Handshake

Album: Beacon (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • This slice of indie-disco was the first song that Two Door Cinema Club wrote after the release of their debut album, Tourist History. The band debuted the tune during their September 24, 2010 gig at the O2 Academy in Oxford, England. Frontman Alex Trimble told NME: "We played it live the week after we wrote it and it's just stuck with us."
  • The song's music video was directed by Sam Pilling (Wu Lyf, SBTRKT and David Lynch) and was filmed in a north London bowling alley. The clip stars Martin Hancock, who is best known for playing Spider Nugent in Coronation Street and features the band members' decapitated heads rolling down a bowling lane. "It's a bit of a break with the past," bassist Kevin Baird told NME. "I think we've done one or two very good videos and a couple of very average ones. We wanted to do something a bit spectacular this time, and I honestly do think it's the best thing we've ever shot."
    Unsurprisingly the horror-inspired visual was banned by MTV.

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