LIVE: The Royston Club Flourish at The Wardrobe
Written by Will Cooper Edited by Eve Moat
There’s something quite special about The Royston Club. As an unashamed lover of some summery indie rock, the sweet nostalgia produced by the Wrexham quartet just seems to hit the spot. Their infectious sound persists throughout the band’s debut album, Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars, released in June this year. Made up of re-recorded versions of early singles and new tracks, this new album and subsequent intimate record store tour generated plenty of excitement within their fanbase, leading to the UK portion of their headline tour completely selling out.
Headed by frontman Tom Faithfull, The Royston Club have been on a roll this year. The band kicked off 2023 with the release of several singles from their upcoming album, followed by some big shows in support of Two Door Cinema Club and The Academic. The Welsh four-piece have been no strangers to Leeds either; they played Millenium Square in support of indie-juggernauts The Wombats in July, as well as closing out the summer at Leeds Festival. After peaking at 16th in the album charts, a sold-out tour is the cherry on top of a thrilling year for the indie rockers.
A night at The Wardrobe set the scene for the sixth night of their tour. Support was provided by Overpass, who warmed the crowd up with a loud, fast-paced set – ‘3AM’ and the catchy ‘Otherside of Midnight’ stood out in what was an unrelenting performance. Soon after, The Royston Club entered the stage and immediately burst into ‘Blisters’, the lead single off of Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars. Defeatist lyrics are contrasted with bouncing riffs and a groovy bassline, with a singalong chorus to match, making for the ideal opener to set the tone for the rest of the set.
Such themes of nostalgic lost love bleed through most of the band’s songs, continuing in ‘Shallow Tragedy’; Tom and songwriting guitarist Ben Matthias shared an intimate moment over the same mic during the relief-ridden bridge, belting out “I don’t mean to be so crude, it’s what you drive me to!” The show continued with a blend of old and new, as the 2019 debut single ‘Shawshank’ was followed by new album opener ‘The Deep End’ and its relentless drumbeat, reminiscent of The Strokes or second-album Fontaines DC. The Wardrobe’s low ceilings and sunken pit allowed Tom’s powerful vocals and the band’s faultless instrumentation to flourish.
A rousing rendition of ‘Cherophobe’ dropped the pace and energy of the crowd down. Although lacking the orchestral backing of the studio version, the performance gave the crowd a much-needed breather before the final three songs of the evening. Fan-favourite ‘Mrs Narcissistic’ was the first of the strong trio; warm and rosy riffs complemented cutting lyrics, that just beg to be screamed back at the band. The catchiest chorus of the night followed in ‘I’m a Liar’; ladened with driving drums, it has all the hallmarks of an absolute indie classic. This perfectly led on to ‘Mariana’, a festival-ready closing track. Scathing lyrics reminisce about whirlwind summer romances, crudely demanding to know “Why are you so f***ing dim?” This marked the end of a polished performance from the young band – such precision that’s truly beyond their years.
The hour-long set absolutely flew by, leaving fans wanting more; a sense of excitement lingered, as I wondered if that was merely a taste of what was to come in the future. The next time The Royston Club return to Leeds, a bigger venue will almost certainly be waiting for them.
