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Twin Atlantic Tour Diary: Newcastle

Twin Atlantic drummer Craig Kneale offers his latest missive from the road.

An early wake in an unfamiliar shaped Travelodge room (more spacious, but somehow less homely) made me feel vulnerable and want my mummy. “Mummy, i’m not ready to wake up!” I shouted, to a responding look of shock from Paul, who is not my mum. We had a radio session at XFM Manchester, and as we all know - the radio never sleeps. And therefore, neither could we. So, to the van we traipsed, which was nine floors down from our room. I have a very big fear of elevators but my tiredness meant there was no way I was walking nine flights with my bag that weighs the same as a baby made of bricks. So I got the elevator and partially conquered a fear. In case you’re wondering - and I know you are - the fear stems from watching a film when I was younger where people get stuck in a lift and then start to panic because they don’t have any oxygen and kill each other for their air. I don’t want to die like that, it just wouldn’t be very nice would it?



The radio session went quite fast, Sam managed only one song as his voice was still sleeping I think. We then got interviewed by the fastest interviewer of all time, I think he may have answered all the questions for us. One thing I should mention is that a man bumped his knee really badly on a table as we walked in which is the funniest thing I think i’ve ever seen at 10.21 in the morning. EVER. But I couldn’t really laugh at the time as I didn’t know him, I saved it all up for later.



After we went for the No. 2 Burrito place in all of the UK, BarBurrito. The mascot was still Derek the Donkey, and he still knows how to make a mighty fine burrito. Not him personally, a kitchen is no place for a donkey. I also got another stamp for my little loyalty card - just another 6 to go and I have access to free burrito heaven.



Onwards to Newcastle, for our show at the futuristic sounding Digital. Perhaps we’d be playing to computers instead of people? That said, we don’t play to many people in Newcastle on past ventures, so computers may be more vocal. Only time would tell. Arriving in the centre, we had to go through a barrier to get to the venue, this made me think that this place must be good - barriers are a sign of greatness. It turns out that Digital is part of the very grand Life science center, which looks like it may have been built by cool aliens. It even had an outdoor ice rink, the pinnacle of scientific discovery to many of the great thinkers of this modern age being the ice skate, hence this rink being here. Before the ice skate people used to just slide about on their knees, resulting in them getting really cold.



The venue was cool, quite small but it had ‘Craig Vibe’. And that’s all a venue needs to deemed alright by me. The winter cold’s that had gone round had hit me, just days after I boldly claimed that “I never gets ill, me!”. But, everyone gets ill. So although the room had ‘Craig Vibe’, illness sucked that vibe away by about 80% by the time were about to play. But there was a lot to be positive about, the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to in Newcastle, and they were really into the show. But I just felt a bit frail throughout the show, like an old man trying to take part in a dance-off with three young energetic people. It was not fun. Afterwards we’d decided to head back to Glasgow to make the most of our day off there the following day with family and friends so we bundled everything out and headed back, a horrific drive that took a lot longer than we thought it would. I got back in at 5.00am, cranked the heating up and slowly dissolved into my couch, after opening the sea of Amazon things i’d bought since I was away. Including 8 Christmas CDs, just in preparation for next year. Christmas, i’m ready for you - ready with an unstoppable collection of festive tunes. You have been warned.