The dressing room of Camden's Electric Ballroom in London is hardly the most glamorous of settings at the best of times, and for Royal Blood it is the early evening after the night before. The previous night, the blues rock duo played its biggest ever headline show at the venue and, preparing for an encore later tonight, are disgruntled at the untidy state that greets me. "I'm sorry about the mess," offers drummer Ben Thatcher (26), politely.
But stacked away in the corner among the remains of last night's decidedly un-rock 'n' roll rider — empty salad packets rather than empty bottles of Jack Daniels — is a framed gold disc that's almost hidden from view, awarded to the band for over 100,000 sales of its eponymous debut. That release cemented Royal Blood's rapid rise from Brighton's pubs to the forefront of the British rock scene.
"Oh yeah," deadpans singer and bassist Mike Kerr (24), dressed completely in black, "we take that everywhere with us just to remind us." The truth, in keeping with Royal Blood's demeanor, is far less aggrandizing: The guys were only handed the disc yesterday, as a surprise, by the crew and view it how they tend to see most things that aren't essential to the act of playing music.