Tonight is the final show of the Temperance Movement’s thirteen date European Tour following their 5 year hiatus and they have in tow Sam Palladio who is a great foil for the band
The gig at Glasgow’s legendary Barrowlands Ballroom is sold out and virtually full when Sam Palladio comes on stage and he gets a very good reception. From Cornwall and via the TV show Nashville his country infused pop tunes certainly get the crowd going from the start and from the opener B.O.A.T. to the closer Jenny we get half an hour of passion from the heart.
The highlights of the set are “Tennessee’ and ‘Spilled My Heart’ that is a collaboration with Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and this evening is another reminder that Sam Palladio is more than an actor playing at a musician, he is the real deal
There is a definite air of anticipation as The Temperance Movement make a very low key entry onto the stage, huddle round the front and centre microphone and deliver a flawless acapela version of ‘Chinese Lanterns’ as if they were sitting in someone’s living room rather than in front a 1,900 sell out crowd who lap it up from note one.
The next hour and half is a reminder to everyone what exactly they have been missing for the last 5 years
‘Only Friend’ is the second track and you can feel the bass drum reverberate in your chest as the song begins and vocalist Phil Campbell begins to strut his stuff, dancing and gyrating around the stage like an energizer bunny, something that seems to not stop until the band take their final bows.
This naturally makes him the centre of attention, especially with one liners thrown in between tracks. The mix is very good, which is something that can always be said of the Barras, and the tone of guitarists Luke Potashnick & Paul Sayer is amazing & dovetails in together seamlessly with the rhythm section of Nick Fyffe & Simon Lea.
Be it rocking & rolling with ‘Take it Back’, listening to the harmonies of ‘Built in Forgetter’, stomping with ‘Caught in the Middle’ or feeling the tranquillity of ‘Smouldering’ this is one hell of a comeback after a lay off that has seen the band members do solo projects, but failed to reach the collective heights of the sum of all of their parts on show here tonight.
Campbell’s voice is tremendous as always, and he even dons the acoustic guitar for the soulful set closer ‘Deeper Cut’ before the band return to grace us with three more tunes culminating in a raucous version of ‘Midnight Black’
With performances like this this, I’m pretty sure that everyone left the venue with fingers crossed that it’s not another 5 years before we see the band again, end even may I suggest a new album…….
Photographs & Review by Gavin Lowrey
