Two Door Cinema Club

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden surge in demand for live music, the day-festival format has become both more popular and more commonplace. Since 2023, Crystal Palace Park has hosted some excellent day lineups for all tastes and interests of music, and this year’s crop of artists is no exception. Today marked the beginning of this year’s edition with a stellar lineup of some of the finest talent in the UK indie scene, spearheaded by veterans Two Door Cinema Club.

Not everything was plain sailing, however. Today marked the hottest June day on record, with temperatures on site reaching as high as 35°C. This led to concerns from fans about whether enough measures were in place to ensure a safe experience, and despite reassurances from the festival team, those concerns were clearly validated on arrival. With a complete lack of shade near the stage and minimal water points that spat out scorching hot water, it was a real struggle for attendees to keep cool, which was why many fans didn’t bother turning up until the end of the day. A spot perched on the hill overlooking the stage proved to be the hotspot for the day, thanks to its shade and its views of the action.

Today was a big moment for the first act of the afternoon, Garage Flower, playing their biggest ever set to those who came early and braved the heat. Despite having to wait nearly ten minutes to start due to technical difficulties, once they finally got going it was hard not to like. Their youthful energy and charm shone through not only their music (none of which has officially been released yet), but also their passionate delivery on stage. A hybrid of Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, the Leeds-based band only made their debut this time last year, which is a testament to the effort they’ve put in around the local circuit to land a gig this big.

Walking around the site, you could sense that a large proportion of the early crowd were there for one thing: Welsh outfit The Royston Club, who followed Garage Flower. One of the fastest growing indie bands in the UK, it was easy to see why so many people were there for them. Frontman Tom Faithfull’s live vocals not only excel, they sound even stronger here than they do on record. That’s not the only voice that stood out during the set, as a dedicated fanbase sang every word to every song. The highlight of their 40 minutes was undoubtedly ‘Cariad’, a ballad about longing for a lost love. A genuine goosebump-inducing moment came at the end, where Faithfull stood alone with his acoustic guitar singing the chorus alongside his adoring fans. Don’t be surprised if they’re headlining this venue in a few years time.

If you’re familiar with the UK YouTube scene, the name James Marriott may ring a bell. Sitting on two million subscribers, Marriott has made the pivot, like many before him, from the world of content creation to the cutthroat music industry, and so far it couldn’t have gone better. Selling out academies all across the country, he delivered an exceptional performance that reflected the strong community he’s built both online and at his shows. Every song on the setlist was high-octane (a response to some constructive criticism he once received at a festival in Australia), and it was impossible not to find some enjoyment in it. Newest song ‘California Rain’ was perhaps the strongest showcase of how much he’s developed as a musician, and a fitting one to play given temperatures had peaked at a scorching 34°C. While there wasn’t any rain in sight, a special shoutout had to go to the security guard whose spray hose from the barrier helped cool things down.

Though today was primarily a celebration of the 15th anniversary of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album ‘Tourist History’, there was a grand celebration beforehand courtesy of The Vaccines, who this year also marked 15 years of their debut album What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? After a successful tour in the spring, they brought their acclaimed album to the South East, and it went down a treat with everyone in the pit. Whether the short, punchy ‘Post Break Up Sex’ or the ever-excellent ‘If You Wanna’, the band delivered each track with the same excitement and passion as they did in their early twenties. Even when they played something new or less familiar, you could tell they’d chosen it because they genuinely enjoyed playing it. That level of thrill naturally transferred to the audience, who gave everything they had and more.

At 8:25pm the headliners from Northern Ireland took to the stage to rapturous applause, before diving into a run of tracks from their debut. Each song feels part of the band’s core identity, and most of all their core sound, since built on and developed across later records. As is typical with anniversary shows, Two Door Cinema Club played all ten songs of the record, some of their finest hits sending the sea of fans into raptures. But while the audience gave plenty of energy back to the band, it felt as if little was done on stage to channel it. Vocalist Alex Trindle seemed lifeless at times, almost as if he didn’t want to be there. Whether that’s fatigue from playing the same songs for the last 16 years, or simply not his performance style, is hard to tell, but it feels awkward at moments considering the contrasting emotions. 

That’s not to say the band isn’t extremely polished live, however. While the set was a quick one (clocking in at only 80 minutes), it rarely lost its spark and remained consistent in tone throughout, an important thing for any live act to achieve. Perhaps the life of the show came best from the visually exuberant drummer Benjamin Thompson, who played with such intensity and enthusiasm that you could sense that this was a group of people he truly loved playing with. The best moment of the set came during indie cult staple, ‘What You Know’, where Trindle extended out the bridge to let the crowd sing the chorus at the top of their lungs, at such volume I wouldn’t be surprised if you could hear it from the other side of the park. With an arena tour announced for January 2027, they’ll be sure to bring plenty of fans through their doors.

Ultimately, my experience at Crystal Palace Park was one of conflicting feelings. The unprecedented weather made things more difficult and exposed gaping flaws in the layout and structure of the day. However, at £65 a ticket for general admission, you’d be hard pressed to find better value for a day out in the capital this summer, especially if you’re a keen indie music listener. Once you get past some of the negatives, there’s a truly enjoyable seven hours of music ahead of you.