A few years back, I was on my way to Bloodstock when a friend from work said, “Make sure you see Royal Republic.” I told him I’d never even heard of them. His reply stuck with me: “They’re the only band at Bloodstock you can actually dance to.” That was enough to make me curious.
Naturally, I missed half the set. But the part I did catch was enough. Seeing Royal Republic live for the first time felt like discovering a secret nobody had bothered to tell me about. I was hooked immediately.
Fast forward to the Electric Ballroom during the LoveCop tour. My god. Next level. Imagine ABBA colliding with ELO, Queen, and Queens of the Stone Age, then throwing in metal attitude, leather jackets, and a band so sharp-looking they could be mistaken for a boy band until the guitars kick in. They look cool, they sound massive, and they know exactly who they are.
Now LoveCop returns, bigger and louder at the O2 Forum Kentish Town, and somehow they’ve levelled up again. New surprises, new theatrics, and the same ridiculous level of entertainment. They are exciting, fresh, genuinely fun, and when it’s time to go heavy, they absolutely shred. No exaggeration, they ripped through Metallica’s “Battery” like they’d written it themselves. Then they doubled down on the chaos with a black metal alter ego, pairing corpse paint with banging classics from the Bee Gees, Pointer Sisters, Bananarama, and more. It sounds insane on paper. Live, it works perfectly. Is there anything these guys cannot pull off?
The set opened with “My House” from LoveCop, and from the first note, it felt like a victory lap. I know I’m building this up, but the real moment came during the encore. “LaserLove” hit and suddenly it felt like stepping into an arena in 1984, lighter in the air, pure nostalgia without a hint of irony. How anyone writes a song that so precisely captures the look and feeling of a specific era is beyond me. Absolute magic.
And yes, they can sing. Properly sing. Perfect four-part harmonies live, the kind you only expect from bands like Jellyfish. At one point, they stripped everything back and delivered an a cappella section that would make the Backstreet Boys consider early retirement, again.
Royal Republic is not just a great live band. They are one of the most entertaining bands I’ve seen in years. Loud, ridiculous, precise, and completely unforgettable.
