The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap
Buy tickets Thu 13 May 10

The Melbourne four-piece made a breakthrough at odds with the flash-in-the-pan nature of rock’s revolving door, resulting in a Brit nomination for International Breakthrough Artist and two sell-out UK tours including a trio of shows at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire. Sweet Disposition may have been their not-so-secret weapon, but they backed it up with an album of nuanced epic-pop perfection and a work ethic that would mean they wouldn’t see their own beds for the best part of three years.

Dougy Mandagi (vocals, guitar), Lorenzo Sillitto (guitar), Jonny Aherne (bass) and Toby Dundas (drums) had barely relocated from Melbourne to London when they made a tourbus their home-from-home.

They’d arrived in 2009 as a band wet behind the ears but armed with songs fit to headline festivals and an ambition that was keen on getting them there. Having recorded Conditions with Arctic Monkeys producer Jim Abbiss, their debut was released in August 2009 and what followed was an extensive period of intensive, relentless touring that only ended at the beginning of 2011. If they’d pitched up in the English capital as relative novices, come the end of the year, they’d most definitely found their feet. “My expectations were to play as many shows as possible and see where it went from there,” says Sillitto. “The thought of getting into the Top Ten and selling however many records that we did was never really a goal.

As high points go, we played a festival in Australia called Splendour In The Grass and at that point it was the biggest crowd we’d ever played to, like 20,000 people, the reaction was just incredible.” “When you’re onstage and the crowd are singing so loud that you can’t hear yourself,” adds Mandagi, “that’s quite an amazing moment.”


Sarah Blasko

Sarah Blasko
Buy tickets Thu 13 May 10



Places Nearby

Sarti’s 121 Bath Street G2 2SZ

One of our favourites; Fratelli Sarti is renowned for serving top quality Tuscan and Ligurian food at an affordable price.