There are some out there suggesting that rock is dead. Then again, when there are bands like Royal Blood out there, those proclamations hold no water. Hitting the music scene hard over the last four years, their loud and progressively powerful sound continues to suck us all in. The music is raw, it’s different, it’s loud and makes you shake from head to toe. Who knew two guys could make so much noise that sounds so damn good?!
Their meteoric rise has been so unbelievable, it’s almost unheard of and un-chartable. Royal Blood consists of two Dudes, Mike Kerr (vocals, bass / guitar, keys and piano) and Ben Thatcher (drums, percussion and piano). The dynamic duo formed the band in 2013 in Brighton, England. What’s even more remarkable, they’re teenage friends. From jump-street, they played in various bands together and autonomously. Once they settled in as Royal Blood, they wasted no time in getting their sound in check. The guys from MUSE once said “don’t waste your time or time will waste you.”
They could have been talking about Royal Blood because these cats are on the fast track to Rock God status. Their music encompasses hard rock and that blues rock sound that people seem to dig. They’ve said that they think they’ve invented their own “recipe” with their unique sound. Some say that their success is due in part to their ability to appeal to fans of different genres, you know, the masses.
The band hit the scene hard in November, 2013 with their debut single, “Out of the Black.” followed by “Little Monster” in 2014. Then, they set the proverbial world on fire in August, 2014 with their self-entitled album (releasedon Warner Brothers). That album catapulted them to the top of critical acclaim and countless playlists with their uber-hit Figure It Out. The fact that it has a super-cool music video also didn’t hurt. Upon its release, their debut album was identified as the fastest-selling British rock debut album in three years in the UK. Even their album cover is badass. In 2014, the cover artwork done by London-based artist, Dan Hiller, won the award for Best Art Vinyl.
Today, Royal Blood has played some of the biggest festivals on the planet, including Glastonbury, Leeds, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Coachella. There’s also Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers, (can’t overlook they’ve played Kimmel and Seth), a destination these days for any band considered to be part of the contemporary cool cat pantheon of rock! On the road, they’ve even played with Iggy Pop and the Foo’s. That’s not all; Led Zeppelin legendary rock icon, Jimmy Page, gave them a thumbs up and so did the King of Media, Howard Stern. Consequently, with endorsements like that, it’s no surprise you can hear them on just about every radio and music platform you can think of. Again, it’s just unreal what these guys have done in such a short amount of time.
It’s hard to say if these cats are an anomaly of coolness, a byproduct, or a foreshock of things to come. If you’re a regular in Vegas, put your money on these cats being a foreshock!
Back in June, Royal Blood has released their second album, How Did We Get So Dark? Tunes off the album like “Lights Out,” “Hook Line and Sinker” and “I Only Lie When I Love You” are making the rounds on ALT Radio. Don’t forget the way cool music videos. One thing this band may bring to the table that may not be quantifiable is this; they may make it easier to find friends that share the same favorite kick-ass bands as you.
Bottom line, this band is special, and they’re coming to town. You can catch them locally this Sunday at the Observatory in Santa Ana. You can also catch them August 15th at the Observatory, North Park (San Diego area) and August 16th at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Go out and see them so you can say I saw them way back when……
