Royal Blood at the Electric Ballroom

“Rock is finally dead.” That was the powerful statement declared by Gene Simmons recently, a statement that seems bizarre, not only because his band Kiss belonged more on a pantomime stage than at a rock festival, but also because he clearly has not acknowledged the snowballing success of British band Royal Blood.

With a Mercury prize nomination under their belt, a tour that sold out in a matter of minutes and the fastest-selling rock album in three years, Royal Blood have forced heavy-hitting rock music single-handedly back into the mainstream arena: a stunning story for a two-piece act from Brighton. We braved a dark Friday night to see if the duo could match their phenomenal success in the live arena, and found that there is a strangely exciting atmosphere inside Camden’s Electric Ballroom.

After conquering huge festivals like Reading and Glastonbury, Royal Blood have built up a large enough fan base to play huge arenas, yet they are playing a nightclub in Camden.

With the crowd awaiting their arrival with great anticipation, there is a hush before Jay Z’s 99 Problems booms out, revving up the already rowdy audience. Then, they finally they step out. The live sound whipped up by the band is almost unbelievably stellar given the fact they are literally just a bassist and a drummer. It is a sound that even the kings of rock Foo Fighters would be jealous of, as there is almost no difference between their sound on stage and on record.

Attempting to pick the best live sounding Royal Blood track is the musical equivalent of a father trying to choose his favourite child: they are all effortlessly brilliant. Radio-friendly hits like Come on Over, Little Monster and You Can Be So Cruel whip up an aggressive frenzy as the onslaught of rock is relentless. Considering the band has only released one album, it is incredibly impressive how there is no lull to the set – the intensity is always maintained.

It is almost impossible to dislike the duo as they encapsulate the best of every department of rock, from the intricate technical ability of heavy metal bands and the raw passion of punk, to vocals similar to more classic acts. Rock is most definitely not dead.

Keir Smith
Photo: Gary Wolstenholme

For further information about Royal Blood and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Little Monster here: