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Royal Blood's Mike Kerr basking in the cheers of Brooklyn Steel as drummer Ben Thatcher crowdsurfs back to the stage
(photo by Lorraine Schwartz, May 29, 2018)
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As a Rock fan, you really have to actively search for new music. It's not dumped in your lap like it was back in the day; simply turning on MTV or the radio at any given time of day will not expose you to new artists as it is when you're a Pop fan. Having Sirius is a great help, but if you're not up to paying for it, you're forced to rely on message board word-of-mouth or happening upon a great act at a festival you also paid big bucks to attend.
I suppose you can count Dave Grohl as my word-of-mouth source. After hearing him praise the band and seeing them play Governors Ball while on assignment for Examiner.com, I was hooked. Especially after their appearance on Howard Stern's show later that week, where I found out they are equally as entertaining off stage as they are when they are playing.
Royal Blood has received attention for the fact that they are only a pair; drummer Ben Thatcher and singer/bassist Mike Kerr who uses special sound effects to get his bass to also act as lead guitar. The result is loud rock with a unique, danceable groove that bands with two different members playing each part can't even achieve. After seeing the Brits for the first time at that festival, commanding the crowd with humor and confidence as they rocked faces off, I was pretty much hooked.
Since then, I've made sure to catch them whenever possible. It's been worth the effort. As time goes on, it's easy to get caught up in the cycle of seeing your favorites without making room to take a chance on a new band. So when new faces bring something new to the table, it's exciting. Never shut yourself off to the possibility of stepping foot into a new scene.
