Until YONAKA announced they would be on the EU/UK tour supporting PALAYE ROYALE this band had never even been on my radar. However, having listened to their recent album FEVER DREAM and recognising a couple of tracks, BROKEN and LIFELESS STARS, it is now a solid addition to my playlist. I was totally gutted when YONAKA had to cancel their performance on the day due to health reasons as they are currently one of my favourite bands, but I was also just as excited to see PALAYE ROYALE perform live as I had heard great reviews and it sounded like they were a blast.
I arrived at the already packed venue just in time to catch U.S rockers STARBENDERS, who thankfully were on later than billed or I’d have missed a great band. Honestly I’ve never seen the academy so full before the main band were on stage, also I’ve never heard it so loud.
This is a young, exciting band with a touch of glam rock guitar and big hair going on with both Chris and vocalist Kimi accompanied by Aaron on bass and Emily on drums who had MCR taped across the chest…. Not sure if it was for Manchester or they’re a fan of My Chemical Romance???
PALAYE ROYALE certainly knew their audience, having Oasis’s Don’t Look Back In Anger blaring out of the speakers before their entrance was a sure fire way of warming up the vocal chords of a Mancunian crowd. As soon as the Las Vegas band, whose 3 main members are brothers Remington, Sebastian and Emerson, blasted onto the stage it was full throttle energy all the way, smoke machines, fireworks, and it didn’t take long before the crowd got to interact with their idols up close and personal as they made their way through the front rows.
NO LOVE IN LA and BROKEN got the crowd singing along and during KING OF THE DAMNED Remington threw an inflatable dinghi into the crowd, dived onto it with perfect precision and squirted everyone with a super soaker as he was carried on a wave of fans around the arena.
Only the beautiful song OBLIVION was the calm between the storms, incredible vocals and piano with hundreds of mobile phones lighting up the room, capturing the only few minutes until the chaos was unleashed again. The main set finished with more fireworks, smoke and ticket tape during OFF WITH THE HEAD and its accompanying outro.
The encore began with the quirky track LONELY and the night ended on a high with the anthemic album title track FEVER DREAM and a plethora of drumsticks and flowers being thrown into the applauding crowd. Well done PALAYE ROYALE, I don’t you how you keep that amount of energy up for months on tour but I’m sure each and every one of your fans truly appreciates it, and I include myself as one now. Fantastic!!!
Words and Photos by Joanne Marsland
~SETLIST~
1. NIGHTMARES
2. NO LOVE IN L.A.
3. YOU’LL BE FINE
4. BROKEN
5. FUCKING WITH MY HEAD
6. KING OF THE DAMNED
7. PARANOID
8. OBLIVION
9. PUNCHING BAG
10. PEOPLE ARE STRANGE(Doors cover)
11. MR. DOCTOR MAN
12. OFF WITH THE HEAD
13. OWTH OUTRO
~ENCORE ~
14. LONELY
15. FEVER DREAM
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