Royal Blood criticised after belittling unenthusiastic crowd at Big Weekend

Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr left the stage abruptly after complaining that the audience wasn’t excited enough (handout)

Royal Blood singer Mike Kerr stormed off the stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on Saturday after bemoaning festival goers’ apparent lack of excitement.

The alt-rockers Wet Leg, Nothing But Thieves and Inhaler, as well as pop star Lewis Capaldi, were scheduled to perform at Camperdown Country Park on the same schedule as Royal Blood, but a compilation of videos posted to Twitter (below) showed that the band’s seven-song set failed to impress the estimated 85,000-strong audience.

In the opening of the video, Kerr addresses the audience: “I guess I should introduce ourselves, as no one knows who we are. We’re called Royal Blood, and this is rock music. Who likes rock music?”

Upon hearing a faint response, he said, “Nine people. Brilliant.”

Later, he addressed a cameraman and said: “We’re having to clap ourselves because that was so pathetic,” before adding “Will you clap for us? Will you clap? You’re busy. Can you clap? Yes, even he’s clapping. What does that say about you?”

At the conclusion of the performance, Kerr slams his guitar on the floor and walks away while raising his middle fingers to the crowd.

“Man, some gigs are tough and you have to win over the crowd, but this is exactly how to NOT react. Very disappointed with Royal Blood here. No matter what level you get to, you’re never better than the audience.” one wrote on Twitter.

While another wrote: “Rock and metal fan here. Can help thinking 1) why did they agree to play? 2) Could have used it as an opportunity to enjoy and gain some more fans, not alienate people. Dave Grohl wouldn’t have done this. Clown move”.

“Rock musicians who act like they’re more important, cooler, and better than musicians who work in other genres are so cringe.”

Some fans have noted that Royal Blood were sandwiched between Capaldi, whose sophomore album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent is currently No 1 in the UK, and pop artist Niall Horan on a difficult schedule.

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“Festival organisers put them on between Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi, who’s idea was that?”

“I feel sorry for them, they clearly don’t belong with that crowd, but at the same time, you don’t have a strop at the audience and tell them off. Have a go at your manager”.

“The organisers want shooting. Radio 1 is wall-to-wall lightweight, generic chart-music. Sticking something as ‘different’ as Royal Blood in the middle of that is crazy. The audience doesn’t want different.”

Back to the Water Below, the band’s upcoming album, is set to be released on September 8. Typhoons, their previous album, came out in 2021.

They are scheduled to perform at Glastonbury, which runs from June 21 to June 25 this year.