Royal Blood at Portsmouth Guildhall by Hannah Kenyon

Gig Review: Royal Blood at Portsmouth Guildhall

The last time Royal Blood were in Portsmouth, they were headlining the common stage at Victorious Festival. Having scored an impressive four consecutive number one albums and festival headline performances under their belt, the duo from Brighton are back on tour to promote their latest album ‘Back to the Water Below’.

Having first seen them play small intimate venues in Brighton, it’s incredible to see them sell out venues and play huge festivals such as Glastonbury and Victorious Festival. This is my third time seeing them and both Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher know how to put on a show and the atmosphere from their crowds is always electric.

The supporting act for Fridays show, is Hastings own, Hot Wax who I didn’t really know much about this band before this evening. However I will definitely be adding them to my Spotify favourites, especially their opening single, ‘High Tea’. The trio didn’t hold back with their grunge infused punk style and showed us exactly why they’re supporting Royal Blood and I can imagine it won’t be long until they headline their own tour.

We didn’t have to wait too long before the lights went down and the haunting, western classic The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly started before Mike and Ben took to the stage. Starting their set off with a song from their latest album, ‘Mountains at Midnight’, was a fantastic opener and although new, it felt like it was already an established Royal Blood anthem amongst their setlist.

I’ve been a fan of this band since their self-titled debut album came out in 2014, I still don’t know how Mike manages to get such a unique and gritty sound from a single bass guitar. With a packed pedal board and Bens’s tight drums, the duo provided a fantastic performance and they just get better every time I see them. My favourites from the night were ‘Hook Line, Sinker’, ‘Boilermaker’ and ‘Typhoon’.

If you’ve never been to a Royal Blood show, then I urge everyone to see them and experience how just two musicians can make such explosive sounds.