Royel Otis Anfield review: ‘Impossible not to be impressed’

Over the last two-and-a-bit years, Royel Otis – the Australian indie-pop duo of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic – have arguably been the ironmen in the music scene. They released their debut album – 'Pratts and Pain' – in February 2024 and have toured relentlessly since. The duo performed approximately 331 shows between 2023 and 2025, spanning from repeated trips to North America, Europe and Oceania, and even released their sophomore record 'Hickey' during that timespan.

In total, the pair sold more than 100,000 concert tickets in 2025 alone and secured fifth place on BBC Radio 1's Sound of 2026 list - a position that had once gone to artists such as Central Cee, George Ezra and Rosalia. It only further cemented their status as a major international breakthrough act and seemingly helped the Australian duo catch the eye of the Foo Fighters, who’d invited the pair to join them on the ‘Take Cover Tour’.

Saturday’s set at Anfield marked the pair’s fourth show with the Foos after previous dates in Oslo, Stockholm and Warsaw. While their dreamlike rhythms, Pavlovic’s soft, breathy vocals, jangly guitars, summery synths, driving bass lines and atmospheric keyboard and indie-pop sensibilities might not stylistically be a match for the Foos, it’s impossible to argue that the pair aren’t damn good at what they do.

After gracing the stages at the Arts Club and Jacaranda Baltic on their previous visits to Liverpool, the pair gained a taste of Liverpool’s most historic stadium on Saturday with an hour-long set that opened with the breezy ‘I Hate This Tune’. ‘Adored’ benefitted from a more rock-y arrangement with powerhouse drumming and a punchy guitar from Maddell driving the sound. The propulsive synths and Maddell’s intricate guitar playing were highlights on ‘Heading for the Door’.

A rendition of ‘Kool Aid’ exploded into life with jangly guitars, powerful, driving drumming and a lush keyboard part. A reverb-soaked ‘Moody’ showcases a strong penchant for melody; the dreamy ‘Car’ is perfectly suited to stadium-friendly singalongs, and ‘I Wanna Dance With You’ is appropriately introduced by Pavlovic as one “about dancing” and was complemented by a two-guitar attack to give the track a brighter sound, with lush harmonies and an energetic rhythm perfectly designed for dancing.

Despite the stylistic differences and the crowd’s lack of familiarity with the Royel Otis discography, the pair did not allow that to affect their performance, instead allowing their impressive musicianship to shine - a trait that has followed them throughout their careers thus far. In the last few years, the pair have gained mainstream attention for their take on The Cranberries’ ‘Linger’ and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s resurgent ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, with the former a notable highlight. Stripped-back with just a reverb-soaked guitar adding an atmospheric edge and Pavlovic’s soaring vocals, it was impossible not to be impressed.

Nevertheless, an impressive hour-long set breezed by as the pair closed out their performance with a one-two punch of ‘Sweet Hallelujah’, which Pavlovic originally mistook as their final song, and their breakthrough track ‘Oysters in my Pocket’, wrapping up a set that firmly cemented the pair as the real deal.