Royal Blood didn’t even attempt to conceal their thoughts at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, swearing at the audience and storming off stage.
Mike Kerr, frontman of the rock duo, said the young crowd were ‘pathetic’ before walking off with his middle fingers raised.
The pair – who just announced a gig in Manchester for October – were visibly annoyed to not be welcomed with adoring crowds at the free festival, which this year took place in Dundee.
Speaking to the packed crowd, Kerr said: “Well I guess we should introduce ourselves seeing as no one actually knows who we are.
“We’re called Royal Blood and this is rock music. Who likes rock music? Nine people, brilliant.”
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He then continued to lash out at the audience, saying: “We’re having to clap ourselves because that was so pathetic. Well done Ben.”
Turning to the cameraman on stage, he said: “Will you clap for us? You’re busy. Can you clap? Yes, even he’s clapping. What does that say about you?”
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Drummer Ben Thatcher, meanwhile, swigged from a bottle of Patron tequila before miming to audience members to smile.
Royal Blood making their feelings known about the crowd at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend yesterday 😂
— The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) May 29, 2023
Naturally, social media has erupted with discussion around the band’s behaviour, and whether it was justified.
Many blamed the event organisers, who jammed Royal Blood in the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend line-up between pop acts Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan.
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In fact, there was a stunning moment in the live stream where the camera panned to a bored-looking audience member with ‘NIALL’ written across her face.
Hundreds of people have said that Royal Blood should have respected their audience and worked harder to win them over.
Royal Blood swearing at their audience at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. Credit: BBCA thoroughly unbothered Ben Thatcher of Royal Blood at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. Credit: BBCRoyal Blood swearing at their audience at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend. Credit: BBC
Wigan band The Lottery Winners waded in, writing: “Man, some gigs are tough and you have to win over the crowd, but this is exactly how to NOT react. Very disappointed with Royal Blood here. No matter what level you get to, you’re never better than the audience.”
One person wrote: “Speaking as a Royal Blood fan, I’m all for back and forth with the audience but ideally not: 1) to an audience of teenagers. 2) when you come across like a sassy walk-on from Made In Chelsea. Respect your audience, always.”
Another said: “Royal Blood are brilliant live, but respect the audience. This is a festival not a Royal Blood gig & you’re playing before arguably the biggest British artist right now in Lewis Capaldi, 70%+ aren’t here for you. Should be trying to make new fans at festivals like this.”
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Someone else wrote: “I’d be so f*cking pissed if a band called ROYAL BLOOD hopped up on stage to play rock and roll, patronised me in a Waitrose accent and then had a literal tantrum because I wasn’t making enough noise. I’d actually lose the plot.”
Of course, the jokes and memes also flooded in.
Your man from Royal Blood, ruining every house party he's ever been to by taking charge of the Spotify playlist to "get some proper music on". https://t.co/OAIFsUnkFJ
Someone else made this comparison: “Eight-year-old me storming out of the living room because my family were talking through my performance of spice girls’ wannabe #royalblood.”
One tweet said: “Ahhh, what a lovely relaxing Bank Holiday, now to log on for my first day as the PR Manager for very cool and popular band Royal Blood.”
Tickets for Royal Blood’s gig at the O2 Apollo Manchester go on sale on Friday 2 June at 9am – you can get yours through See Tickets here.
Featured image: BBC
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Bands panic as Easy Life report they’re being sued by EasyJet
Danny Jones
The music industry and social media at large are taking aim at easyJet in light of what might be one of the most ridiculous stories we’ve ever heard, as the airline is reportedly suing alternative indie-pop band, Easy Life, because their names are apparently too similar.
Like the majority of people who first saw this online, we thought it was a joke at first too. Apparently not…
Despite having been formed in 2017 and having seemingly caused no disruption to the company’s business in the past six years, Easy Life shared a statement on Monday evening claiming that popular UK airline easyJet is set to sue them simply because they share the word ‘easy’ in their name.
Much to our and everyone else’s shock, the lawsuit appears to be real after a spokesperson for the budget flight operator told NME: “Stelios and easyGroup founded and (now) own the right to the easy brand name… We cannot allow unauthorised third parties to simply use it free, gratis and for nothing. That would be very unfair.”
They basically believe they have a copyright on the word ‘easy’. Simply flabbergasting and, as you can expect, it has led to some very low-hanging fruit and amusing reactions:
The full statement by the Leceister-based band reads: “Okay… never imagined having to do this but we’ve no choice but to address the situation we find ourselves in. As some of you have already discovered, we are being sued, easyjet are suing us for being called easy life.
“They’re forcing us to change our name or take up a costly legal battle which we could never afford. we’ve worked hard to establish our brand I’m certain in no way have we ever affected their business.
“Although we find this whole situation hilarious, we are virtually powerless against such a massive corporation. I don’t really know what else to say, will keep you lot updated.”
The five-piece signed off by joking, “for those of you who bought gig tickets and ended up on a budget flight to Tenerife, I apologise, for the rest of you, thank you so much for your support”. Naturally, they aren’t the only ones laughing at the absurdity of it all.
While a large proportion of the comments are versions of “surely they are joking?” and “this has to be a p*** take?”, for those that have clocked on to the fact this is somehow real, easyJet are currently being called every name under the sun.
As for the company’s stance on the matter, they went on to insist to the NME that “Stelios and easyGroup founded and (now) own the right to the easy brand name.
So yes, although it might sound silly that they are basically trying to copyright a common word in the English language which has been used in various different phrases since the start of the Middle Ages, easyJet have indeed been trademarking a number of different names including easyVan, easyProperty, easyCurrency and more — the suggestion being that they could be angling for easyLife insurance next.
It goes without saying that we find this whole thing stupid we’re still in disbelief that it’s actually genuine. Then again, we shouldn’t be too surprised as the company’s owner Stelios Haji-Ioannou has tried to sue everyone from the creators of Come Fly With Me, who parodied him back in 2010, to a small taxi company that also had easy in their name.
What they’ve actually done is just lost even more faith amongst Brits who travel from time to time and might have been considering using the airline and given easy life one of the best bits of inadvertent publicity and nationwide exposure we’ve ever seen.
Here’s hoping the boys’ nightmares turn into daydreams soon and in case it wasn’t already hammered home just how daft this whole thing is, just check the comments underneath this statement of solidarity from music label Blood Records.
Featured Image — easy life (via Instagram)/Bene Riobo (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Bluedot will NOT take place in 2024 after extreme weather halted this year’s festival
Daisy Jackson
Bluedot, one of the North’s best-loved festivals, will not be taking place in 2024, it has been announced.
The family-friendly festival in Cheshire takes place every summer in the staggering setting of Jodrell Bank, with the Lovell Telescope providing a backdrop to the main stage.
Bluedot had to partially cancel its 2023 festival and turn away day guests on its final day, after heavy rain left areas of the festival site ‘unpassable’.
Unprecedented rainfall in July turned Jodrell Bank into a muddy swamp that made it unsafe for day ticket holders to attend, despite the team on site laying more than 1.5km of additional track mat and track way, 130 tonnes of sustainably sourced wood chip, and bringing multiple trucks on site to pump out standing water.
Sadly, the damage done by this summer’s miserable weather is lasting.
Bluedot has now confirmed that its 2024 instalment will not be taking place, with the ground needing a fallow year to recover from the extreme weather.
The award-winning festival said that the record-breaking rain before and during the festival has had a severe impact on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The mud at Bluedot 2023 means that it will take a fallow year in 2024. Credit: The Manc GroupThe mud at Bluedot 2023 means that it will take a fallow year in 2024. Credit: The Manc Group
Organisers said: “When we set out on the journey that is bluedot, our mission was to create a unique experience – a combination of discovery, exploration and grand cosmic ideas, soundtracked by the finest musicians from across the planet.
“An opportunity once a year to explore new and unique collaborations between science, music and the arts, to be amongst like-minded adventurers, and to rediscover and celebrate our shared humanity.
“Underpinning bluedot’s mission is a sincere love and respect for the earth and environment we are lucky to be part of. However, the earth beneath bluedot took a lot of strain.
“Experiencing the highest level of rainfall on the festival weekend since records began (records courtesy of Jodrell Bank’s own weather station!) we have patiently waited to see what the effects of this have been on the land itself. We have now sadly reached the conclusion that the ground on which the bluedot universe is built desperately needs some time to recover; a period of rest during which the soil will recover and regenerate.”
Daisy Jackson -
31st May 2023 
