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Royel Otis
Supported by Florence Road
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
20th of October, 2025
Indie-pop masters, Royel Otis, brought their ‘Meet Me in the Car’ tour to the Fortitude Valley last night. Their first of two sold out shows in Brisbane, and second Australian city of the tour, saw the lads deliver an insanely well put together show. I’ve been excited for this one for months, eager to see their new live set after the recent rise to one of Australia’s most listened to bands.
Despite the Monday night timeslot, they played to a packed house at Fortitude Music Hall. The Sydney duo — Royel Maddell (guitar) and Otis Pavlovic (vocals) — proved that their meteoric rise is matched by a live show that’s raw, charming and unmistakably Australian. Picture groups of friends locked in arms jumping in circles, entire crowd singalongs, and lyrics being belted towards stage.
While they have only just started their Aussie leg, Royel Otis are in the wake of ticking off some meteoric festivals – including Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Fuji Rock – and many sold out shows across America and Europe. With essentially two sold out shows in each of Australia’s capital cities, they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Off the back of their latest album release ‘Hickey’, Royel Otis have a well-established catalogue of songs that any decades old band would be envious of. The set list was a mixture of some of their old favourites like, ‘Fried Rice’, ‘I Wanna Dance With You’, ‘Bull Breed’ and ‘Sofa King’, and the new favourites ‘Moody’, ‘Car’ and ‘Say Something’ – topped off with their popular covers of ‘Linger’ (The Cranberries) and ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’ (Sophie Ellis-Bextor). I mean does it really get much better?
From the moment the lights dimmed, and the first chords rang out, the hall was a buzz of excitement. They opened strong, with a shared energy that carried through the night. Otis’ vocals were, at times, cool and collected, at others emotionally unguarded — a perfect foil for Royel’s shimmering, reverb-laden guitar work. Songs melted into others seamlessly and the show as a whole felt lively, with no major down moments. Backed by some slick, neon visuals, and Otis’s endearing dance moves, I was hooked the whole set.
In a show like this, Royel Otis reaffirmed that their success isn’t just about studio polish or streaming numbers — it’s about connection, energy, and the ability to translate their recorded material into something live and meaningful. With awards and international recognition already stacking up (watch out 2025 ARIA’s – and potential 2026 Grammy nominations???), they’re not resting on laurels; they’re showing why the hype is justified.
This Brisbane show was proof: this band are not just on the rise — they’re here to stay.
Review and Photos by Tim Ludlow (Astray Photography).
