The last time Take Two played, the elevated stage was dim and dark as the scent of booze lingered on in the air. People in the crowd responded naturally in their intoxicated yet exuberant applause. 

This time around, their stage was in the amphitheatre of ITE East where they played from within the eye of the ‘tornado’: a swirl-like architectural feat that the school achieved effortlessly.

Beading down with sweat, the band of five toiled with their setup before emerging from behind a propped up wall. With shows held in school usually taking a much more tame standpoint, the crowd at ITE East were initially less sincere in showering the band with great enthusiasm— at least when the five-piece first appeared on stage. 

Somehow, though, it clicked: the emotional distance was reduced to affection when the introduction of 'Addiction Affliction' peeked from under the cones of loudspeakers. The stage was shrouded in equal quantities of cable, wire and pedals, exhibiting a performance which veined from a sound synonymous with the adjective ‘fresh’, which moves from the distorted sound of the alternative rock crowd. 

‘In Your Arms’ premiered a new tune of electrifying, pushing on the boundaries lightly from the technical triangulation between guitar, bass and drums. Frontman Paddy’s vocals were laid atop comfortably in the mix, interjecting with a like-minded extension that conjoined two pieces into one seamless, grand finale. 

That day, the band stood before the crowd after having played dozen of shows in Malaysia, Thailand and Spain, but, whatever they’ve accomplished could not be possible without their school playing the role of interceder. With the members of the band bunking in the NUS halls of Eusoff and Kent Ridge, a relationship was forged through the love for music.

This dalliance translated into the band working on indie covers first, before shifting to the creation of originals.