Wolf Alice Live at Finsbury Park: Britain’s Best Band Comes Home
In this blog post written just over a year ago, I proclaimed Wolf Alice as Britain's best band. I wrote that just after the band had played a sunset show on the Other Stage at Glastonbury. Just over a year later, the band took to the stage in their biggest headline show to date, in front of 45,000 people in North London's Finsbury Park. Shows in this North London venue have proven to be huge catalysts in recent years; Sam Fender's performance in 2022 propelled him further up festival bills and into football stadiums. His lead support that day, Fontaines D.C., would have their own moment in the North London sunshine in 2025, which in turn propelled them into arenas and festival headline slots.
For Wolf Alice, the magnitude of what this show represented was deeply intertwined with the journey that brought them here. It was the culmination of years of relentless touring, underpinned by a profound sense of place. Finsbury Park and North London are home. Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell and bassist Theo Ellis grew up just a short distance away, while the venues where Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie played their very first gigs sit just a stone’s throw from the park.
While some might expect the band to play it cool and ignore the geographical connection, geography has always been a core narrative in Wolf Alice's songwriting. On 'The Sofa', Rowsell sings of her roots: "Feels a little like I'm stuck in Seven Sisters / North London, oh, England, and maybe that's okay." While previous records found them yearning for the Hollywood Hills or drinking liquid rose on 'The Beach', it feels fitting that this evolved version of Wolf Alice has returned home. Having explored the world both literally and sonically, they now know exactly where their heart lies. A palpable sense of pride washes over Rowsell as she surveys the crowd, as if something magical. “I hope you have the best day ever!” she beams, her face completely lit up with joy.
Given the setlist, it was almost impossible for the crowd not to have the time of their lives. Following a vibrant performance of 'Bloom Baby Bloom', which was punctuated by early bursts of white confetti, the band struck a flawless balance between their latest album, 'The Clearing', and their back catalogue. A few surprises kept the crowd on their toes: 'Lisbon', the sweet, springy track from 'My Love Is Cool', arrived early in the set, while Rowsell delivered a gorgeously stripped-back rendition of their 2013 B-side 'White Leather', perched atop a column nestled in the star-shaped cutout at the back of the stage.
The performance put the sheer variety of their discography on full display. 'White Horses', driven by drummer Joel Amey, truly came into its own live, transforming the park into a shifting sea of bouncing bodies. Later, 'Bros', an indie ode to the power of friendship, proved to be a deeply emotional moment for both the band and their thousands of adoring fans. As the screens superimposed vintage tour diary footage over live shots of the band on stage, audience members climbed onto shoulders to dance, sing, and share a massive, cathartic release
A roaring run of 'Yuk Foo', 'Play The Greatest Hits', and 'Smile' unleashed the punkier, visceral edge of their sound, before the sludgy, shifting weight of 'Visions Of A Life' captured the sheer complexity of the band's creative mind. This track represents Wolf Alice at their absolute best, fluidly moving through moods from heavy, Sabbath-esque riffs to jazzy breakdowns and back again. It served as a fearless, shape-shifting finale that encapsulated everything bold and unpredictable about the group.
'Don't Delete the Kisses' had been the band's set closer virtually since its release, but for Finsbury Park, it was moved forward to open the encore. Fans climb onto their friends' shoulders and scream the words back to the band on stage. As a gigantic disco ball descends above the stage, Rowsell shares some words of encouragement with the crowd: “If you’ve got a crush, you should probably tell them. If you want to start a band, you should probably start one.”
During the encore, the band unleashed their biggest surprise of all.
At Glastonbury the previous year, they had caught everyone off guard on the Other Stage by beautifully sliding into a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams'. Rather than treating it as a standard standalone cover, they cleverly hooked the 1977 classic onto the end of 'How Can I Make It OK?', smoothly transitioning into the iconic track just as the evening sun was setting over a massive, sunbaked crowd. It was a faithful, dreamy, confident nod to their musical lineage that showcased the sheer emotional richness of Rowsell's vocals
At Finsbury Park, they chose to up the ante entirely. Instead of sunset pop bliss, they tore into a roaring 90s alt-rock monolith, Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. It was a genuine shock to the system that paid off beautifully. Tackling such an iconic and notoriously difficult anthem is a massive risk, but the band executed it with absolute precision. Rowsell tore through the opening verse and chorus with fierce, raw energy, prompting an immediate explosion of pogoing in the moshpit
The band finish things off with the blistering 'Giant Peach', one of their earliest singles. Wolf Alice have been brilliant since the beginning, but over the years, they have evolved into one of the absolute best around. During ‘Leaning Against The Wall’, Ellie Rowsell nods to a partner's romantic gesture, singing, “You put my name up in lights”. In these final minutes, Wolf Alice’s own name is spelt out in bulbs through the silver fringe framing the stage.
It feels like a glowing testament to the years of hard work that led them here. This show was two things at once: a triumphant hometown celebration and a band setting the stage for their future, a future where they reign as the best band in Britain.
Long may their success continue.