The Temperance Movement – 100 Club, London – 9/11/12

Having only discovered The Temperance Movement a couple of weeks earlier, it was with eager excitement, that I headed down to London’s legendary 100 Club.

Opening with the first track on their EP, I was in no doubt from the initial words and notes that I was hearing and watching something fantastic. The dirty blues groves of ‘Ain’t No Telling’ got us grinding our hips and watching that blues nod creep across other audience members.

‘Only Friend’ breaks to raw vocal “Trouble was my only friend”. Phil Campbell’s vocal has great movement, range and tone, which is reminiscent of Credence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty.

Title track ‘Pride’ is up next. A lighter number, less bluesy, with a more soulful feel to it, showing their versatility as a band by combining, old school blues sounds with lighter rock. This is followed by two tracks not on their EP, ‘Know For Sure’ and ‘Take It Back’, both of which have a unique sound in their own right and ‘Know For Sure’ has a great instrumental section allowing the other band members step forward.

They list Little Feat as a band they like and you can hear their influence in the sound, but there are also elements of The Yardbirds, Paul Rogers and Neil Young in there too. The music itself is simple, but it is well put together, everything is perfectly in its place. The Temperance Movement manage to create something that most rock bands don’t get, a groove.

Set List

Ain’t No Telling

Only Friend

Be Lucky

Pride

Know For Sure

Take It Back