Maddie Dinnage took a trip to Rough Trade to see The Royston Club take to the stage...
This year is set to be a big one for indie four-piece The Royston Club. In the wake of their debut album Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars, fans of the band can look forward to their set at Nottingham’s own Splendour festival. In the run-up to the highly anticipated event, The Royston Club played an intimate gig at Rough Trade, followed by an instore record signing.
Despite the album’s release being a mere few days prior, fans came to the gig fully prepared to sing along to the latest tracks. The Wrexham-based band kicked things off with The Deep End and Shallow Tragedy, the opening tracks of their debut LP. Clearly a band which starts as they mean to go on, The Royston Club followed up the fresher tracks with 2020 single Believe It or Not, garnering a sense of great appreciation from the sold-out venue. With lyrics laced with the sweet naivety and innocent torture of young love, this setlist teemed with the same warmth as The Backseat Lovers and Scouting for Girls.
Not only do the band have a truly infectious sound, they have a real vocal talent in lead-singer Tom Faithfull. The size of the venue really gave Faithfull the chance to show off his tonal range, playing with a higher register in 52. He was joined by lead guitarist Ben Matthias for a dual vocal section, as their two voices collided and melded in perfect dissonance.
The band injected a dose of energy and passion during their performances of Blisters and I’m a Liar, the former of which included a bridge that inspired singing among the entire crowd. In their preface to fan-favourite Mariana, the band mentioned their current position as contenders in the race for a number one album, with Faithfull jokingly suggesting ‘’let’s see if we can knock Beyoncé off her perch’’ before diving head-first into the final song with a catchy little electric melody.
Short-but-sweet, The Royston Club’s intimate gig at Rough Trade gave the indie lovers of Notts’ a taste of what to expect from their upcoming set at Splendour. The band certainly know how to deliver a great gig in the confines of a small venue like our own Rough Trade. Surely, the sun-soaked, grainy, nostalgia of indie rock tunes can only get better against the backdrop of British summertime.
The Royston Club performed at Rough Trade Nottingham on 5 June 2023.
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