by Sara Hailan and Jonathan Ulyatt | Photos by Andy Sidders
13 exclusive photos of Temples stunning at The Forum, London
Sun Restructured tour sees band play ten dates
Tags: Temples
3 December 2014: Hailed by Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher as the best new band in Britain, Temples have embarked on their biggest UK tour to date. Check out our exclusive photos of their massive show at The Forum in London here.
Temples hypnotized the room last night with their collective retro setlist of orbital synthesisers, glossy harmonies and echoing treble in new age psychedelia. The band proved their worth in the limelight of alternative rock as they treated the crowd to tracks from their EP ‘Mesmerise’ as well as their debut LP voted Rough Trade album of the year for 2014.
"How you all doing?" came a delicate voice as it escaped from the lusciously curly hair atop James Edward Bagshaw as they boys entered the stage before jumping right into their album’s namesake track ‘Sun Structures’.
For a band of just two years, the 4-piece show a high level of professionalism. Since their inception in 2012, the band have captivated audiences with the essence of the 70s which resonates from their core. How many other guys do you know who can pull of a black sequin jacket combined with a glittery, hot pink twelve-string and still look (and sound) silky smooth?
Aside from half-jokingly calling the crowd ‘stale’ before blowing an apologetic kiss (getting people pumped for a good night, which seemed to have worked), the band proved to do little wrong in an hour on stage. The likes of ‘Move With the Season’ and the whirling of ‘Colours To Life’ oozed tranquillity, echoing a vintage sound not too dissimilar of The Mamas and The Papas. The more up tempo ‘Mesmerise’ rejuvenated the crowd in up tempo energy.
After a year of such heavy focus over the past year and being dubbed one of the best new bands by guitar guru Johnny Marr, their UK tour has been heavily anticipated and is off to a healthy start. Pulling the Iconic Rickenbacker onstage to perform the song which arguably placed them on the music scene, the band performed ‘Shelter Song’ before returning on stage for a two-track encore accompanied by brass and violin in a moment of orchestral beauty. Without out a doubt one of the most glorious bands to have flourished in 2014.