Temples - Hare & Hound Birmingham June 2013 Live Review 2013

A night in Birmingham normally ends up being a good night, even more so if you are down at the Hare and Hound for a gig. This pub is full to the rafters tonight with a uni-cycle act currently on upstairs in one of the rooms, a pub quiz going on in another and the main room filling up with people looking forward to seeing Temples in what is a sell-out show. This pub is a gem in itself and from previous experiences the room where the music shows are is brilliant bringing up the subject that this venue should surely be given a go in the Jack Daniels bid to find the best small venues in the UK.

Tonight is a night where you are actually thankful that the main act are not coming on until 10 because it is still warm outside and the beers are flowing adding to what should be good show. The venue has its reputation of good sound quality and the hype surrounding Temples is ever increasing and expectations are high.

'Sun Structure' starts the night and straight away with an infectious sound of the 60s and what adds to the atmosphere are the smoke machines blowing all over the band. The band sound awesome but the crowd seem subdued and not really up for it. 

Temples introduce their new song 'Colours To Life'; a bit slower and more chilled out than what we are used to but still a winner all the same. This leads into 'Prisms' which is actually a B-Side and no doubt good enough to be a single in its own right, and to have B-Sides as strong as this has not been seen since the early Oasis days. 

For a band that don't have an album out yet they are using everything they can; there must have been more guitar changes in between songs for LEAD SINGER than Blackburn Rovers have had Managers last season.  Then again, with the tunes that these guys are banging out including the brilliant 'Keep In The Dark', who cares how many guitars they use? But the crowd still seem sadly lacking in any participation, they just stand there clutching their pints and not even nodding their heads in appreciation. Even the final and most known song 'Shelter Song' does not move these statues, which is a bit of a let-down for the band but these guys look like they will just move from strength to strength.

After listening to these on You Tube (other video sites are available) and seeing these guys live it is like hearing what The Horrors would sound like if they were in the sixties, with their melodic psychedelic sound.  Although Temples do not have an album yet, they are most definitely securing a large fan base by showcasing their music on the live scene and have got to be dubbed as one of the most exciting bands emerging out of the UK, can't wait for the album!

9/10

Mark Moore