The Temper Trap – O2 Academy, Oxford 19/09/09

Some bands, you just get a feeling for. When we first caught The Temper Trap we just kind of knew that they could well make an impression. OK so their music doesn’t really hold anything in the way of surprises – it’s about as radio friendly as it comes – but it is written so perfectly that it will find its place with those that listen to drive-time radio to get ideas for what CDs to buy. This may sound horrific to the more independently minded of you, but The Temper Trap are adroitly treading the path laid down by the likes of U2 and Coldplay, and it is looking likely to pay off.

For fans of people watching, tonight’s audience is a fascinating mix. The front few rows are made up predominantly of very young girls (and the odd mother of a band member) whilst crowding the bar at the back are a more mature class of punter, the kind who are starting to think that Radio 2 is getting a bit racy these days. The two drunken ladies at the front who spend the entirety of the gig taking pictures of themselves are something of a hideous wobbly anomaly. So The Temper Trap seemingly appeals to a considerably wide and safe audience, which isn’t bad going for a band that until recently nobody had heard of.

As they hit the stage we’re hoping for great things, and initially things are looking good. A feedback drenched intro fizzes with energy and walls of distorted guitars before segueing into ‘Rest’ which calms everything down almost immediately. Just for a moment The Temper Trap seemed to have acquired a distinctly aggressive edge, but sadly it disappears all too quickly. Still, there’s no denying that ‘Rest’ is a great song, with its incessant drum patterns, shuddering guitars and ringing bass lines. Of course at the centre of it all is Dougy Mandagi, a man whose vocal chords have seemingly been built from silk and honey. Without him, The Temper Trap would be just another run of the mill band with aspirations beyond their capabilities. As it is, they’ve got a singer who is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as David Mcalmont. More importantly he can pull it off live with seemingly little effort and no matter what the band does, it is always Mandagi you come back to. As it turns out, it helps to have such a focal point because in a live setting the band are more than just a little bit flat. There’s little in the way of charisma or onstage camaraderie, and it feels as if the band are going through the motions somewhat. The songs are all kind of nice and Mandagi’s voice is magnificent, but as a spectacle, the band has feet of clay.

More disturbing is the way the audience react to recent single (and omnipresent advert soundtrack) ‘Sweet Disposition’. The place erupts as if it’s the only reason anybody decided to turn up. Mobile phones are hoisted into the air, and at least half the audience takes pictures of themselves listening to “that song they like”. Once it’s over the mood flattens again and the mobiles go back into their pockets. Being purely associated with ‘Sweet Disposition’ is something The Temper Trap are going to have to be mindful of because it could become the albatross around their neck – much like Radiohead had ‘Creep’ or Supergrass had ‘Alright’. They’ll need to move on quickly, because to become associated with a single song could see the band treading water before eventually drowning.

The high point of the set is not the obvious ‘Sweet Disposition’ however. ‘The Drum Song’ manages to worm itself into people’s brains quite nicely. Interestingly it’s the only song in the set that has a dark disposition, built from thunder and bluster and good old fashioned bottom end as it is. It also develops into an hypnotic groove complete with some good old fashioned thrashing of a superfluous floor tom. As the song hurtles towards its climax the band finally let themselves go wrestling their instruments and driving onwards. From here it looks like a musical therapy session with violence only being narrowly avoided. Perhaps it’s already time to move on chaps and try something really challenging that will keep people’s phones in their pockets and their eyes solely on you.

The Temper Trap on MySpace