Last weekend, Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis kicked off a North American tour in support of their recently released debut album Pratts & Pain—a 13-song collection that weaves in and out of their regional history of jangle-pop as much as it experiments with post-punk convention. With sets booked at Shaky Knees in Atlanta, BottleRock in Napa, and Boston Calling, the duo will be keeping plenty busy over the course of the next couple weeks—making it all the more crucial that they lived it up back home in Sydney before embarking on this month-long undertaking.
Leading up to the tour, we asked the band’s namesakes Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic to take us through an ideal day in their hometown. Compared to the overly ambitious artists who’ve graced this column before who pack a week’s worth of activities into a hypothetical 24 hours, the duo kept it simple by showing us around a few of their most frequented establishments in addition to a favorite suburban mecca. Here’s hoping they’re able to find a decent meatball sub while traversing the States.
Check out their photo diary below, and find their remaining tour itinerary here.
Roy’s Famous in Bondi
The best place to play cards is down by the fire at Roy’s Famous, where the meatball subs are to die for. And the pups—pettin’ the dogs and have a lager.
Bondi Beach/Sydney’s suburbs
It approaches dusk, and we stroll the grassy knoll of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, close to the ocean. The day is nearing its end. There’s warmth in the air, but not in the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Gelbison’s Pizzeria
Come rain, hail, or shine, Gelbisons’s Pizzeria Bondi will warm your heart no matter what the weather with its cheesy Margherita and BYO approach to wines and beers.
The Royal
“What about a spot of pool?” he crows from behind the doors. My dearest Otis, that sounds absolutely divine, sir. So we go to the Royal, where we meet on the felt. There’s a red felt at the Royal, not the usual traditional green, but nonetheless. We celebrate, we have shots, and we shoot some pool.
