Posted by In amongst the near constant rain and political psychodrama that 2026 has brought Blighty this year, Royal Republic stopped off as part of their Love Cop tour. Infrequent visitors to these shores, I last saw them at 2000 Trees, the Swedish four piece served up their unabashedly joyful rock n roll to a pleasing packed Kentish Town Forum.
First up were German band Intersphere, who wasted little time with small talk and went straight to business. That business being a decent, punchy hybrid of alternative and prog metal, with their new track ‘Time To Deliver’ grabbing your attenion. By the end though their songs tended to merge into one another, and their emotive and very earnest metal was an odd bed fellow for RRs exuberant rock n roll.
With the band bedecked in leather jackets and front man Adam Grahn’s guitar decorated with flashing neon lights, RR sounded the starting gun with the pulsating, 80s duo ‘My House’ and ‘Love Cop’. They welcomed newbies with the grade a banger that is ‘Full Steam Spacemachine’ and threw in a curveball in the shape of a barbershop meets acoustic cover of ‘Boomerang’. As well as their faux death metal versions of ‘Venus’ and ‘Staying Alive’, which are a hoot and once heard cannot be unheard.
From start to finish it was a blur of riffs, catchy melodies and showmanship, these chaps know how to put on a show. They were tight musically and Adam had charisma to spare, at one point he stood amongst the crowd and roped in the help of audience member Roxy, to ring the cowbell during their disco rock earworm ‘Aint Got Time’.
The Def Leppard style ballad ‘Lazer Love’ and the so catchy it should come with a health warning ‘RATA TATA’ ended the night, with both band and crowd not wanting the show to end.
9/10
Lofty Music and Film 