Royal Republic - A Tale Of Amity

The summer festival season has found its glorious end, while the massive tour packages for the fall did not start yet. That makes the September to a quieter and reflective month where everybody can take a deep breath and gather strength for the hot club show season till Christmas ;) But since I’m addicted to what I do here I’m always happy get a show, even more when I can step aside and discover new bands ;) As for that Sweden’s newest Rock’n’Roll export ROYAL REPUBLIC hit the road in support of their debut record We Are The Royal to please fans and me throughout Europe ;)

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As part of the Visions parties ROYAL REPIBLIC kicked off their tour in Dortmund, Germany at the FZW. Two bands on two stages with an audience its average age was 18 ¾ at best ;)

Hailing from Bonn, the local support came from :: A TALE OF AMITY :: who actually did not have a stage at all. The guys had to build up their equipment in a corner of the restaurant with the door out to the beer garden, which was also the run-out area for the smokers. Not the best conditions but the cats didn’t care. They were just keen to play live! And so they did, playing their asses off, not perfectly attuned to each other, but playing with heart and soul for a half hour. Founded back in 2008 A TALE OF AMITY presented their current demo release Dearly Devoted Debra, in an Emocore style with Pop appeal. Not so much mine, but it was fun though ;)

I can see your underwear from up here

Barely that the last tune was gone everybody ran towards the door to the club, which was left locked. 20 minutes later time has come, seeing around 300 fans with paper crowns and some even with underwear on their head flowing in and fighting for the best places in front of stage. I’d say the club was sold out this way, fantastic tour kick-off for the Swedes ;) From the very first second and the perfect high-energetic smasher Walking Down The Line :: ROYAL REPUBLIC :: played their soul off and rocked the club as if there is no tomorrow. The gents had truly a blast on stage, being dear to each other and enjoying the screaming girlies. Really charming, cool and sexy ;) Singer Adam Grahn smartly had to admit that the band’s 35 minutes running debut record We Are The Royal is not enough for a full headlining show and presented the first brand new track Vicious. Also his mates let slip in the one or the other little solo, known riff (Black Sabbath – not recognized by the crowd and Metallica, this one at least ;)) or some other interludes. This way (incl. encore) ROYAL REPUBLIC made it at least up a full and very entertaining hour :)
During Underwear I expected to see all this lingerie on the heads get thrown on stage, but… no way! Only one short made it onto stage to Adams feet. As I learnt later the deal actually to wear the underwear on the head and to appear with it AFTER the show at the merch to get a merch package for free ;) However, Adam took as shirt off and made the girls screaming heavier. Apropos… the boys did not scream but tried to touch the musicians, with much devotion *lol* It was really cute and funny to watch all that… hahaha. Anyway, ROYAL REPUBLIC announced a song for the encore, not rehearsed and never played live so far, Good To Be Bad, but it worked out fine.
Setlist: Walking Down The Line, Because Of You, I Must Be Out Of My Mind, Cry Baby Cry, Full Steam Spacemachine, President's Daughter, Vicious, The End, OIOIOI, Underwear, Tommy-Gun // The Royal, Good To Be Bad

ROYAL REPUBLIC is on a mission: “We want to make people happy, ready to party and perhaps a little bit horny…” As for Dortmund, mission succeeded :) I definitely had a really good time ;) Afterwards the club got opened for the regular disco what gave me the possibility to finally read the huge letters running on the former brewery tower on the other side (roughly translated): “I the tower already found Nazis uncool back in the times” hm… um… well… finished with a picture of peace doves that only found their image into my brain as a grilled delicacy. Must be art… Hungry? Yes…