, that will appeal to fans of Cold Cave, The Twilight Sad, and Lycia.
Ahead of their third album, ‘On Trial’, which is set to drop on 4th October, (pre-order HERE) we find Wingtips on stage here at The Hope & Ruin for their first ever UK performance. Their 44 minute set runs from 8:18pm until 9:02pm and thus affords many punters ample time in order to grab a drink during the 28 minute live music hiatus. Vincent Segretario begins on lead vocals for the first four numbers, the first trio of these all being found on 2019’s ‘Exposure Therapy’ album: ‘Deaf Pursuit’, ‘After The Storm’ and ‘The Eye That Follows Suit’, and tune four was ‘Crystal Clear’ from 2021’s ‘Cutting Room Floor’ album. He is also on guitar for these and throughout the set, whereas Hannah Avalon flits between synth and presets and Roland electronic drumpads plus two Simmons drums, which are used to great effect. I must flag up here that as they took to the stage to a deep bass drone sound, this gave way to a backing beat not far off The KLF’s ‘What Time Is Love?’ and at this very early stage in proceedings, I was certain that I was going to love Wingtips!
It was pleasing to note that from the very first notes of Wingtips set that the venue was already full. Now that doesn’t happen very often! I’m guessing that the many faces in the crowd, who I didn’t recognise, weren’t actually local to Brighton and with there only being four UK gigs, that many folk have swarmed the venue from elsewhere.
Wingtips EMB beats were more electronic than Twin Tribes, but Vincent’s vocals at times did sound like Robert Smith’s, but were strangely for me clearer than those of Hannah’s when she took over for ‘Escape Plan’ from their forthcoming 2024 ‘On Trial’ album, and Hannah was actually closer to me. ‘Run For Shelter’ from 2021’s ‘Cutting Room Floor’ album was up next, but was surpassed by the more dramatic slower chugging ‘Relativity’ which is found on their ‘Exposure Therapy’ album from 2019. The guitarwork was wonderfully echoey and similar to Robert Fripp’s (Toyah husband) work on David Bowie’s ‘“Heroes”’, and the keys were almost as dramatic as Ultravox’s ‘Vienna’, but with an almost bagpipes sound. The set highlight!
