The Kills Rock The Royale

By Lucien Flores

Despite being comprised of just two members, The Kills filled the Royale on Friday night with their monster sound and charismatic stage presence.

Comprised of Jamie Hince and Allison Mosshart, The Kills are a duo of high-energy rockers who write dark songs dripped in blues and held together by pounding drum machines.

Celebrating their 10^th Anniversary as a band, the Kills drew from all over their collection, playing seven songs out of their 19-song set from their latest effort (2011’s Blood Pressures).  The Blood Pressures songs were all well executed, from the beating “Future Starts Slow” to the stripped-down “The Last Goodbye” and everything in between. Older cuts such as “Kissy Kissy,” “F*ck The People,” and “Monkey 23” with their bluesy swag and minimal electronic influence reminded everybody of the rawness of the early Kills. Even songs from the less bluesy and weaker Midnight Boom such as “Sour Cherry” and “Hook and Line” took on much more character in the live setting.

On main vocal duty, Allison Mosshart, was a bundle of energy. She sauntered around stage and unleashed her powerful howl, injecting an emotional roughness into each and every track.

Lead guitarist Jamie Hince did not let Mosshart steal the show though. Constantly throwing in little shuffles and tossing his guitar around as if it were as light as cork, Hince’s charm was persistent as his razor guitar pierced the black of the Royale.

Joining the band on stage were two leather-clad bandana-bandits playing abbreviated drum-sets (a few toms and a snare) and three ladies singing backup. The drummers played their skins in choreographed rhythm and were highly entertaining throughout the night, tossing their sticks in the air and pretending to be devoid of any humanly emotion.

So captivating are The Kills that those in attendance forget that one strange lady standing near the front of the stage attempted – and failed – to pee in a cup near the front of the stage (yes, you read that correctly).

The Kills are a band that radiates sultry attitude while completely relishing in their fans and the fact that they get to make their living playing tunes. On their 10^th anniversary tour, the Kills reminded everybody where they came from and showed a glimpse of the promising future that is ahead.