Alex Tearle
The Amazons and Royal Blood put on a stellar show at the Motorpoint Arena, reminding us why Royal Blood are such a colossus nowadays, and why it is argued that the Amazons will some day reach the same dizzying heights. Alex Tearle reviews.
The Amazons
After my interview with the band (available in the latest print edition of Impact magazine) I was really looking forward to seeing the band perform live. The Amazons carried the exact same charm and humour they had in person on-stage, even pinching my joke about how they deserved a loyalty card, due to how many times they had played in Nottingham – an icebreaker that put the crowd at ease immediately.
The Amazons are a force to be reckoned with
The audience reacted to the band as they would a main act, arriving far before Royal Blood to enjoy their almost 40-minute set, shouting the group’s more famous lyrics back at the band, and humming along to the new track, Bloodrush, as if it were one of their long time classics.
The band played exceptionally well, with admirable guitar solos and breakdowns that sounded impeccably well rehearsed. This felt like the perfect choice to support Royal Blood, a competent and lovable band with a surprisingly great back catalogue.
The band were clearly excited to be on their “first ever arena tour” and this excitement rubbed off on the crowd, who moshed happily and seemed completely content with the band’s music, especially enjoying the classic Black Magic, showing their appreciation with a huge mosh pit. Opening for such a colossal group must have been daunting, but The Amazons are a force to be reckoned with, an incredibly talented group that deserve far more recognition.
The group interacted with each other on-stage like close friends
Though I have been a fan for years (and could be a bit biased), the band felt as if they were performing their hearts out throughout the set. The group interacted with each other on-stage like close friends, headbanging and dancing along to their own music, which all felt incredibly endearing. I was a little upset the band missed some of their classics off their set, notably Junk Food Forever, but the song choices still felt quite strong and cohesive.
This set was really brilliant, and allows me to say with confidence that their set at Rock City on the 8th October this year will be fantastic.
Royal Blood
Royal Blood are a giant in the rock industry, and this gig proves they are one of the greatest bands of the last few decades. Both band members played exceptionally throughout the 90-minute set; a pair of true performers doing what they love with poise and skill.
Royal Blood’s music translates exceptionally well to arenas, bouncing off the walls and building the excitement in the Motorpoint Arena to a palpable level. I’ve never been to a gig where so many of the audience were wearing the band’s merch, and this gig proved why Royal Blood have so many diehard fans.
Every single track sounded incredible and was played to absolute perfection, with huge basslines shaking the floor, and guitar solos that made the entire crowd jump in unison. Almost the entire setlist was met with excited cheering from the crowd, who thrashed about to every song in colossal mosh pits, headbanging appropriately, and cheering until their voices were hoarse.
Boilermaker and Little Monster were absolutely flawless live- an incredible experience that showcased how good Royal Blood are as performers. Mike Kerr played the bass and electric guitar sections on his own whist singing, a genuinely impressive achievement that highlight how exceptional Royal Blood are as a band. Even the new single, Honeyblood, was met with impressive enthusiasm; a testament to how effective Royal Blood are as songwriters and performers.
A deafening but awesome experience that made Royal Blood truly unique
Mike Kerr and Ben Wood are a fantastic duo, laughing to each other as they played, and soaking in the raucous applause; it was clear playing to their fans was what got the band out of bed in the morning. Ben Wood in particular was affable and entertaining, bringing out a massive gong to supplement his huge drum kit. Wood made the crowd roar with anticipation before striking it, a deafening but awesome experience that made Royal Blood truly unique.
The pair were very entertaining too, drinking tequila from a huge glass bottle and joking to the crowd throughout the set, making them seem very human and likable. Kerr was also very good at thanking his support crew, The Amazons, and the session keyboard player was a simple touch that made the band seem even more lovable on-stage.
Every track sounded immense
Royal Blood were on for an impressively long set, 90 minutes in total. Though the gig was incredible, some of the lesser known tracks felt a tiny bit redundant, sticking out a little when compared to how brilliant classics like Figure It Out and How Did We Get So Dark? were live. This is not to say they were poor by any means, as every track sounded immense, it just felt as if the lesser known tracks could have been left out with little impact to the overall quality of the gig.
It‘s easy to see why Royal Blood are routinely booked as festival headliners. This was one of the most polished and entertaining gigs I’ve seen in a long time; a genuinely incredible experience I won’t forget. If you can, seeing Royal Blood live is an absolute must.
Alex Tearle
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image 1 courtesy of @theamazons via @instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images 2 and 3 courtesy of @royalblooduk via @instagram.com. No changes were made to these images.
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