Royal Blood review, Glastonbury 2023: Rock duo’s chest-puffing on the Pyramid Stage doesn’t make up for these riskless songs

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sandwiched between a surprise Foo Fighters set and headliners Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood take to the Pyramid stage on Friday night in second billing – a milestone, or stumbling block, for any great band. But the stakes are higher still for the West Sussex duo, as they emerge from an international incident at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee, when singer Mike Kerr lashed out at a “pathetic” crowd that failed to appreciate their rock bona fides, before flouncing off stage with middle fingers raised. Though they don’t mention the incident, Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher – who are joined by keyboardist Darren Watts – seem intent on correcting the narrative with a crowd-pleasing display of rock showmanship. As much as Royal Blood emulate the rock archetype, stalking across the stage and casting out stares heavy with import, their riskless songs inspire no devotion.