The Royal Concept live at Wrongbar

text:  Michael Raine

Being an opening band can be a disheartening experience, no matter the city or venue. Playing a half empty room to an audience more interested in getting drinks and carrying on conversations than in listening. Those listening only give the band the slightest opportunity to hook them before their attention is turned elsewhere. In that regard, headlining acts have it easy. The audience came for them, and in many cases paid good money to do so, and so they’re going to give the band every opportunity to make them feel it was worth their while. When an opening band can play to the typical half empty room but still get people dancing, or at least bobbing their heads, and make you forget they’re not the main act, it is a pretty impressive feat. That is what Sweden’s The Royal Concept did at the Wrong Bar in Toronto on Monday night.

Playing a relatively brief 45 minute set opening for Wolf Gang, The Royal Concept, led by charismatic singer David Larson, kicked it off with ‘Knocked Up’ off of their debut self-titled EP.

The crowd, initially tepid at best, quickly took notice as Larson worked the stage like he was The Killers’ Brandon Flowers playing Madison Square Garden. Clad in a white sleeveless shirt and black leather jacket with stylishly dishevelled blonde hair, Larson seemed to be the quintessential Swedish rock star.

Leaping from keyboard to guitar, from microphone to microphone, and from kneeling on the stage to posing atop the bass drum, Larson made it clear – as any great frontman should – that he is the focus of attention. By half way through the band’s second tune, the Strokes-ish ‘Gold Rush’, there were noticeably more people moving toward the stage and even those who stayed at their seats were now standing and moving with the rhythm.

On record, Larson’s voice is adequate but not great. Surprisingly, singing live, Larson comes across much stronger. His voice is slightly higher but the notes are held longer and sung with more conviction. That’s why the unreleased song ‘World on Fire’ was a disappointment. During the verses, Larson’s voice was altered to the point where it became robotic, not lending itself to the song and coming across as completely unnecessary. Hopefully this is not a sign of what is to come on the full-length debut.

Luckily, ‘World on Fire’ was the only low point. In general, the band impressed, particularly with their final three numbers. ‘In The End’, the standout closing track on The Royal Concept EP, soared even higher live than is does on record,  proving that the song has the potential to be an indie rock anthem. As was the theme of the night, Larson stole the show, dramatically tearing off his jacket and pull at his shirt and hair as if he couldn’t contain his emotion during the chorus of, “In the end you’re on your own/I couldn’t stand there all alone”.

Like on the EP, ‘In the End’ is begging to be a set closer but, as one would expect, that honour was saved for hit single ‘Gimme Twice’. About as catchy of a song you’re likely to hear this year, ‘Gimme Twice’ got every person moving and cheering. Larson, pulling every move out of his repertoire, stripped down to a black mesh tank top, grabbed a camera from a girl in the front row, turned his back to the crowd and took and self-shot photo, Facebook-style, and continued dancing, hardly missing a note. It the kind of thing that leaves you thinking, “This guy needs a bigger stage.” Pretty soon that may be the case.

Image courtesy of The Royal Concept