Royal Blood in Toronto

Royal Blood are an English rock duo comprising singer and bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher. Formed in 2011, they play hard rock built around distorted bass riffs and drums. They are known for songs including “Out of the Black,” “Figure It Out” and “Little Monster,” as well as the albums Royal Blood, How Did We Get So Dark? and Typhoons. Royal Blood supported Arctic Monkeys at Finsbury Park in 2014. In 2017 they performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury before headlining The O2 during the UK tour behind How Did We Get So Dark?, then returned to the festival in 2023. Their live setup centres on Kerr’s bass and vocals and Thatcher’s drums. Kerr routes his instrument through effects and separate amplifiers to produce both low-end and guitar-like parts in the duo’s arrangements. Royal Blood have played Manchester’s AO Arena and hometown shows at the Brighton Centre. Their festival appearances have also included Reading and Leeds.

BODEGA is an American post-punk band formed in New York City in 2016, led by Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio. Their taut guitars, spoken-sung vocals and critiques of media and consumer culture shape albums including Endless Scroll, Broken Equipment and Our Brand Could Be Yr Life, as well as songs such as “How Did This Happen?!” and “Doers.” In 2018, BODEGA took Endless Scroll through clubs and festivals in North America and Europe, including SXSW. Following Broken Equipment, the band returned to British venues on a 2022 headline tour and performed at Glastonbury Festival that summer.