By: Daniel Gerichter (@ZenDonut) –
Royal Blood. (Photo: Steve Danyleyko/Aesthetic Magazine Toronto)
If you’ve walked by Lee’s Palace over the last twenty five years or so, you might have seen a wrinkled piece of paper in a dingy little display window. On that sheet, you’ll see a list of names: Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys. Iconic acts who’ve experienced their humble beginnings on that stage. If last night’s sold-out show was any indication, Brighton, UK’s Royal Blood are destined to be a late addition.
Since last year, the duo (singer/bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher) have become one of the industry’s most buzzed-about acts, with an opening slot for Arctic Monkeys, raved-about sets at Glastonbury, SXSW and Osheaga, a Mercury Prize-nominated EP and a glowing endorsement from the BBC as “saviours of rock”. And there’s good reason for all that hype: the band’s scorching mix of fuzz, feedback, Sabbath riffs and Britpop plays as big with indie kids as it is with horn-throwing metal fans.
LA’s Kan Wakan, which consists of composer/producer/founder Crooked Waters and guitarist/co-producer Peter Potyondy, were an odd choice for opening act. That’s not to say they didn’t put on an enjoyable set – they most certainly did – but their ethereal, orchestral, moody sound was a stark contrast to Royal Blood’s high octane carnage. No matter, vocal collaborator KP performed vocal acrobatics, accompanied by a Morcheeba/Suzanne Vega feel – drawing bigger and bigger cheers from the rapidly thickening crowd. If you’re into the sounds of Massive Attack, Air, or Zero 7, you need to check these guys out.
Only 15-minutes passed between opener and headliners. By the time Royal Blood took the stage, the venue was a sweaty, shoulder-to-shoulder huddled mass of anticipation. While the stage setup was a no-frills experience (a backline of turned-to-eleven amps), this was a sonic warzone. Kerr’s bass was a source of preposterous distortion and fuzz effects and Thatcher’s crashing, driving percussion made it surprising that the band only consisted of two members.
Starting with “Hole”, the latter part of the previously mentioned mix of music fans wasted no time, flailing around as though electroshocked. By “Figure it Out” (the band’s go-to single) the center of the dance floor had transformed into a pulsating, fascinatinglycoordinated pit: crouched low for the song’s verses but then exploding during the frantic choruses (and even more zanier bridge). To date, the band’s setlist has had few surprises to it, being a one-album act thus far. So it was an excellent surprise to see the live debut of “Careless” – the one song off the EP they haven’t performed yet. Within 45 minutes, their set came to a close. Banter had been at a minimum, although Thatcher did take a moment to be carried by the crowd as though he’d just won the Euro Cup. So frenzied was the crowd at the end, that they waited at the stage, cheering for several minutes – house lights be damned.
Royal Blood have spent 2014 justifying a geyser of hype. To date, they have an already-memorable (albeit short) live show to hold up and ringing endorsements from just about anyone. Whether or not they take home the Mercury Prize, all eyes are on their next move. 2015 will likely see a full-length record, the inevitable growth of the venues they play and so on. Will they become the next Oasis or Arctic Monkeys? Time will tell, but being in last night’s sweat-drenched crowd, it felt like a foregone conclusion.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Royal Blood
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Kan Wakan
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Aesthetic Magazine | Album Reviews, Concert Photography, Interviews, Contests 
Great review. I’m happy i was there to see the beginning of an amazing band. I’ve never experienced anything close to what Royal Blood sounds like. Mind blowing performance and sound. Long live Royal Bloode
Posted by Lee | October 15, 2014, 7:29 pm