Tegan And Sara
Roundhouse, London
24/06/2010

Having previously played such London venues as Barfly, Koko and Monto Water Rats, Tegan and Sara have definitely stepped it up a notch. As tonight they play Camden’s Roundhouse, and after visiting the city for over ten years this is the biggest venue they have played so far. Some might wonder why the journey has taken a rather long time, but pace and persistence is a virtue. Six full-length studio albums under the Canadians’ belts and the identical twins are peaking, still.

Opening the show with laid back smiles and ‘Back In Your Head’ from their 2007 release ‘The Con’, the twosome’s vocal melodies combine and express with ease just how cleverly they can bounce off each other, not just musically, but also as individuals. They hold a charismatic charm onstage and swiftly have the ability to embrace everybody with their delightful manner. Delivering a bunch of old and new material which builds to make for an absolutely stunning set, Sara compares the Roundhouse to being somewhat similar to something out of the Da Vinci Code and The Fly would have to agree.

“We’re finally alone London” they mutter as the rest of the band leave the stage, stripping down the Tegan and Sara sound for their encore with the support of just an acoustic and an electric guitar – our eyes peeled and focused solely on the humble duo. As they end with ‘Feeling In My Bones’ it almost feels like tonight we have journeyed with them through the years they have been producing music. And what a journey it has been…

Jade Dutton