Hot off of “The best set of SXSW”, Royal Blood played an intimate set at Glasslands to a frenzied crowd.
The hot new British duo has only been on the scene for about a year but provided some seriously tight garage rock with punk and grunge undertones. Bassist extraordinaire, Mike Kerr, plays a unique style which more often than not sounds like a grungy guitar when put through his pedals. Thundering drummer, Ben Thatcher, is a beast on the kit and hits hard and fast providing a deep groove for the pair to riff out on.
When I was given their EP “Out Of the Black” to check out awhile back I was pretty much blown away by the fact that it was only two dudes because it sounds much more rich and deep than what you would imagine. The heavy riffs are what stand out but don’t overshadow the strong but simple lyrics. I expect this to be a huge year for these guys as they are opening a few gigs for the Arctic Monkeys and playing some festivals which for sure will widen their growing fan base.
The forty-five minute set was scalding hot in the cozy confines of Glasslands and had the nearly sold out crowd riled up from the very fist notes of “Hole”, a rollicking tune which was the perfect opener. Midway through the set a good natured mosh-pit erupted near the front and continued to the end. Banter was kept to a minimum, preferring to let the music speak for them, which some bands should take note. The night ended with “Out Of the Black” a hard hitting number of epic proportions and had the fans calling for an encore to no avail due to time constraints. A few lucky guys were tossed drum sticks and picks, which in time should be great collector items.
Article and photos by Shayne Hanley
