PALE WAVES ON TOUR: A NIGHT OF QUEER ROMANCE AND NOSTALGIC EMOTION

LIVE REVIEW | PALE WAVES | LIVERPOOL O2 ACADEMY | 04/10/2024 by Lucy Holden

Last month, Pale Waves rolled back into town, igniting their 2024 UK tour in support of Smitten; their fourth studio album. Released just this past September, Smitten finds the Manchester-born indie rockers delivering a packed-out show at Liverpool’s O2 Academy, a somewhat intimate venue for a band that’s been steadily building a near-cult following since their debut.

The night kicks off with a pre-show playlist that’s dripping in queer-coded bliss—featuring icons like Chappell Roan and Madonna, the energy inside the Academy swells to a fever pitch. And right before Pale Waves takes the stage, a voiceover from frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie breaks through: “I saw her standing there, and I was
smitten.” A fitting intro, since the night is dedicated to those moments of dizzying, all-consuming romance.

The crowd is a mash-up of ages and aesthetics—tiny 9-year-old’s with their parents, teenagers dressed in that iconic Pale Waves dark-and-romantic Avril Lavigne vibe, and 20 somethings who’ve been there from the start. They kick off the set with ‘Perfume‘. The bands latest single, and as expected, it’s the young post-punk crowd leading the chant back at Heather, who’s fully in her element as the indie darling she’s always been.

Pale Waves broke onto the scene in 2014, blending 80’s nostalgia with the grit of modern indie. Their first three albums fixated on themes of the present, but Smitten flips the script, exploring the raw, messy thrill of past love. Compared to the angst-ridden Unwanted [2022], Smitten feels stripped back, almost dreamy. “I found myself writing about love and how I get so smitten” Heather has said about the album, and it’s clear from these opening tracks. By the third song, the room feels warmer, the crowd a bit bolder.

They launch into ‘There’s a Honey,’ and the room goes electric. The infectious lyrics—“I would give my body but am I sure that you want me?”—crash like waves over the audience, carrying us all back to Pale Waves’ earlier, grittier sound. Nostalgia is in full swing. With ‘Change‘, the Avril energy is undeniable, and the crowd can’t help but vibe. You can practically see the pink hair highlights, the skateboards, the emo attitudes come alive. Heather calls it “an emo anthem”, and the room fully buys in.

The night pulses with a sense of queer love, heartache and joy woven through Pale Waves’ discography. By the time they hit ‘Television Romance‘ and ‘Eighteen‘ from their 2018 debut album My Mind Makes Noises, it’s like everyone in the room has leveled up their energy, reliving those pivotal moments. Heather and drummer
Ciara Doran’s chemistry on stage is magnetic—Heather is all smirks and sideways glances back at Ciara, the drumbeats perfectly punctuating each song.

As the set draws to a close, Pale Waves perform a nearly perfect trifecta: ‘Thinking About You‘, ‘Kiss Me Again‘, and the crowd- pleaser ‘She’s My Religion‘. This anthem of LGBTQ+ pride sends a wave of warmth through the crowd, and Heather is a captivating figure onstage, a modern-day rock icon, proudly embracing her queer identity as fans cheer her on.

Closing with ‘Glasgow‘ and ‘Jealousy‘ might not have been the finale everyone expected, but it’s the kind of subdued yet heartfelt ending that leaves the room buzzing with emotion. Pale Waves have always been about more than just music—they’re about creating a space for love, expression, and identity. Tonight’s show was a celebration of that, wrapped in a haze of nostalgia and punk romance. Pale Waves have reminded us that they’re not just a band; they’re a phenomenon.