Royel Otis – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Brad Jones, June 2026
Much like the final day of the football season or the Wimbledon final, some events are just destined to break Britain’s unpredictable patterns of weather year upon year, and in many ways, Royel Otis at The Piece Hall felt like one of those occasions that was always going to be sunny.
Right from their origins in Byron Bay, this is a band defined by their sun-drenched sound and aesthetic, so as both band members entered the stage with the sky over Halifax completely cloudless, I was immediately transported to the exact place where they want you to be.
“Nonchalant self-assurance”
Lead guitarist Royel Maddell propelled himself into the air from one of the speakers as lead vocalist Otis Pavlovic came aimlessly jogging out behind him. It was like watching two friends full of child-like spark on an innocent summer expedition, who just happened to have come across a stage in front of 5,000 people that were all along for the ride.
This feeling only grew as their opener ‘I Hate This Tune’ played out. A breakup anthem where sombre, reflective lyrics contrast with bouncy, 90s post-punk-inspired guitar riffs, which set the tone for the night.
Their nonchalant self-assurance was evident from the off, showcasing just how much they belonged amongst an illustrious list of headliners at this venue throughout the year, despite being just two albums and seven years old as a band.
“Upbeat sound”
Through ‘Adored’ and ‘Heading For The Door’, both from 2024 debut album Pratts and Pain, and into ‘who’s your boyfriend’ and ‘car’ from their second album hickey, emotional and romantic struggles were explored with honesty and a light, upbeat sound to appeal to the dancers and singers just as much as those observing attentively.
When Otis asked: “We all feeling good?” to a loud cheer, his response of “that’s a bond” was right on the money. This was a crowd largely made up of people in their twenties, a good number of whom evidently felt a part of the Royel Otis identity and had tried to replicate their look as best they could. For a relatively new band from Australia, that is quite the impact to make.
The constant flow of songs where serene meets soulful kept the setlist ticking at a strong pace. With 2022 release ‘Kool Aid’ and ‘Foam’, a tongue-in-cheek diss track, they showcased their unfiltered side. As did ‘moody’, which was the first of five in a row, including the final three tracks from hickey, a slower section with lyrical content which had an airy sense of vulnerability and a sense of shame at the distance they have created from loved ones. This is something the band have spoken openly about, particularly in their reluctance to continue their lives in that same vein.
With that in mind, it only felt right that they ended this string of songs with ‘jazz burger’, the closing track from hickey, a homage to a spicy burger dressed up as a song about heartbreak, this was further evidence of their ability to be playful with contrasts and themes.
“Infectious”
That self-belief in their own way of doing things is perhaps best exemplified by the two hit covers within their setlist, the first of which is ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries, a crowd favourite that brought a new lease of life to an iconic song just as well as it did to this night.
From there, the anthemic choruses did not stop as ‘Motels’, ‘I Wanna Dance With You’ and ‘Bull Breed’ were all sang back at them with an infectious sense of nostalgia and joyous introspection. The energetic backing tracks led by majestic guitar riffs then became increasingly prominent through ‘Fried Rice’ and ‘Sofa King’, lifting The Piece Hall into party mode, going into the similarly unique take on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and the scintillating ‘say something’ to lead us into the encore.
Wry comments were made about a hydration break in reference to the current World Cup as they went off, but they wasted no time in reigniting the momentum with new single ‘Sweet Hallelujah’ and the euphoric ‘Oysters In My Pocket’, the earliest release on the setlist, which encapsulated the band’s rise and provided a timely reminder of their intent to hold onto their carefree, whimsical nature in the face of their highlighted struggles.
“Light-hearted summer’s night”
To their great credit, that was the overriding feeling that stuck with me afterwards. Not the hardships or lost relationships, but the way the band use those experiences to produce music perfectly curated for a lively, light-hearted summer’s night.
There may only be a handful of headline shows left on their Meet Me in the Car tour, but there’s no doubting Royel Otis are on the crest of a wave that could continue for many years to come. A desire to slow down has been expressed by the band after two years of touring almost non-stop, but expect them to return in even better shape before long.
Images: Cuffe and Taylor
Having spent most of the seven years since studying Sports Journalism at university producing TV guide magazines at the Press Association, as well as creating programme content for Hull City and venturing into music reviews, Brad quickly learnt the joy that comes with the variety of a career in journalism. Getting a story published in Karan Tejwani’s Iberia Chronicles book in 2020 gave him the bug for bringing stories to life on anything he’s passionate about ever since, which ranges from food to football and stand-up comedy to solo holidays.
