O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

The Temperance Movement
O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
18th March 2025

The Temperance Movement return after five years away, looking and sounding revitalised. At O2 Forum Kentish Town they dive into their back catalogue like a band with something to prove.

The Temperance Movement open their first London show since 2019 with Chinese Lanterns. A minimalist ballad from their debut album, it was beefed up in concert as the audiences got bigger. Tonight they’ve stripped it all the way back again: an acoustic guitar; all five members singing into one microphone, arms around shoulders.

Musically it’s glorious, raise-the-hairs-on-your-arms stuff. Visually it’s epic, the perfect symbol of a reunited band making a fresh start. Not only is lead singer Phil Campbell back five years after his departure put the group in a state of limbo; co-founding guitarist Luke Potashnick has returned following a full decade away.

Whether it’s their time apart, a shared realisation that something special happens when they get together, or the fervent adulation from the O2 Forum Kentish Town audience, the group seem thrilled to be here. Potashnick, guitarist Paul Sayer, and bass player Nick Fyffe often look at each other with “I can’t believe this is happening” smiles; Campbell — all arms, legs, and that ’70s Rod rasp — shares quiet moments with the guitarists and his gratitude with the fans.

“This is a blessing,” he admits at one point. “There aren’t many bands who can take five years off and fill this fucking place.”

So they make the most of it.

The London stop of The Temperance Movement’s Ain’t No Telling tour easily surpasses expectations that have been building over half a decade. They give it their all, ripping into songs from all three of their studio albums like a band with unfinished business.

With a crystal clear live mix that separates the guitars left and right like a vintage stereo recording and doesn’t turn the backing vocals into mush, the likes of swampy stomp Only Friend, breezy Be Lucky, slowburning Pride, and arm waving Take It Back manage to sound intricate and layered, yet as thrilling as being chased down Route 66 by the county sheriff.

Diesel and dust rockers like Built-In Forgetter, Caught In The Middle, and Midnight Black find Campbell’s voice at its most unleashed while drummer Simon Lea also gives his all. But the singer really outdoes himself on Ain’t No Telling, which also allows Potashnick and Sayer to solo and trade licks like they’re in a smokey Alabama bar circa 1975. The duo are equally impressive on Oh Lorraine (with its impossibly slinky riff), the bruising blues of Battle Lines, and Serenity, which ends the night in a tidal wave of screaming guitars, body-shaking rhythms, and unbridled singing.

It’s not all rocking in the free world, though. Another Spiral is the closest thing to a lighter anthem in The Temperance Movement’s catalogue. Smouldering is twangy folk guitar, subtle drumming, sweet vocals, and a trippy breakdown.

And A Deeper Cut is strummed acoustics and Campbell at his most delicate, before blossoming to end with band and audience singing “there’s always something” in unison. One of the night’s warmest moments, it reinforces just how much The Temperance Movement have been missed.

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You can find The Temperance Movement on their website as well as Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Words by Nils van der Linden. You can visit his author profile for Louder Than War here and his website here.

Photos by Simon Reed. His website Musical Pictures is here and you can visit his author profile for Louder Than War here. He tweets as @musicalpix.