Always Where They Were Meant to Be
Wolf Alice have been through a lot, and they've released a lot of unbelievably brilliant music. However, it's taken them four albums to reach the promised land of arenas. After watching them play in Birmingham on November 29th, I found myself asking. Why?
The band's latest effort, 'The Clearing,' is more melodic and melancholic than previous releases. There's no biting moment like 'Yuk Foo' or 'Smile', but the songwriting possessed on that album is some of the band's finest to date, and in Birmingham, nine of the twenty-one song setlist came from that record. The songs on that album can sit alongside the band's best work.
Throughout the show, we were treated to all eras of Wolf Alice, from the indie loved-up romance of 'Bros' through to the bass-driven groove of 'Formidable Cool' and the snarling punk aggression of 'Smile'. The offering of the songs here puts the band alongside former labelmates The 1975 and the Arctic Monkeys for sheer genre variety.
You get so much, folk, 90s shoegaze, 70s glam, punk, indie bangers. The show felt balanced, despite nearly all of the new record being played, the band found time for the old bangers 'You're a Germ' featured just before 'Safe From Heartbreak' with an encore of 'The Last Man on the Earth' and quite possibly the greatest indie love song ever, 'Don't Delete the Kisses' I can't imagie many being disapointed.
In a decade, Wolf Alice has achieved so much; these arena shows feel less like a trial run and more like a victory lap. The band know it too, I saw the band on the 'Blue Weekend' tour, and they were great, but this show felt like a level up. I was sitting at the back of the room in Birmingham, and I still felt involved and caught up in it all.
Ellie Rowsell's stage presence has evolved, and her vocal ability is ridiculous; she does not falter at all. Hitting the high notes on 'Bloom Baby Bloom' and the primal screams on 'Yuk Foo', it's spectacular to watch. It would be unfair to single Ellie out, though; each of the band plays their part, drummer Joel Amey showcased not only his drumming skills but also took the lead on 'White Horses', the unbelievably heartfelt reflection on heritage and identity.
Theo Ellis holds things down with his bass playing and also acts as the band's unofficial cheerleader, reminding the crowd how much this means to them and encouraging mass sing-alongs, mosh pits, and swaying arms. Joff Odie is criminally underrated as a guitar player; he keeps things moving with his playing, perfectly complementing Rowsell when needed and, at other times, completely commanding the stage.
To answer my question, I think that it's taken the band so long to get into arenas because on their previous label, Dirty Hit, they were often overshadowed by The 1975. With the band moving to RCA, I can see this arena tour being the start of something special. Festival goers will start seeing their name at the top of the bill. Wolf Alice are getting bigger. Right now, though, they are always where they were meant to be.