The difference a couple of years can make...
Back in the distant memory of 2014, I saw Royal Blood play a sold-out gig at the Brighton Dome. A much-anticipated show, the Royal Blood I saw that night were technically phenomenal, however, lacked something that couldn't be rehearsed, charisma. Despite drummer Ben Thatcher's antics at the end, running around the edge of the Dome's standing area, it seemed like the two simply went on stage, played their music and did nothing much else.
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| The impressive visuals were something you would expect at a DJ show, not a rock gig! |
The Royal Blood of last night, playing a sold-out hometown (if you forget they are from Worthing) Brighton Centre, was a completely different beast. A duo oozing charisma, with a certain sense of cockiness that is well and truly backed up, the duo rocked the arena, armed with their debut album classics alongside some stellar tunes from their follow-up album How Did We Get So Dark?
Arriving on the stage to the rumbling opening of Lights Out, the duo immediately exploded into their now iconic sound of Mike Kerr's heavy bass work, combined with Ben Thatcher's ferocious drumming. Strutting down the catwalk that protruded into the crowd, Kerr oozed cool as he played, whilst Thatcher, at times, only had to stare, in a crazed, dormant-like manner at the crowd to elicit a cheer and a "Seagulls!" chant, a homage to Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, Thatcher himself would later re-appear with their shirt on.
The production aspect of the show, when compared to their 2014 outing, had received a massive overhaul, with the band being flanked by a wall of lights that stood diagonally to the stage, meeting at the middle, behind the band. Above them, sat a large, square screen, a la Kanye West at Glastonbury 2015, that lowered and tilted, projecting edited, real-time, videos of the duo in action. Most impressive, however, were the plethora of lasers that, when all pointed downwards, conveyed a cube of light around the duo, the first appearance of these drew a big reaction from the crowd.
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| Ben Thatcher, standing atop of the crowd. |
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| Another example of brillant visuals of the show. |
It was clear from the performance that Royal Blood is a duo that are masters of their craft, a much more polished and finished version of the act I saw in 2014. No more was this present then with the appearance of two female backing singers. Standing on a platform behind the two guys, the four-some cut an imposing figure, and added a depth to the vocals that simply were not there before.
All in all, with improved production value, a flawless performance and the successful implementation of new aspects to their shows, if there is any gig that charts the evolution of Royal Blood, it is this one.
Setlist
- Lights Out
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- Hole in Your Heart
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- Encore:
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- Out of the Black
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