Opening for the duo are alt rockers HOTWAX with a unique blend of indie and punk bringing plenty of attitude to go around and fill the venue. They have an extravagant air to them, often unexpected and kooky in the ways their riffs flow. Bassist Lola Sam is the least tethered to the spot and takes every opportunity to meander to the front and engage the fans during their chunky bass led riffs. Ending with Rip It Out shows their sonic diversity at its best, with edgy slow verses, thrashing punk chorus and a huge powerful thumping end, that will have surely endeared HOTWAX to many in this Manchester crowd.

As the stage lights dim and the ominous sounds of The Good, The Bad, The Ugly begin to play the excitement in the room is palpable, and we see the first taste of the visual powerhouse we are about to witness complimenting the auditory one. Front man Mike Kerr assumes the role of rocker fluently as they emerge for opener Mountains At Midnight, raising his arms urging the crowd from the off. He even manages to do so during the main riff for Come On Over playing one handed as the crowd indulge him. Kerr is dutifully accompanied by compatriot Ben Thatcher on the drums, playing his trademark in your face grooves with monstrous force, reserving his moments of flair for when most necessary.

One aspect that is as impressive as it is endearing is their ability to have singalongs not just for the chorus hooks, but also to their signature bass lines. It is testament to the colossal riffs and tone that fill your whole body with vibrations. Newer track Pull Me Through offers the greatest change from their set so far, with its bluesy piano led feel, but is immediately followed by a return to form in Little Monster as well as a barraging drum solo which the room attempts to clap along to, until Thatcher climaxes with a racing finish.

They close the show with a run of fan favourites in Loose Change, Ten Tonne Skeleton and Out Of The Black which see the emergence of the first mosh pits of the evening, with Thatcher forcibly instigating one in the final track by abandoning kit and opening up the space in the room himself by joining the crowd in anticipation of the final breakdown. They re-emerge for an encore laden with tracks off the new album, in Waves and Shiner In The Dark, the former of which they even bring a guitarist out for, before ending with Figure It Out. Thatcher climbs the front speakers to encourage the crowd before the beefy groove fully comes in, and they succeed in opening the biggest mosh pit of the night, as well as animating a few crowd surfers.

They indulge in drawing out the ending of Figure It Out well past the length of the studio version, with extensions of the riff and dramatic theatrical freeze poses. They end the track with a wave of noise as Kerr’s bass continues to ring out and they applaud the crowd and share a final few moments together before departing. This is ROYAL BLOOD at their cleanest and most polished, a finely arranged and powerfully displayed beast of chunky riffs and pummelling drums. A true tour de force of British rock.