Blacklist Royals gig review at The Louisiana in Bristol
Posted on: 2014-08-22
Our rating:
Sounding like a mix between Tellison, Pennywise and Off With Their Heads, Blacklist Royals are a fun and engaging live band and I would certainly recommend them were they to return to Bristol.
Nashville punks Blacklist Royals played an intimate show at the Louisiana on Thursday 21st August, making a stop in Bristol before their set at Reading and Leeds.
The boys stepped forward with all appropriate punk swagger, engaging with the audience gracefully and launching straight into their set. An unusual choice for the band was to start with arguably their most popular song, Righteous Child, but it was a choice that paid off. Frontman Nat Rufus holds a calm charisma that makes the band instantly likable, even to the uninitiated. They followed through with some songs from their newest album, prompting a fair old amount of appreciative headbanging from those around them.
Their new album Die Young With Me was released on 10th June this year. An album full of personal emotion and poetic honesty, the band have crafted an excellent punk record with undertones of blues and folk which highlight the serious nature of the sentiment. As a very recent listener, their live sound came across as honest, good fun and - coupled with the intimacy of the venue and appreciation of the crowd – a very good example of American DIY punk.
The mix on the night was great, provided by my personal favourite Bristol venue, The Louisiana. Once Nat had instructed everyone to “take five steps forward so we can make this feel like a real rock show” the night really got going. Clearly a smaller crowd than they will be playing to at Reading and Leeds, the band still played with all guns blazing and for that they deserve some respect. They seemed to genuinely have fun as they played, singing from somewhere deep inside and exchanging looks among themselves.
The band have been playing together since the age of 17 and it shows. Since their formation in 2006, Blacklist Royals have faced many demons, not least the rare form of cancer that drummer Rob Rufus was diagnosed with at the very beginning, and that sure makes for some heartrending songs. Here is a band that come together like brothers, with two of the members actually being related, and clearly share a very similar vision to one another. The incredibly cathartic process of songwriting has been truly utilised, and you get the feeling that the music from this new album is more of an organic entity rather than a contrived money-making scheme. Vocalist Nat describes the band’s vision as being just that, saying - “It was supposed to sound like two brothers in a room playing music together. That’s what the whole record is about – two brothers who stand side by side and don’t give up. I think that’s something anyone can relate to regardless of their specific struggle. The record is about this really heavy idea. It’s like opening a diary for everyone to read. But you also get it off your chest and it gives you this connection to the fans. It’s been therapeutic.”
Overall, a fine night full of good-natured, therapeutic punk. Although the audience was smaller than I expected, the band played an excellent set of songs which sounded tight and genuine. Sounding like a mix between Tellison, Pennywise and Off With Their Heads, Blacklist Royals are a fun and engaging live band and I would certainly recommend them were they to return to Bristol.
3/5
Reviewed by Miri Teixeira for 365Bristol
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
