Live Report: Royal Blood deliver unfiltered rock goodness to the 3 Olympia

When they first blasted onto the scene with their face-melting self-titled debut in 2015, Royal Blood were being heralded as saviours of the rock genre. They’ve since gone on to sell-out stadiums, tour with the likes of the Foo Fighters, all while consistently reaching the top of the charts with their records.

Success aside, they’ve also garnered a reputation for on-stage petulance – most notably an incident at Radio 1’s big weekend festival in Dundee earlier this year – when frontman Mike Kerr verbally chastised the crowd for not being as excited as felt they should be.

Luckily for those in attendance, the duo didn’t bring their irritabilities with them to the 3 Olympia last night, as the Brighton noisemakers tore through the storied theatre with an electrifying performance, their unique brand of rock—pure, unadulterated, and with a minimalist bent—demonstrating that less can indeed be more in the age of overproduction.

After a seismic support set from Hot Wax, the anticipation built as the lights dimmed and Ennio Morricone's ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ played, heralding Royal Blood’s entrance to a thunderous welcome.

The first time playing in the capital since 2015, the band seemingly marked the occasion by launching into 'One Trick Pony,' an older B-side which hadn’t been given a live runout for almost ten years.

 

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Spanning their extensive four album discography, the duo belted out hits new and old. 'Lights Out,' remains a powerhouse track, showcasing the full potential of Kerr’s pedalboard wizardry and his trademark ability to turn simple bass riffs into colossal soundscapes.

Their music transcends in the live arena. Seeing the band in person adds an explosive dimension to already massive sounding tracks like 'Little Monster' and 'Loose Change.' The pair’s musical chops were on full display, Kerr’s distinct style of bass playing was thoroughly impressive, while Ben Thatcher's relentless drumming was a spectacle of stamina and precision.

It’s a mystery, to this reviewer at least, that Royal Blood are yet to be commissioned for a Bond theme- their track 'Trouble's Coming' seems tailor-made for it, with its grand yet stripped-back orchestration creating a badass appeal.

The artistry wasn't solely limited to the instrumentation, their knack for an earworm pop melody shining through on tracks like 'How Did We Get So Dark?’

Despite the band’s sonic triumph, the crowd's response was unexpectedly subdued at times, a stark contrast to the fervent energy on stage. Social media posts this morning from some punters echoed the sentiment, a disheartening sight for a genre which is often these days declared as 'dead'.

Recollections of Kerr's previous criticism for berating a less-than-lively crowd in Dundee suggest his call for more engagement was perhaps not completely unwarranted.

That being said, they went about it the right way this time around. The frontman enthusiastically reaching out to the crowd, pulling off his best rock-star moves and urging the audience out of their seats, while the drummer got involved in some crowd surfing antics, affirming his (albeit easily achievable) status as Ireland’s favourite Thatcher.

As the night came to a close, the band—previously a critic of encores—embraced the tradition. They concluded with 'Figure It Out,' its epic ascending solo saw Kerr display some virtuosic finger tapping, resulting in him lifting his bass triumphantly into the air.

Royal Blood delivered a performance that was a testament to their formidable place in modern rock. Their talent and presence are undeniable, deserving of an audience as dynamic and passionate as their music and on-stage efforts.