Live Review: The Temper Trap, Mane, The Winter Gypsy

It was Fat Controller's second birthday and what better way to celebrate than by putting on a gig!

Usually on a Saturday night, the dancefloor is full of indie kids singing their hearts out to the latest indie tunes but, tonight The Temper Trap decided to join the party.

But before the Melbourne four-piece hit the stage Mane and The Winter Gypsy kept the crowd busy for about an hour. Mane blew us away with her vocal abilities. It was a mix of Lorde, Adele and Lana Del Rey, and she made everyone take notice. Hailing from Port Pirie here in South Australia, her name is going to be on everyone's lips in a couple of years.

The Winter Gypsy, another SA band, wowed the crowd with their indie-folk rock for a quick-fire 20 minutes.

The Temper Trap made it in a big way back in 2009 and 2010 with their huge-selling Conditions album, so this is a good opportunity to see them in a small venue when they could easily be playing something bigger. Surprisingly, it was a short set - only a dozen tracks. They're three albums deep into their career, and each got a look in. Much like support act Mane, many of The Temper Trap's songs are structured around the vocal abilities of their singer, Dougy Mandagi. On a side note, he was looking every inch the rock star tonight with long locks and a vintage The Rolling Stones shirt. His voice never ceased to amaze, especially during Love Lost, the rarely played Fools and crowd-favourite Science Of Fear.

Not known for loud drums on their recordings, tonight the sold-out crowd felt every beat go through their bodies. Drummer Toby Dundas gave the skins a pounding that the folks walking on North Terrace above would have felt.

During the final song, Sweet Disposition, Mandagi once again displayed his vocal abilities, soaring effortlessly during the chorus. His voice was well supported in the harmony department by bassist Jonathon Aherne and Joseph Greer on guitar/keyboards as well. The crowd did a great job singing non-stop throughout the entire song.

While the last two albums haven't sold as many copies as their debut, they are still worth repeat listens since there are many gems to be uncovered.