Royal Blood have announced a surprise 45-minute set at Reading Festival on Friday 28 August, appearing at 2pm on The Gallery stage. Frontman Mike Kerr said the duo intend to make the performance “relentless”, concentrating on their heaviest material, while drummer Ben Thatcher joked that rain might draw more people into the tent. The appearance marks their return to major festival stages after more than two years away from touring and supports the launch of their forthcoming fifth album, ‘Dead Company’.

The Brighton duo recently resumed live shows and have been testing new songs including ‘Ten Over Ten’, ‘Swallow The Bomb’ and the album’s title track, which Kerr said are already connecting with audiences. Royal Blood first played Reading in 2014, progressing from a packed tent to the main stage in 2015 and a pre-headline slot in 2019. Kerr described Reading & Leeds as a particularly loose and rowdy festival, recalling its importance to him as a teenage attendee.