The Temperance Movement - Bristol Review

I am sure that we are all fans of bands which we consider should have been huge. We always lament the fact that our favourite bands are not more well known, but when it comes to The Temperance Movement they really, really should have been huge - and I am not saying purely from the position of being a fan. Objectively, the band had everything: great songs, a modern image that did not make the band look like a retro act, a captivating stage presence, and a strong work ethic. Their accessible songwriting, which fused bluesy hard rock, emotional ballads, and occasional hints of country, should appeal to most people on some level - and the band would have felt as at home opening for The Black Crowes as they did for Oasis. They were a hard rock band for the Britpop and indie loving crowd, then, but a lot of more traditional rock fans also liked them - so they had a sweeping reach which pulled in fans from various walks of life. From their 2011 genesis until probably 2018, too, the band went from strength to strength. Their headline tours got bigger and bigger and they continued to latch onto bigger tours to further widen their reach - releasing three studio albums along the way. All of the band's albums are excellent, too, even if I was a little disappointed with 2016's White Bear (which I reviewed here) at the time, and they generally excelled live. I saw the band live at both ends of their career - from a stunning set at the 2013 Cambridge Rock Festival a couple of months before their self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) dropped, through to the band opening for Blue Öyster Cult in 2019. Sadly, though, 2019 would be the last year that the band were active. I enjoyed their set opening for Blue Öyster Cult, but looking back they were more subdued than usual. It is clear now that all was not well in the band at the time - and things came to a head at that year's Planet Rockstock where they delivered a reportedly less than stellar performance. Frontman Phil Campbell was out of the band a month or so later - and The Temperance Movement essentially came to an end. Whilst a couple of archival releases were later put out by the band, there was no news related to any new activity until late last year. Following a few years flirting with other bands and a solo career, Campbell became a lot more active on social media again last year - and recorded a podcast series about the history of The Temperance Movement following a stint in rehab, in a desire to take accountability for his part in the band's demise and to try and look back on things in a more positive light. He initially stated as part of the series that the band were not getting back together - but clearly the air clearing and honesty led to some conversations behind the scenes, and a few months later it was announced that the band would embark on their first tour since 2019, with Campbell back on board and original guitarist Luke Potashnick also returning. Unsurprisingly, the clamour for tickets was great - and many of the shows sold out very quickly. I was lucky to get a ticket for the Bristol show - which was soon upgraded from the Exchange to the Trinity Centre. Many of the shows were also upgraded to larger venues, showing that there was still very much a demand to see the band live - despite the few years away.

The Trinity Centre was a new venue for me - and the converted church turned out to be quite a bit smaller on the inside than it appeared to be from the outside. Still, it was larger and more suitable for a band like The Temperance Movement than the Exchange would have been - and the larger room still sold out. Following getting to the front of a very slow-moving queue, I finally got into the venue and took my place towards the front of the venue - fairly close to the stage. The place ended up being packed to pretty much the back of the room, and the large turnout led to a great atmosphere, but before The Temperance Movement performed the crowd was treated to half an hour of music from Sam Palladio. Palladio, who seems to be better known as an actor than as a musician owing to his starring role in ABC's Nashville, was an unknown quantity to me - but the Englishman's short set ended up being pretty enjoyable. Backed by what was likely quite a stripped down band and relying on additional backing tracks, Palladio's music was accessible from the off - presenting as a form of poppy rock with modern country and occasional indie rock flavours. Vocally strong and clearly a capable songwriter, Palladio also came across well on stage. He spoke to the crowd quite a lot, told the stories behind some of the songs, and generally came across as a likeable artist - and his heartfelt songs backed up this view. Nashville is a musical drama, so Palladio was always likely a singer as well an actor - and is therefore not one of these actors-turned-singers who capitalise on their fame to sell average albums. His songs, whilst not always 100% my thing, were all very genuine - and there were a number of choruses played which I can still remember a day later despite only having heard each song once. There was a tasteful approach to guitar playing throughout his set, too, with a couple of surprisingly big guitar solos included - alongside plenty of melodic playing throughout the songs themselves. Palladio himself stuck to acoustic guitar throughout, though, and cut quite a figure at the front of the stage - likely winning over quite a few in attendance as he did so. He only played for 30 minutes and, in truth, I would not have minded hearing a couple more of his songs. This is always a good sign I think, and I will have to give Palladio's music more of a listen in due course.

By the time The Temperance Movement took to the stage a little later the place was packed. Those in attendance were clearly out to have a good time - and with this show being The Temperance Movement's first since that ill-fated Planet Rockstock appearance there was an uncertainty over how things would pan out. Even with this admission, I doubt that many expected the show to start in the manner which it did. The band all walked to the front of the stage, with only Paul Sayer (guitar/vocals) armed with an acoustic guitar - who started playing the opening notes of Chinese Lanterns. Campbell then sung the delicate ballad backed only by the lone acoustic guitar - with the rest of the band harmonising with him during the chorus. It was a real show of togetherness given the drama which tore the band apart for a while - and it was a hugely emotional way to kick off what turned out to be a truly fantastic evening of live music. Much of the set was culled from the excellent debut, although the other two albums were represented by four cuts each, and the next 90 or so minutes flew by. Following the melancholy start, the band immediately upped the energy levels with a raucous Only Friend. Signs of ring rust were few and far between and it was as if the band had never been away. They were clearly carried by the crowd through the first couple of numbers, though, with the crowd often taking over from Campbell during Only Friend - with the singer only able to look on in wonder. With the exception of the opening, and one later inclusion, the set was largely as I expected it to be. It essentially showcased many of the band's very best songs, ranging from hard rockers to ballads, and the performance was up there with the best of the past. Campbell seemed reenergised, his voice and stage moves still perfectly intact, whilst the guitar duo of Potashnick and Sayer sounded rawer than ever - with plenty of solos from both throughout the night. Most of the songs were stretched out somehow, with lots of jamming and grooves from the rhythm section, but nothing outstayed its welcome - and with 18 songs played the crowd got their money's worth. Early highlights were the massive sing-a-long choruses of newer cuts Built-In Forgetter and Caught in the Middle. This was also the case later on in the set when the southern rock-esque grooves of Be Lucky filled the venue - and by this point the band were well and truly back. Campbell addressed the crowd occasionally, but generally this was a night all about the music - and the band clearly felt like they had something to prove again. This mindset let to some blistering performances - such as a centrepiece version of Another Spiral which, like it often had in the past, became a real vehicle for Sayer's soloing. This led into a last third of the set which was packed with power, including a barnstorming Ain't No Telling and the lengthy Smouldering getting an airing after having been out of the set for quite a while. The music just kept on coming, too, with a raucous Battle Lines perhaps seeming like the main set closer - before Campbell picked up an acoustic guitar and it was clear that the real closer would be a very emotional A Deeper Cut. Following a brief step off the stage, the band came back for a three-song encore, which opened with a surprise take on Have You Ever Seen the Rain, before, back on firmer ground, the hard-hitting early single Midnight Black packed up a punch as it always did. It was left to a shimmering and emotional Serenity to round out the evening - with the first album's closer really bringing the curtain down on an excellent night. The setlist was:

Chinese Lanterns

Only Friend
Take It Back

Built-In Forgetter

Caught in the Middle

Pride

Get Yourself Free

Be Lucky

Another Spiral

Oh Lorraine

Ain't No Telling

Magnify

Smouldering

Battle Lines

A Deeper Cut

-

Have You Ever Seen the Rain [Creedence Clearwater Revival cover]

Midnight Black

Serenity

At this stage, it is unclear what the endgame of The Temperance Movement's reunion tour is. Is this just a proper goodbye after what came before or will it be the start of a new era. The truth is that even the band probably do not know yet - but I really hope it is the latter. Regardless as to what happens next, I am just glad that I got to see the band live at least one more time. If all of the rest of the shows on this tour as good as last night in Bristol then I can only imagine that the band will be inspired to keep going - so I am keen to find out what the future holds.