Review:Temples at The Trades Club 18th Aug 2013

Temples | Hebden Bridge | Leeds-List

This super confident show is pretty compelling evidence that Temples should be one of the Live at Leeds headliners in 2014 – plus the fact Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher are fans.

This cocky four-piece has it all – looks, tunes and that peculiar swagger only the very best bands have. They call their shtick neo-psych and it is clear their, very British sound, is more early Pink Floyd than the Byrds.

It helps when you have a front man like James Bagshaw; who has charisma to burn, as he croons the words through a mop of curly hair. But this is not a one man show. The rest of the band are super tight, jamming their way through the set.←そうそう！そこがテンプルズの素晴らしいところの一つだと思う！

Their first single ‘Shelter Song’ is a superlative debut and their clear love for its catchy melody gives it extra nuance. B-side ‘Ankh’ is a song most other bands would close a set with. New single, ‘Keep in the Dark’, is a far pop-ier affair than the usual psychedelic wig outs they favour. Its chugging Glam Rock rhythm and catchy chorus suggests MTV rotation is on the horizon. At the very least, it will be an instant Youtube hit.

There is something strangely touching about watching four lads – who are actually the grandkids of the original freaks who went down the UFO club to watch Syd and the boys -recreate that sound so faithfully, with a very modern twist. There was something equally affecting watching a teenage girl with her eyes tightly closed singing along to their best song ‘Colours to Life’.

Temples are still a work-in-progress as one or two of the songs in this short set, needed some extra work. But with their debut album on the horizon and a massive UK tour already booked, Temples are on the brink of the big time. In truth, they are already more entertaining and watchable then some of the bands at the top of the bill at this year’s Live at Leeds, and it wouldn’t be a massive stretch to see them headlining the 02 next year.