Live Review: The Temper Trap // The Garage, Glasgow – 18.12.16

With the cold and dark Glaswegian winter nights drawing in, sparks were sure to fly on Sauchiehall Street as The Temper Trap graced Scotland’s biggest and best city with their presence once again.

Back in May, they entertained the Art School, a month after releasing their fourth studio album, Thick As Thieves. Having toured the record since what were then new additions to the Australians’ portfolio have now made an unerringly seamless transition into setlist favourites.

There were two supporting acts: local talents St Martiin’s – a Palace and Bombay Bicycle Club esque group with husky female vocals – and Tempesst, whose more psychedelic Mystery Jets-style keyboard accompanied guitars are rapidly gathering them stock.

Then the lights dimmed, The Temper Trap took to the stage and the air was buzzing with euphoric excitement.

Opening with their latest release’s eponymous first track, ‘Thick As Thieves’, they then moved seamlessly into ‘Love Lost’ and ‘Down River’. These two favourites from their debut album, Conditions, signalled that the Australians were going to put on one hell of a show.

Increasing the pace with Thick As Thieves‘ ‘Fall Together’ and ‘Burn’, an incredibly impassioned rendition of ‘Trembling Hands’ followed. Lead singer Dougy Mandagi then endeared himself to the Glasgow faithful in professing his love for their “good chat”, while admitting that “I sometimes don’t understand what the fuck you’re saying but it sounds funny”.

The four-piece were visibly really enjoying the occasion on ‘Rabbit Hole’ and ‘So Much Sky’, before the harder rock of ‘Ordinary World’ proved one of the highlights of the night. The close of ‘Summer’s Almost Gone’ had the band so absorbed in their sound that it was truly a sight to behold before Mandagi beckoned the crowd closer for another major high of the set, ‘Science Of Fear’ and another proven favourite in ‘Resurrection’.

A crescendo was reached in moving swiftly onto ‘Alive’, instigating joyous celebration, only emphasised by ‘The Drum Song’ whipping up the energised crowd into an almost carnival atmosphere. In the latter, the image of spray from Mandagi’s water covered drums was a special moment, before the lights abruptly went out.

What followed was perhaps the least surprising encore ever recorded, with The Garage bouncing the minutes away until Mandagi orchestrated the classically Scottish “here we fucking go”, with the frontman claiming that chant alone was “worth the trip up here”.

‘Soldier On’ drew the crowd into a lull before reaching a powerful crescendo and ‘What If I’m Wrong’ was another example of the consistent quality of their sound in Thick As Thieves. ‘Sweet Disposition’ unsurprisingly rounded off proceedings, with the spine-tingling anthem of 2009 a beautifully raw and emotive ending to the set.

When the lights returned, The Temper Trap made their farewells, for now, leaving behind them a sea of smiles.

Words by Jonno Mack