The Streets Of London

With footage of destruction and violence broadcasting nightly, the 2011 London riots made headlines across the globe. What began as a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a local in Tottenham quickly escalated into widespread looting and arson. The images streaming through the news told stories of rampant hooliganism, as the plight of the original protestors became a jumbled mess amongst all the noise and confusion. For the wider world the information was even more hazy, as gossip and rumours meshed with furious pictures of anarchic youth to create an overriding sense of fear and shock at every incident.

For Australian indie rockers The Temper Trap, the period was more surreal than terrifying, as the place they've called home for over four years suddenly became more than a little unhinged. The five-piece of singer-guitarist Dougy Mandagi, bassist Jonny Aherne, guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto, drummer Toby Dundas and keyboardist Joseph Greer were in the middle of recording their self-titled second album when the riots struck, casting a strange shadow of caution over the recordings. The experience ended up seeping into their songwriting, becoming the basis for a key track from the LP, London's Burning.

“I don't think any of us were affected on a personal level in terms of harm or anything,” describes Greer. “But it was in our neighbourhood and literally on Dougie's doorstep some of the stuff that was happening, the car burnings and what-not. We were in the studio the day that it was happening and we were told to go home. It was a pretty weird experience 'cause everything was quiet, people were boarding up their shops and you could see smoke and fumes rising from around the neighbourhood which was from burning cars and stuff. So it was a pretty surreal experience! You're walking around the streets and you just wanna get to where you're going and hope that you don't run into anything or get in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The song itself received a mixed response from critics. While met with strong support Down Under, the UK media seemed to take exception. “We were quite surprised at the reaction in the UK actually,” sighs Greer. “It got quite a negative reaction. We weren't trying to come from a political standpoint, the song was more of an observational thing of what was happening as opposed to trying to comment on society and things like that, which I think is what it got taken for. People were like, 'Aussies trying to comment on issues that don't concern them'. But it was completely observational. We were here while it was happening and this is the place we've been living in the last four years. It was quite a significant thing.”

Speaking from his home in London, Greer paints a familiar picture of the infamously volatile UK media. Having exploded onto the international music scene with the hit single Sweet Disposition from their debut album Conditions, the group have felt both sides of the English music machine ever since. “There's a lot of bands here, and if a band gets the hype, they're loved straight away by things like NME and stuff like that. So I think if you're a young band and you've got a little bit of hype behind you it's a very welcoming scene, but I think it's very cruel as well. The press are not very forgiving. If you make any mistakes or something happens a lot of the press seems to get on board with each other. I think it's a hard one here. It's good when it's good, but when it's bad it's really bad.”

While the last member to join officially, Greer has been with the band since before their debut, helping to flesh out the tracks in the live setting before eventually becoming a part of the writing process for their sophomore release. Any reservations over following up such a hit record quickly became redundant as their self-titled second album immediately built on its success, leading to ARIA wins and a spot at last year's AFL Grand Final. The seemingly overnight success of Sweet Disposition made their subsequent achievements even more impressive, proving the staying power of a band not always given their due for the hard work they've put in over their career. The Grand Final in particular seemed to stamp their now coveted position in Australian music.

“It was pretty weird,” laughs the keyboardist. “It was an amazing experience, but that kind of pressure for ten minutes – weeks of practise and getting everything set up and rehearsal and then it's just over in ten minutes. You can't really grasp what you've just done. So I think it wasn't until after we'd finished that it actually set in and we could relax and enjoy ourselves. And to be honest it was really strange because you're in the centre of the field and the crowd just seems so far away. You can't even see anyone's expressions on their faces; it's almost like you're playing in an isolated little world. I found that really strange because usually you can get a gauge of the crowd, if they're excited or not, by seeing their faces. But I couldn't see their faces! You've got all these cameras around you, and it's just really strange.”

The ARIA wins were the icing on the cake of a career best year, wrapping up 2012 with awards for 'Best Group' and 'Best Rock Album'. Having previously won two in 2010 and been nominated before that, last year was the first time the five friends had been present to accept. Beating out perennial award winners the Hilltop Hoods and Aussie icons Cold Chisel emphasised the spot The Temper Trap now hold in Australian hearts. “It was great!” enthuses a patriotic Greer. “We performed this year, which was good. This was the first year we were actually there when we won an award, so it was nice to go up and get them.”

Having lived away from Oz for a prolonged period has made each return all the more special. Now firmly calling London home, the group's upcoming return to our shores is as anticipated to fans as it is to the band themselves. On a bill including international superstars The Stone Roses and The Prodigy, The Temper Trap are proud to fly the Aussie flag. “I think we really feel like an Australian band. I think Australia's the best market for us and we feel like when we come back to Australia it's really good, so we'd like to think that we still are an Australian band and that we feel like home when we're here. We're just here so little of the time; it can be a little bit strange.”

The Temper Trap will be playing the following dates:

Saturday 2 March - Future Music Festival, Brisbane QLD
Sunday 3 March - Future Music Festival, Perth WA
Saturday 9 March - Future Music Festival, Sydney NSW
Sunday 10 March - Future Music Festival, Melbourne VIC
Monday 11 March - Future Music Festival, Adelaide SA
Saturday 27 April - Groovin' The Moo, Maitland Showground
Sunday 28 April - Groovin' The Moo, University Of Canberra
Saturday 4 May - Groovin' The Moo, Prince Of Wales Showground, Bendigo
Sunday 5 May - Groovin The Moo, Murray Sports Complex, Townsville
Saturday 11 May - Groovin' The Moo, Hay Park, Bunbury