Live Review: Royal Blood, Apes

The very mention of Apes out of Ballarat always brings to mind Will Self's brutally humorous novel Great Apes. These lads have been kicking the whole retro, hard-rock thing with psychedelic flourishes for the past year or so. What separates them from the pack is their embrace of sneering, old-school punk that gives them an angsty, aggressive edge. Apes fire up the crowd who are getting thoroughly tanked.

Following in the footsteps of acts such as The Black Keys and The White Stripes, Royal Blood are determined to demonstrate to us that a solidly rocking two-piece can deliver a truly exhilarating sound. Michael Kerr and Ben Thatcher deploy bass and drums respectively to deliver a totally blistering assault on the senses. The duo turn up the volume to scratch any itch that you may have for their nasty, dirty, gritty, completely raw style of bluesy rock. Kerr's thunderous bass deals the riffs and locks into the constant pounding of Thatcher's metronomic beats. They create a wild wall of noise, but Kerr's vocals somehow manage to always sit right on top of the mix. Royal Blood wear their influences proudly and are massively indebted to Led Zeppelin and Queens Of The Stone Age. (Perhaps this is why we were treated to what felt like an eternity of Led Zeppelin's greatest hits ahead of the show.)

Kicking off with Hole, Royal Blood play a nine-song set that barely lasts 40 minutes. Some fans understand that the band have only released one single and savour every minute, while others walk away a little disappointed. The wildly intense jam that concludes Out Of The Black and brings down the night perhaps best summarises the duo's aggressive intentions. Sounding thankful, Kerr acknowledges that tonight's show is the biggest they have ever played. Like fine dining, Royal Blood leave fans hungry for more but we leave Corner Hotel with satisfied, ringing ears.