The Royston Club revived: A sold-out show at Birmingham’s O2 Institute

O2 Institute, Birmingham, 18 October 2025

Having been over two years since The Royston Club’s last headlining tour, Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars, fans have been left hungry for new music, highly anticipating the release of their sophomore album. It is safe to say that Songs For The Spine has satiated this hunger.

The Royston Club, named after an old man’s club in Acrefair, started out playing indie covers in secondary school before adopting drummer Sam Jones in 2018 to form the full four-piece. From playing open mic nights in Welsh pubs to now supporting some of the biggest names on the indie scene such as Kasabian, The Lathums, and Jamie Webster, they seem to be going up in the world. Following the album’s release in August, The Royston Club have embarked on an ongoing sold-out UK headline tour hitting all major cities, certainly seeming to scratch the itch felt by restless fans.

After witnessing their set at Reading Festival, which entailed a mad dash from the coach station to the main stage, with maybe a cheeky stop off at the bar along the way, I instantly became hooked by their sound. Despite it only being the third act of the day and The Royston Club’s debut at Reading Festival, the crowd was already simmering with excitement and anticipation.

Saturday night’s concert flawlessly encapsulated everything I enjoyed about their festival set, yet somehow also managed to make me fall even more in love with their softer songs. The atmosphere of a more intimate venue pairing perfectly with frontman Tom Faithfull’s heart-wrenching vocals.

The addictively catchy opening riff immediately spurs the crowd into action

Upon arriving in the nick of time to hear the end of first support act Waste Your Pain’s set, the venue is already full to the brim. It seems that no one is without merchandise, a sea of Royston Club t-shirts stretching out before me! Next up is the curiously named band FEET, who threaten to come off as the main event themselves. Formed just around the corner at Coventry University, tracks from FEET’s second LP Make It Up enrapture the audience. The combination of lead vocalist George Haverson senselessly flailing a tambourine along with the band’s Britpop edge make them the perfect choice of support act for The Royston Club, breeding a buzz within the audience.

Oddly, The Royston Club begin their set by launching head-first into their most famous song ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows’, the first song to be released as a single from Songs For The Spine, thus gaining incredible traction. The addictively catchy opening riff immediately spurs the crowd into action, us faithful fans raring and ready to go yet also somewhat taken aback by the encore-esque song opening the set. Nevertheless, the crowd parts like the red sea to make way for mosh pits and people are simultaneously hoisted onto shoulders, treacherously swaying back and forth, threatening to spill pints over any unsuspecting concertgoer.

The rest of the gig is a whirlwind of dancing and screaming among a deafening crowd

Faithfull’s performance of ‘Glued To The Bed’ is utterly phenomenal, sucking the audience into a realm of trepidation and pessimism regarding love, all performed to a mounting melody. In whynow, guitarist and songwriter Ben Matthias claims: “I wanted to write about the cynicism towards love that heartbreak can bring”, the shrewd heartbreak anthem resolving to remedy all woes. The Royston Club’s trademark sound of potent introductory guitar riffs and incredible hooks is ultimately the skeleton of this album (excuse the pun!), equipped with an entrancing power, able to transform any crowd into a swarming horde. So, it comes as no surprise that ‘Blisters’ and ‘52’ managed to weave their way into the set list.

The rest of the gig is a whirlwind of dancing and screaming among a deafening crowd, competing for clear sight of the band. The linear pattern of thrashing tunes is broken midway through the set by Matthias and Faithfull’s unquestionably intimate rendition of ‘A Tender Curiosity’, with both members sharing a microphone, singing over the soft tickle of their acoustic guitars. Highly underrated tracks ‘Crowbar’ and ‘Curses & Spit’ proceed, tangled up in intricate metaphors and a reeling desire for meaningful relationships, both familial and romantic. Yet, it seems The Royston Club still have more to give, the audience practically vaulting over the barriers in readiness for fervent ballad ‘Cariad’. It was the perfect way to round off the set.

With plans to perform as guests at London’s Crystal Palace Park supporting Two Door Cinema Club in 2026, which I am fortunate enough to have snagged tickets for, The Royston Club have an amazing year lined up ahead of them. Buzz Magazine claims that “The Royston Club have a wide-open road ahead of them, with plenty more to offer”, so let’s hope that the Songs For The Spine Tour paves the way for further success!

★★★★★