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The crowds were swarming the nearing streets around the O2 Academy in Liverpool. Once inside, the crowd thickened as people shoved, pushed and stepped around others to get the best view of the stage possible.
The sense of anticipation could have been cut through with a knife as people watched the stage with beady eyes waiting for the dynamic duo to jump onto stage.
To keep the onlookers entertained was a playlist that got the crowd going more than the support act Turbowolf – who were a little more than crazy.
Five minutes late, Royal Blood entered the stage and took their rightful places where they proceeded to rock out, jump about and smash through their self-named number one debut album.
As soon as they stepped foot onto the O2 Academy stage, there was a rip roar of cheering and a rotation of clapping throughout the venue.
Royal Blood do not disappoint. They combat the palpable energy from hundreds of fans in the room with their own rush of liveliness.
Singer and bassist, Mike Kerr struts, jumps and stomps his foot whilst he skilfully plays a number of tight riffs, seduces the audience with his vocals and rocks out with fellow band member, drummer Ben Thatcher.
Ben Thatcher is a little more serious-looking until he casts the audience with a cheeky smile every now and then whilst he taps the drums during the limited softer moments of the set.
When he’s in full flow, he really goes crazy with those drumsticks which end up – as per – in the hands of one lucky member of the audience.
The set opens with the long musical intro of “Hole” that makes the headbangers want to make way for a mosh pit. If one happened, I was far away enough from it.
The echoes of Kerr’s voice and bass riffs set the tone for the rest of the evening: some classy rock anthems with a very seductive charge on the audience.
Kerr’s voice casts a spell over the audience as he dips in and out of a slower melody through “Come On Over”, “Better Strangers” and “Ten Tonne Skeleton”.
His tone should be dysfunctional against the massive strums of his bass and Thatcher’s ongoing bashing of the drums. However, the juxtaposition just makes these songs even more dramatic.
Screaming bass guitar solos, belting voices and roaring drum rolls are what make Royal Blood a rock band, so there are a lot of belters throughout the 55 minute performance.
“Figure It Out”, “Little Monster” and “Loose Change” are among the biggest belters of the evening; with “You Want Me” and “You Can Be So Cruel” just missing the top spot.
“Blood Hands” and “Careless” kick off the second half of the ongoing stage rock out by Royal Blood.
Headbangers at the ready once more as the bass and drum combo is touched up a notch before a slow escapade which ends “Blood Hands”.
A forceful stomp continues through “Careless” as the bass takes to a new high and Kerr almost shouts into the microphone.
“Out of the Black” is the finale which leaves the audience wanting more.
We just have to mention the lovely tender mention of Mike’s grandma being in the audience!
He says a little shout out that his Nan is from Liverpool which sparks an ongoing set of screaming and whooping from audience members.
We spot her sitting front row upstairs surrounded by a load of fans.
You can’t make that stuff up.