WORDS AND IMAGES BY DESH KAPUR
‘Punchy Rock Songs With Stadium-Sized Choruses’
Heading down to Manchester and the AO Arena on a Monday night to cover Royal Blood, seemed odd, not covered many bands on a Monday, to be honest, it is a school night after all, but here we were in rainy Manchester for an evening of Indie Rock, I guess if I had to go out on a Monday night….and I do, this is the show to see.
The AO Arena looked full, but not as full as I thought it would, maybe a gig getting cancelled twice and then having to be moved to a school night has put a few people off, oh well there lost.
The first band of the evening and the only support are those boys from Reading ‘The Amazons’ and they were a perfect aperitif to the main course. Having been lauded by Radio 1, The Independent, NME and Greg James everything seemed to have gone a bit quiet, but here they were new music and a new haircut for frontman Mathew Thompson.
So, the band had a lot to live up to, supporting the amazing Royal Blood. A huge, nearly sold-out arena had high expectations mixed with palpable excitement that was contagious. Could they deliver? Would they deliver? Simply put, deliver they did…and some! Incredible! In My Mind” started it all off and with the soaring vocals of Matt Thomson and belting guitars in full flight, the crowd were instantly and wantonly bouncing. The tone was now set and this Indie rock ‘love nest’ of huge choruses, ear melting guitar riffs and the appreciative audience were as one. There was an awesome balance between heavy and dark, light and shade, The whole performance was a standout.
Now it was time for the main event Brighton’s mighty world-conquering two-piece indie rockers Royal Blood, this gig had been postponed twice and the crowd were ready for the night, amped to the max, and from the minute the band took to the stage and hit the first chords of “Typhoons” they were going off, singing at the tops of their accumulative voices. was just amazing, and it didn’t stop as they rolled out “Boilermaker” and “Lights Out” Royal Blood just rock, the ferocious and blistering drum tribute to to the late great Foo Fighter’s drummer Taylor Hawkins was something else, brilliantly sad.
Royal Blood are a rock, yes their new stuff has an underlying disco groove, but they rock in the truest sense of the word, Punchy rock songs with stadium-sized choruses and if I didn’t know it before I know now why Royal Blood are the biggest British rock band around. I loved it and so did the thousands and thousands of people in front of the stage, between Royal Blood and the huge crowd they damn well nearly ripped a hole in the arena. Another massive highlight of the year so far.
SET LIST
1/ TYPHOONS
2/ BOILERMAKER
3/ LIGHTS OUT
4/ COME ON OVER
5/ TROUBLE’S COMING
6/ HOOK, LINE & SINKER
7/ HONEYBRAINS
8/ LITTLE MONSTER
9/ HOW DID WE GET SO DARK
10/ BLOOD HANDS
11/ MILLION AND ONE
12/ LIMBO
13/ LOOSE CHANGE
14/ FIGURE IT OUT
15/ ALL WE HAVE IS NOW
16/ TEN TONNE SKELETON
17/ OUT OF THE BLACK
FOLLOW ROYAL BLOOD
THE AMAZONS
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
