All right lets change the mood a bit here. As Summer kicks into gear, festival and music goers tour the UK seeing their idols perform. I thought I’d review the experience (not music) I had when I saw Royal Blood.
I’ll start by saying I L.O.V.E.D their first album and played it
disturbingly loud for the best part of the last few summers. The dirty baselines and telling lyrics of Mike Kerr
(vocals, bass) and Ben Thatcher (drums) is just what rock needs right now.
What it doesn’t need is any more attitude... but it looks
like it’s getting it anyway.
At the Corn Exchange the guys did a great impression of two people
making amazing music together but not wanting to be there or actually acknowledge the room full of their
fans. Each song (played with flare and precision) was followed by 10-15 seconds
of sweet FA!
A black whole of interaction.
I’ve never really understood why bands react this way. I mean it’s not like we are doing anything but singing along to all the songs we know or enjoying one of our favourite bands. I know they don’t suffer from anxiety the way some other lead singers have been known to because I've seen them support Foo Fighters and watched Mike strut out on stage like he was headlining. So what gives?
A black whole of interaction.
I’ve never really understood why bands react this way. I mean it’s not like we are doing anything but singing along to all the songs we know or enjoying one of our favourite bands. I know they don’t suffer from anxiety the way some other lead singers have been known to because I've seen them support Foo Fighters and watched Mike strut out on stage like he was headlining. So what gives?
I’m not asking for a deep and meaningful, just a ‘Hello Cambridge’ at the
beginning a ‘Goodnight’ at the end and a couple of sentences in the middle
while they fiddle with their guitar strings. If Frightened Rabbit can do it, a 55 year old Axel Rose can do it
and Dave Grohl can make an art form of it, you guys can too.
From where I was sitting it looked like Royal Blood experienced a very
forgiving crowd who chanted their name, filling the empty space usually reserved for the band members to makes us feel like part of a tribe. Which is why it was all the more perplexing to hear Mike tell
us we had a lot to make up for when he deigned to (finally) ask us if we were having a good time... just before the last song. Small piece of unsolicited advise? It might help if you pretend
like we've all paid £25 to come and see you and put on a feckin' show eh?
Proof that I'm all for second chances (and I do rate them as a band) I'm heading to see them in Nottingham later this year, fingers crossed for a different experience.
Have you ever had an experience like this with a band you love?
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