By Rich Hobson
Nobody does fun like Royal Republic. Stylish purveyors of ultra-slick dance-happy rock n roll with enormous funky beats, the band have gone from strength to strength across their discography thus far. Marking themselves out from the pack amongst their fellow Scandinavian classic rock revivalists, the band have proven time and again that nobody in the modern rock game captures the spirit of old school rock n roll so thoroughly, the band’s Download 2019 appearance cementing them as a firm favourite for rock fans up and down the nation. Which makes it entirely unsurprising that the room is absolutely jam-packed tonight, signalling that their time in smaller venues should soon be ending.
On the other end of the scale are openers Blackout Problems, German newcomers who have their sights set on the top. Irrepressible and energetic, the band come out the gates with a sound that fits somewhere between the modern pop-punk chops of Drug Church and Single Mothers and driving radio rock heavy hitters like Royal Blood. And they do it well – the bounciness of the band (particularly vocalist Mario Radetzky, who bounds about the stage like he’s loaded up on E numbers, at one point climbing the bar, then onto the roof above the door, where he dangles singing for a period) making it easy to get sucked into their pace at various points throughout the set. The only real problem that arises is that the band’s pace doesn’t seem set to one particular avenue. Swinging wildly between bounding punk and more sedate almost Twenty One Pilots style radio pop rock, it becomes hard sometimes to pin the band down. At times it can feel whiplash inducing, switching between synthetic, sedate sing-alongs and quick shocks of rock like the band are taking a scattershot to finding what works for them. But then, maybe that’s part of their charm?
Royal Republic are all charm, from the first jangling notes of ‘Fireman & Dancer’ right the way through the next hour-and-a-bit as they reaffirm just how goddamn good they are at this game. Four records in and packing setlists so tight it’s enough to set off a claustrophobe, the band waste no time in getting the party in full swing, the likes of ‘Make Love Not War’ and ‘Under Cover’ putting massive shit-eating grins on the faces of everyone in the room as the rock n roll takes root. Dressed in stylish suits and backed by a dazzling lightboard (somewhat at diminished capability tonight – like we said, its time to see Royal Republic take the bigger venues they deserve), RR are the full package when it comes to live entertainment.
Even without vocalist Adam Grahn providing witticisms between songs (the band blast out the first six or so tracks without pausing for breath) the playful persona of the band shines through on each and every track. It doesn’t hurt their songs seem to draw much further than simple rock tropes, the likes of disco, funk and indie all seeping in to provide a gumbo of brilliance. Somehow managing to take these disparate styles and make them distinctly their own, the band even take slowed down power numbers like ‘Like A Lover’ with such verve that it feels utterly irresistible to start shaking along to every groove and lick.
Even possessed of a staggering arsenal of howl-along party anthems, RR aren’t above chucking a few sorta-covers into the set, the keytar solo offering a perfect opportunity to celebrate the likes of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ and Europe’s ‘The Final Countdown’. Their surprise Download cover of Metallica’s ‘Battery’ also makes another appearance (once again delivered with po-faced professionalism that suggests a whole other calling should they want to move into metal territories), winning out over a proposed Iron Maiden cover – there’s always next time, eh?
Playing nine of the 11 tracks from their latest record, ‘Club Majesty’, Royal Republic prove their eyes are still very much on the prize of becoming everybody’s favourite good times rock n roll band. Even with so much of the set dedicated to the new record, this still feels like it could largely be a greatest hits set, particularly when fan-favourites ‘Walk’, ‘When I See You Dance With Another’, ‘Tommy Gun’ and ‘Full Steam Space Machine’ are pulled out. Royal Republic are at once a shining example of the future of rock music and throwback to the genre’s glory days, capturing the magic of the past whilst showcasing just how it still fits in with the modern zeitgeist. If you’re not already on this train, make sure you get on as soon as possible – bands like this definitely don’t stay at this level forever.
- ‘Club Majesty’ is out now via Nuclear Blast.
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