TEMPLES was the opening act for November-December’s HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER, and the four-piece from Kettering dished out their moody expanses of furtive rock as a gentle introductory act on Saturday afternoon.
To the backdrop of criticism of industrial overhype, the group has positively exploded in popularity in an insanely short period of time, already embarking on international tours and enjoying worldwide hype and praise despite not even having released an album or EP yet. Temples began as a duo in 2012, initially consisting of vocalist/guitarist James Bagshaw and bassist Thomas Warmsley. Upon almost instant exposure gained by uploading a handful of tracks online, the two quickly recruited drummer Sam Toms and keyboardist Adam Smith for the live band setup.
With powerful backlights silhouetting their 60s hairstyles and impossibly skinny legs, the band played jammed out psych rock tracks, playing fan favourites Prisms, Mesmerise, Sun Structures and The Golden Throne, not that the young foursome have much of a choice, considering their meagre recordings thus far. Since their Tokyo show, the band has embarked on a UK tour with Primal Scream and have a handful of dates booked in the UK for February and March promoting their debut album.
The propulsion to fame that this band has enjoyed could see them burning out like many other young overhyped bands, and their so-so performance on Saturday leaves one wondering if their popularity lies more in the haircuts than the music.