Wolf Alice at O2 Academy 23/02/2022

Yet another storm last Wednesday night, this time cooked up by best band of the year, Wolf Alice, who captivated the heart of Bristol’s vibrant music scene. After being forced to reschedule certain dates of their January tour earlier this year, the London based band were certainly worth the wait, delivering an exceptional performance at Bristol’s O2 Academy. The atmosphere grew almost immediately as doors opened… eager crowds packed every inch of the building on night eight of this entirely sold-out tour. It kicked off with an intriguing introduction from support act Matt Maltese, who could easily have had his own show. After a quick changeover, the Mercury prize winners took to the stage with new fan-favourite Smile. With echoing melodies and bold bass undertones, hundreds of fans chanted lyrics right back at them. Crowds frequently joined in chorus with lead singer, Ellie Rowsell, particularly during the ever enchanting Safe from Heartbreak.

The 29-years-old’s refined and elegant vocals never fail to subtlety pierce the soul. Much like the recent weather, the band was also far from predictable: the pace, lighting and atmosphere were forever changing, and fans responded with dance and cheer. A most memorable highlight was How Can I Make It OK?, brought right back up to breaking point from the ferocity of Play the Greatest Hits. Later The Last Man on Earth introduced Rowsell’s soul piercing vocals with a pulsating keyboard – a musical match made in heaven. It was positively hypnotising… you really could get lost in this captivating combination. After answering the audiences calls for more, the band closed with all-time classic Don’t Delete the Kisses. Though the likes of Beautifully Unconventional and Bros were absent, the band gave an extraordinarily varied and visually enthralling performance in this impressive 18 song set.

Formed back in 2010 around singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Jeff Oddie, with bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey joining two years later, the London-based band have come a long way, from headlining festivals, including Latitude and Standon Calling, to winning multiple prestigious awards, such as the 2018 Mercury Prize. After releasing their third album in June 2021 – a mixture of grunge, pop, indie and rock’n’roll called Blue Weekend – the band’s talent was consolidated by their big win in this year’s award season. Beating off the stiff competition, they won Best Group at the 2022 BRIT Awards, and were clearly shocked in disbelief at this well-deserved recognition.

It’s encouraging to see such bands finally gain greater recognition for their sheer talent and skill. After personally witnessing them headline Truck Festival in 2019, alongside the likes of Foals and Johnny Marr, the band have only gotten better and better. Later this year, Wolf Alice will be supporting Harry Styles’ European tour, alongside Arlo Parks and Mitski. But for now, the band heads to Plymouth on Thursday night, and will be returning to Bristol on the 8th March, for which I’m sure will be another night to remember. Wolf Alice are most welcome.

Review by Harry Odgers