On the 17th of October, indie pop duo Royel Otis performed their biggest headline show of their career at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena. It was their first show on their tour of Australia, with Irish rock band Florence Road opening up for them on this run. It was a huge sold-out show for the Sydney-based band, the crowd was a mix of all ages packed tightly into the arena, with barely any space between them and not a single empty seat in sight.
As the lights dimmed, the screams filled the arena and erupted even louder as the band members took the stage.
Kicking off the night with “I Hate This Tune”, the audience’s energy was ignited from the get-go, with every voice joining in. Lead singer Otis Pavlovic thanked the crowd for being there, and acknowledging the fact that this was their biggest headline show to date. When they launched into their third song, “Car”, it was as if the music itself peeled the last few people from their seats, the crowd rising together for the irresistibly catchy track. I can’t blame them, it’s one of my favourites from hickey, their latest album release.A large screen behind the band flashed visuals to accompany each track, giving an explanation of what each song was about. When the word “moody” appeared, the crowd erupted as they knew instantly it was time for the lead single from hickey. The duo shared small moments of fun on stage when they remembered to breathe and relax as they powered through their set with little banter, perhaps nerves were understandably high, but it didn’t matter. The crowd’s enthusiasm never faltered, and the stripped-back show approach let the music speak for itself.
You have to admire their growth as a band. Starting out in 2019, they had released three EPs before they performed their iconic cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dance Floor for Triple J’s Like a Version, which gave them massive exposure in both Australia and internationally after it went viral. They have since been on a very fast uphill trajectory, landing huge festival spots such as Lollapalooza and Glastonbury. With four ARIA awards behind them and major headlining shows, they have become a globally recognised band. Their live performance was impressively tight and refined with their sound almost indistinguishable from their studio recordings, and the energy in the arena was absolutely palpable.
Towards the back end of their set, the stage went dark, and the crowd started screaming as singer Otis and guitarist Royel Madell made their way through the audience to a small B-stage at the back. They greeted fans down there before performing their acoustic “jazz burger”, then a singalong of their cover of “Linger” by The Cranberries ensued before heading back up to the front and continuing on with their set. “I Wanna Dance with You” really brought people’s energy levels up again, where the words “dance with the person next to you” lit up the back screen, which successfully inspired everyone to move along to the music. Later, “wave your hands in the air” appeared and as I looked around the venue, it seemed as though every person’s hands were in the air swaying from side to side, they truly had their audience in the palm of their hands. During “Sofa King”, “Melbourne you’re so fucking gorgeous” lit up the back screen which gave the show such a personal touch, before they broke out into their “Murder on The Dance Floor” cover, and it is every bit of impressive live as it is blasting through your headphones on repeat. The duo were met with a deafening roar as they left the stage after their last song “Say Something”, or so they said, however, the crowd knew better. They weren’t leaving until they heard one last song. Royel Otis returned to perform “Oysters in My Pocket”, sending the night off on a euphoric high.
Royel Otis have established themselves as one of Australia’s most exciting indie exports, a reminder of the incredible talent we have right here at home. With their trajectory only climbing higher, this sold-out night at Margaret Court Arena feels like just the beginning.
