If a monster spit out the color wheel across the sparkling night sky, you would see what it was to experience
Temples live. Before they travel back to tour in Europe for the winter, the band graced Irving Plaza Monday with an excessively stellar performance.
Hailing from Kettering, England, the four lads sound like the 60’s psychedelic rock revival but with their own gust of sounds and breaks topped with a goddamn subtle attitude. Seeing them on stage with fascinating jewelry, fringed shirts and dazzling hair prove they know how to rock their style hard.
Irving Plaza remained in a velvety psychedelic dimension as the London mates seamlessly strung together their set. “
A Question Isn’t Answered” marked when I helplessly fell into a coma, seduced by James Edward Bagshaw’s melodic posture. My mind was dissected by the euphoric guitar riffs and keyboard of Adam Smith, while Thomas Edward, James Walmsley and Samuel Lloyd Toms’ bass and drumming held structure of the glossy performance. The audience fell in a trance while “Prisms” took hold of our consciousness. As if the purple and green light show wasn’t electrifying enough, the projection screen behind them with reflections of colors, oily and ever-changing bubbles provided an additional escape from the norm.
Watching Temples is unlike any performance you can experience live. In addition to their elegant sound, their lyrics embody what you see and feel. The sounds of Temples is incomplete without “Ankh’s,” “Future’s changed, visions change. Visions of you, make the vision of me seem so in touch with only to see.” It’s hard to digest songs so beautiful accompanied by lyrical poetry and visions of glowing intensities. Instrumental balance is important to them as well, never dulling the sound yet keeping an ethereal melodic neutrality.
My only qualm was the set felt too short, leaving me with a withdrawal craving an extended encore. Remarkably vivid, intense and nourishing, I’m hoping for more material from Temples soon. Besides all the impressive projections accompanying the lights and outfits, Temples has the power to transcend music. They are classic yet authentically new, the purest genius of current psychedelic sound.
Salute to Heavenly Records, who allow the quartet to remain their bona-fide trippy selves.
They have only been on the music scene for two years, but they already have much under their studded belts. Cemented stardom in England, they’ve created buzz in the U.S. in reaction to their performance at Coachella this year. I’m hoping Temples will be spinning more on our home soil soon. Unfortunately, you missed your chance to experience their mind-bending live performance, unless you happen to be in Brighton or Manchester this winter. If not, submerge yourself in Sun Structures, the kaleidoscope they created for your viewing.
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Setlist:
1. “Sun Structures”
2. “A Question Isn’t Answered”
3. “The Golden Throne”
4. “Prisms”
5. “Colours To Life”
6. “Ankh”
7. “Move With The Season”
8. “Keep In The Dark”
9. “Sand Dance”
10. “Shelter Song”
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11. “Mesmerise”
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