Live Review: The Temper Trap, Mansionair, Charlotte OC

The crowd’s first day back at work blues are slowly thawed by English songstress Charlotte OC, fresh from Falls and in fine vocal form. Arms held high like a preacher; she bellows into the mic, staggers and eyeballs the crowd on Colour My Heart. Suspicious crackles and pops sees the set cut short due to an obvious technical malfunction, leaving Charlotte OC to finish with just her voice and guitar, but it's all she really needs to pull off a still most spellbinding set.

Mansionair set a dreamy feel with sweet harmonies, airy synths and some snappy drum pad beats on the languid Second Night. Truly soulful and delicious vocals from lead singer Jack Froggatt are a soothing treat for the gathering crowd, who Froggatt kindly thanks for coming out to see them at ‘this very strange, nothing time of year.” The sassy guitar riff and deep, consuming bass drum beat on Hold Me Down gets the crowd motivated to sway and dance, while Froggatt’s falsetto wails rise and fall in intricate waves.

The crowd surges forward and hugs the stage as rock-standard guitars, bass and drums are set up for The Temper Trap. Finally beginning under the explosive sparkles of an LED light show and strobes, lead singer Dougy Mandagi beams smiles at the crowd throughout Rabbit Hole. Thanking everyone for welcoming them home, the crowd explodes with cheers when next track Love Lost begins with bass player Jonathon Aherne leading a happy crowd clap-along.

With a new album soon to be released, The Temper Trap debut new tracks Mandagi admits, “We’re fucking nervous to play for you”. The brooding Trembling Hands gets the crowd contributing to the band’s beautiful blokey three-part harmonies on the lyric “Hear me now make me whole”. After a few more newies, the crowd digs familiar track London Burning, while the show really takes off with the intense, wailing epic of Resurrection. With fist held high in the air, Mandagi bellows the vocals, adds his own extra drumbeats and rocks out to guitar riffs galore. Interspersed with a jaunty interlude of The Clash’s Rock The Casbah, the performance lingers on for a further few minutes creating a deep, palpable intensity.

Finishing with old fave Sweet Disposition, Mandagi jumps into the crowd for a big old dancefloor love-in making everyone happy on this awful first day back type of day.