Temples at Shepherds Bush Empire

Sadly I was alone for this gig as my mate bailed last minute, but it did let me concentrate on the music, and getting some photos. So lets get stuck in.

Openers were, to be honest, a bit shit. There is a reason people don't write songs about economic matters. While Metal has almost infinite sub-genres, Socio-Economic Metal has still to be invented. Songs like Tax Return and Shrinkflation are novel, but only lyrically. The music was just a bit mundane. So sorry "Unexpected Gains" didn't offer me much in the way of gains, expected or otherwise.

 I wasn't expecting a second support, so was very pleasantly surprised when one turned up, and they were really good. They we Spanish, but they either didn't announce themselves, or did but the lead vocalist's charming, but strong Spanish accent may have meant I missed it. I think they were something like Bedo. So not sure I can track them down again which is a pity as they were great. Singer had beautiful voice, and the band seemed tight with a fine indie sound.

That set things up rather well for Temples, touring to support their their third album, Hot Motion. Having seen them a number of times, I have to say they are definitely improving as a live act. Lead vocalist James Bagshaw isn't perhaps the most charismatic of front men, but then at least he isn't distracting either. And if you like psychedelic rock this is probably the best being created now.

 For their Encore they just played a long version of Mesmerise, jamming with the Spanish support act. But too prog rock for me, but nice bonhomie.

Bagshaw then wandered off the front of the stage to indulge in a bit of stage diving, which was nice touch.

White Lies at Brixton Academy

This was superb gig. For several reasons. First the company. There were three of us, myself, a newly created partner at my firm and a friend's 14 year old son. So a very wide age disparity - old, middle and young. And we all got on famously. Although as we were two males to one female, I insisted on democratic grounds to stand on the left front edge of the stage (with close proximity to the gents) rather than the right (with access to the ladies). These things matter.😊

And that age disparity went for the audience as a whole. We got chatting to a family who had flown over from Jersey for the gig, a couple with their teenage daughters. Just a very pleasant friendly atmosphere altogether.

Now one might hope for a great support act too. But perhaps too much to ask for. They played my sort of indie, but Boniface, from Canada, were just not very good. Apart from anything else, they really tried to hard. The guitarists were certainly animated, but instead of being entertaining to watch, they just distracted one from the music. And the lead singer's motion was on the boundary of where dancing stops and epileptic fits start. Actually, if anything, on the wrong side of that boundary.

Ok so much for the support. On come White Lies for a mega set. The inspiration/excuse for this tour was to mark the tenth anniversary of their first, and best, album, To Lose My Life. So they started by playing that album in full and in sequence, and then followed with a sort of "best of" from their subsequent albums, and finished with the traditional encore, of more of the same. In all a 20 track set, and that is long as a lot of their songs are quite expansive.

And they started with a bang - black confetti shooting out of cannons on the opening of Death.

Now a few words on White  Lies. First I like their style. All wearing black. No stage histrionics. And stripped down largely monochrome lighting.

Secondly, lead singer Harry McVeigh just has the most superb voice for this type of music, a heavy guitar sound. A lesser man would be drowned out, but he is perfect.

And they are the very top end of guitar bands, as my young friend (who plays guitar) assured me. As someone who never got beyond playing the triangle in infants school, I can't properly appreciate the skill of guitar-work. Young Luka however does, and was quite awestruck, which I take as a good sign. (And I am not proud, well-pleased to be taught things by a 14 year old. Why not?)

I was a little concerned at the balance of this gig. Normally you start a gig with a popular number, often your current single, and then leave your best to last, constructing a varied set, up and down in tempo and familiarity, in between. But because they were playing their best album in order, I felt their best song actually came second, the title track of To Lose My Life. Which left a lot of downhill to go. But actually it was all good. And neatly showcased their work, with the first album feeling slightly darker, rockier, almost Goth inspired, and the rest edging to a lighter pop style (all things are comparative - this is very much a rock, not pop band).

 Multi-coloured lights only really came into play towards end of second half with the pop-py "Tokyo".

And going out with a mighty bang in the encore with "Bigger Than Us" accompanied by copious amounts of white confetti plus beach ball type balloons, some of which people took home with them on the Tube afterwards.

It was quite euphoric ending. very well judged. And then they ad to do it all again the following night as they had a two night residency at the Academy. A much underrated band.