By Lucia Cinquino, Staff Writer
Who: Bby, Royal Otis
Venue: MGM Music Hall at Fenway
When: October 10, 2025
I’ll “Say Something” and Tell You Royel Otis Puts On A Great Show
MGM Music Hall was buzzing with energy this Friday night for Royel Otis, the Australian indie-pop rock duo. The band is cleverly and eponymously named after its members, Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic. They are currently touring globally in support of their third project in three years, hickey. Their quick release schedule brought them quite significant success, and they gained a large following in just three years since their debut EP, Sofa Kings. Most significantly, the band’s debut full-length album from 2024, PRATTS & PAIN, obtained incredible critical acclaim on the Australian charts and was one of the most nominated artists at the prestigious ARIA awards. They also garnered a lot of attention online in 2024 from their covers of songs such as “Linger” by the Cranberries and “Murder On The Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor–both of which were played at the Boston show!
This show at MGM Music Hall marked the biggest U.S. show for Royel Otis to date! MGM is quite an unassuming venue and is always a little bit bigger than I remember it to be. Being up on the balcony gave quite a cool view, and watching the crowd grow and grow before Royel Otis took the stage was very impressive.
Bby Brings Britain to Boston
But first, Bby (pronounced “Baby”) gave a support performance full of boundless energy. The band Bby started in London, and they are a blossoming part of the UK DIY scene. Their five-piece band is composed of the frontman Benjy, bassist Deon, drummer Tom, and guitarists Jess and Tommy. Stemming from true DIY fashion, they performed with no cemented set list and were ready to try out new ideas when able.
They played for about 45 minutes, Benjy occasionally jumping off the tall stage and twirling in front of the barricade, clearly full of energy and excitement to be performing. During their performance of their latest release, “Fuggit,” they even added a new verse they were working on. The song already stands as a statement of the way phones are controlling our lives and the urges to totally abandon them, but the Brits decided to comment on the US media culture from an outsider’s point of view, creating pretty poignant statements and images. They definitely got the crowd worked up, and as they ended their set, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation for Royel Otis to take the stage.
(I Saw Royel Otis Live in Boston)
The duo and their band sprang onto a smoke-filled stage, with the song “Jump Into The Fire” by Harry Nilsson blaring and the once-dim lights turning up. One aspect that stood out immediately was the long video wall behind the band, which played accompanying clips and text animations that really added to the overall aesthetic of their set. While the two frontmen sang the opening song, “i hate this tune,” the visualizer played in the back, flashing clips that incite teenage nostalgia of spontaneity and joy. These clips also made appearances intermittently for other songs off their newest album, hickey.
Royel Otis and their band make their already great music sound even better live. Otis’s vocals and Royel’s harmonies were clear, and each member of the band contributed great vibes and immense talent to the performance. Popular songs of theirs like “car,” “moody,” and “who’s your boyfriend” were a hit with the audience. But what really took the cake was their performance of “Linger” by The Cranberries on a B-stage positioned by front of house. In between the song prior, “jazz burger,” a romantic song about always coming back to the one you love, and their cover, they brought two very special guests onto the stage…
A Royel Wedding?
Coincidentally, as I sat in the audience after Bby’s set, my friend and I were approached by the man sitting next to us, saying that he had been planning to propose to his girlfriend during the show, and he wanted us to record it. We got his number and waited with anticipation over how it was going to go. But after “jazz burger” concluded, the couple were brought up on the B-stage, he spoke a few words, and popped the question. It was perfectly planned, and clearly, the support from the band and venue proved to be organized perfectly for a successful proposal.
But it didn’t end there. After she said yes and they returned to their seats next to us, occasional nods to them flashed on the video wall, really bringing it all together. One special nod was during Royel Otis’s song “Sofa King.” Random named were being put on screen with the phrase “___ you’re so f***ing georgeous,” and throughout the random names, Ryan and Soso, the names of the couple were included. It was clearly a collaborative effort for love, and it’s incredible to be able to see them share that moment.
Finishing The Night With A Dance
Overall, Royal Otis played a great show, top to bottom. They played their hits, some deep cuts, a couple got engaged, and they sure got the crowd to dance! Towards the end of their show, they played their song “I Wanna Dance With You,” and they made sure everyone in the room was moving. The screen flashed “(dance with the person next to you)” and soon enough, the whole crowd followed the order. After everyone started to move, the energy loosened up, and the rest of the night followed in dancing madness. This led to their excellent rock cover of “Murder On The Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, which came with a surge of jumping and the crowd singing along.
They finished off the night with their hit “Oysters In My Pocket” during their one-song encore. It was a full circle to play one of their earliest releases from 2021, at the end of playing their new hits from 2025. Royal Otis put on a thoroughly enjoyable show, and getting to see them live is a worthwhile experience for any of their fans. And, I highly recommend listening to Royel Otis’s new album “hickey” if you are a fan of Australian indie pop-rock or just looking to find some new music!
