07 March 2015 (gig)
03 March 2015
After Royal Blood’s début album hit number 1 in the UK charts and last week they came out fresh from the Brit Awards with the best British Group award it always seemed destined that each date of this tour would instantly sell out!
Kicking off the show were the intentionally bizarre Mini Mansions. The LA-based trio who is fronted by Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman seemed an odd choice of support for Royal Blood and at first cause a mixed reaction amongst the audience. These puzzling looks soon turned to intrigue, thanks to the quirky and stand out songs such as ‘any emotions’ and ‘Monk’. After a short and unique set, it was simple to see that Mini Mansions won the crowd over and simply left them wanting more.
As soon as the lights go down and Royal Blood appear on stage the sold out Newport Centre crowd went simply wild as mosh pits erupted amongst the venue. The crowd managed to keep up this insane energy up for the entire gig as the pair kept the intensity by playing track after track and left the small talk at a minimum.
Performing every track from their début album, the precision and execution in their set meant that both Kerr and Thatcher had everyone in Newport Centre in the palm of their hands. Delays between songs left the crowd hanging on the edge, waiting for them to drop in with another raucous banger.
‘Come on Over’ and their debut track ‘Out of the Black’, were crowd favourites, each performed with a crystal clarity that shows how much performing live means to the band. Mosh pits caused consistent chaos in the crowd from and beers were being spontaneously thrown into the air. This is the way rock music should be appreciated.
With no encore, the gig was over almost before it began. Only time will tell as to whether Royal Blood fully deserve the praise that’s been going their way. One has to remember all the attention has come very early in their career and, if it remains at this pace, they’ll be burdened with having even more to live up to. As for tonight, Royal Blood delivered an unforgettable show and certainly proved why they won best British group!
