The Cooper Temple Clause

It’s estimated that shares in hair products fell around 400% on the stock market when The Cooper Temple Clause emerge looking relatively well groomed in contrast to their famed wild hair days. However, the band still seem to retain the cocky air that manages to make a slot at the Reading Festival more like a hometown show. Perhaps this attitude is misplaced tonight – with My Chemical Romance’s departure and the promise of QOTSA and The Killers on the Main Stage, the tent is emptier than a Jim Davidson Appreciation Night, and opening with a slow-burning new song is never likely to attract the casual listener.

If the pace is quickened somewhat with the introduction of ‘Promises, Promises’ (altogether now: dum dum digga digga dum dum digga digga….), more new material and lacklustre interpretations of the usually chaotic ‘A.I.M’ and ‘Panzer Attack’ leave the crowd a little bemused as to what has happened to one of Britain’s supposed great white guitar hopes. Sauntering off after just seven songs, fans are left hoping that The Coopers aren’t the next Britrock band heading for the great scrapyard in the sky.

review by Tom Foster

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