Photo Credit: Stuart Westwood
THE COUNTDOWN is officially on for Tenement Trail 2017. Two weeks ago we announced the second wave of acts set to grace Glasgow’s inner city music festival on Saturday 30th September and it’s fair to say that we’ve produced one of our most star-studded line-ups to date.
This year’s star attraction will be none other than world-renowned blues-rockers The Temperance Movement. Raw, boisterous, thrillingly unkempt and the very embodiment of true rock & roll spirit; it’s hard to think of an outfit more appropriate to top this year’s bill.
Formed in 2011 by Glasgow born vocalist Phil Campbell in collaboration with guitarists Luke Potashnik and Paul Sayer, The Temperance Movement quickly gained a reputation for their bluesy take on classic rock & roll. With a rich history of experience between them; having previously played with acts such as Jamiroquai, Rooster, Ben’s Brother, Ray Davies, The Waterboys and Feeder, it wasn’t long before the band found their fire and created a vintage sound to be proud of.
Joined by a fearsome rhythm section in Nick Fyffe and Damon Wilson, early comparisons centered around 1970s hard rock outfits such as Led Zeppelin and Free. However, armed with an uncanny songwriting ability and excellent musicianship, it was clear that The Temperance Movement were more than the sum of their influences. This was a band who were blowing fresh air into an old school sound – it was their ability to craft their own signature style while maintaining the influence of these rock and blues giants that stood them head and shoulders above their counterparts.
Following their well-received 2013 Pride EP, the band laid down their timeless sound once and for all on their fantastic self-titled debut album. Nothing summed the band up more than its gritty opener ‘Only Friend’; a huge, bold dirty rocker that was emblematic of their balls to the wall rock & roll attitude. Drawing from classic bands such as the Small Faces, Sticky Fingers-era Stones and The Black Crowes, the album was packed full of gritty basslines, scorching guitar work and pounding drums. Frontman Phil Campbell, the very embodiment of rock & roll abandon, emerged as the powerful figurehead of the band; channelling the likes of Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott in his whisky-soaked snarl and distinctive drawl. At the time of the album’s release, the band said: “There was no commercial agenda, just to write and perform good music that was real.”
With ambition and drive oozing out of every fibre of their being, The Temperance Movement ingratiated themselves to fans up and down the country with a series of thrilling live shows; proving that their boisterous sound was best enjoyed loud and with lots of energy. As the buzz continued to grow around the band, they even fit in enough time to visit TTV HQ to deliver one of our most memorable sessions, as seen below. It proved to be such a momentous time for the five-piece that in 2014, the Rolling Stones identified them as their sonic kindred spirits and invited them on their European tour; an opportunity they grabbed with both hands. After spreading their appeal around the continent, they then joined Earache Records label-mates Blackberry Smoke on their Holding All The Roses tour around the US in 2015.
Following a period of touring and a line-up change along the way, the band unveiled their highly anticipated second album White Bear at the start of 2016. Reaching number 18 in the charts, it was a sign of their growth and progression in a small matter of years. Opening with the thunderous stomp of ‘Three Bulleits’, it was another swaggering rock & roll album full of rousing singalong moments and unrelenting guitar parts. Fuelled by a fast and exciting energy, White Bear also allowed the band to explore new sonic territories with layered rhythms blurring into rollicking anthems; tracks such as ‘Oh Lorraine’ and the ferocious ‘Modern Massacre’ offset by the more considered ‘A Pleasant Place I Feel’ and ‘I Hope I’m Not Losing My Mind’.
At the time of its release, the band celebrated the album with a sold out show at the revered Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. A triumphant occasion for both the band, their Glaswegian frontman Phil Campbell and their dedicated fanbase, it was a special night that secured their place in the upper echelons of the city’s storied musical heritage.
Raw, unadulterated rock & roll is hard to come by these days so it takes a band of real substance and tenacity to remind us what made the genre such an indomitable force in the first place and the Temperance Movement are that band. When they take to the stage at the O2 ABC on 30th September as headliners of Tenement Trail 2017, it is sure to be a night to remember for all involved. And we can’t think of a better band to do the honours.
Tenement Trail takes place on Saturday 30th September around a variety of Glasgow’s most well-loved venues. Tickets are on sale now here.
