In the last year, Royel Otis have positioned themselves within a long line of Australian indie-pop-rock bands who have exploded on the global stage. After a smaller tour earlier in the year, where they played to crowds around Australia that were only a fraction of the Hordern Pavillion’s circa-5000 capacity, they returned to their home nation for their final show of the year in front of a sold-out crowd. 

The Hordern is a unique venue with seats lining the sides of the venue, with a large mosh-pit in the middle. With all admission to the venue being unreserved, this means that a sold-out crowd can often create a funky situation. In this case, many of the seats around the venue remained vacant as the majority of the crowd piled into a gigantic and overflowing mosh-pit. Whilst it may not have looked the safest, it was reflective of a fervour around the gig, where every fan wanted to get as close to the band as possible to savour the experience. 

Every band has a shtick and for this Perth-based duo, it is their somewhat reclusive stage presence. While Otis Pavlovic takes most of the vocals, guitarist Royel Maddell prefers to stay away from the spotlight, shielding his face in a giant mop of bright red hair. While this may not immediately seem to lend itself well to establishing a presence on a live stage, in this gig the band used it to their advantage, fostering an endearing charm based upon a persona of shyness which only further fed the energy of the ravenous audience. 

The band cycled through a set of charming original music, much to the delight of their fanbase. They played the majority of their “PRATTS & PAIN” album, which showcased a unique sound, even if there was not a whole lot of variety. Maddell’s guitar work was superb, and the rest of the band combined well too for a cohesive performance. 

As the crowd only grew louder, the band seemed genuinely in awe at the reception they were receiving as the night progressed. 

“Thank you so much for coming out, it’s so nice to be back and this is so crazy,” Pavlovic said. 

The set also had an Australian flavour to it, with the two headliners showcasing a quintessentially Aussie brand of humour. 

“This is Chippy the Prawn,” Pavlovic said as he referred to a giant prawn that hung at the back of the set. “He’s modelled after the Ballina prawn and is ready right in time for Christmas.”

For all of their strong original work, this is a band that catapulted into the spotlight through two superb covers that they debuted this year and performed at this show. As the opening notes to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” hit, the crowd cheered in unison and then started to move around the mosh pit as if in a trance. Pavlovic’s voice shone through on this number, with the gruffness of his tenor vocals having a chance to stand out in a way that the band’s own songs perhaps do not allow. It was a great contrast to the rest of the set and as the crowd hung on the rhythm, the band truly fed off their energy for one of the highlights of the night. 

As the crowd cheered for an encore, it was only Pavlovic and Maddell who returned to the stage, with the rest of their band waiting side stage as the two men launched into a cover of “Linger”, for which the whole crowd sung along. It was perhaps not an obvious song choice for the two, but, hearing it live, it became easy to understand why their cover had become so successful. Pavlovic’s vocals had an edginess to them, which made the song feel even more passionate and defiant than the original. As the crowd provided a commensurate ovation, the band launched into “Kool Aid” to close out the night, which allowed the audience to leave on a high. 

This was, without doubt, a triumphant homecoming for a band who has achieved success beyond their wildest dreams this year. This concert made the secrets of their success perfectly plain; from abundant charisma to a well-considered set full of interesting and lyrical music, the band has a strong understanding of what they do and executed well on the night. While variety will continue to develop from within their setlist as they grow their discography, Royel Otis has the building blocks of something very special already. It would not be surprising if they have upgraded their venue capacity yet again the next time they hit the shores of Sydney. 

Rating: ★★★★

Royel Otis – Hordern Pavillion – 21^st December 2024