THE TEMPER TRAP @ King Tuts 12/05/09
Written by admin on May 14th, 2009
Tonight King Tuts is home to Australian band The Temper Trap for what feels like an exclusive preview. Recently selected as rising stars in the BBC Sound of 2009 list the boys are visibly on a high after playing Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Swindon just days before. Their soundscape of hard rock guitars, tribal drumming, synchronised clapping and maracas is almost hypnotic.
Frontman Dougy Mandagi delivers a passionate performance with vocals that resonate somewhere between Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green and Prince. Just for a moment, he appears angelic during the beautiful ‘Sweet Disposition’ when the white and blue lights shine behind his head. This vision is shattered as he suddenly responds to the change of pace by bursting into a fit of jerky dance moves.
The pulsating rhythms are infectious and the crowd can’t help but bop and shuffle along. Just before The Temper Trap deliver their final song Dougy respectfully thanks the crowd for coming out for their first Scottish show and jests:
“Who goes out on a Tuesday night? Who’s looking after the kids? Glasgow you’re nuts.”
The show closes on a high with a performance of their single ‘Science of Fear’.
The Temper Trap’s debut album “Conditions” is due out in late June. It really is something to get excited about and was produced by Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack and Bjork) with recording taking place between London and Melbourne. If you were stuck in on Tuesday (looking after the kids possibly?) then don’t worry you can catch these infectious Aussies at this year’s T in the Park.
Words: Karen Bradley
Pics: Heidi Kuisma
