A SPELLBINDING PERFORMANCE FROM WOLF ALICE IN LIVERPOOL

LIVE REVIEW | WOLF ALICE, CAMP AND FURNACE, LIVERPOOL, 01/09/2025 By Keira Knox

In celebration of their 4th album, ‘The Clearing’, Wolf Alice landed in Liverpool’s Camp and Furnace with a rush of energy that set alight the intimae venue. Tickets for this exclusive show were sold out in just four minutes. Superfans surged to the venue early, desperate to catch a glimpse of the band at such close proximity.

A spellbinding blend of iconic tunes and new sounds weaved into an unbeatable 15 track set. Wolf Alice have arrived in Liverpool with a bang, confident of their contemporary sound and musicianship, despite their extensive discography; ‘The Clearing’ sounds fierce and dominating in contrast to earlier albums.

With the dynamic duo of ‘Formidable Cool’ and ‘Smile’, Wolf Alice oozes into the opening moments of their set. Ellie Rowsell’s voice is an act of beauty, deftly combining edgy and ethereal vocals simultaneously. As ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ begins, bassist Theo Ellis leads the audience in a handclap, setting the stage on ablaze. Everything about this set’s lighting and production values shows how much grassroots venues should be valued alongside arenas and commercialised venues.

There aren’t many frontwomen in the indie and alternative genres like Rowsell. She delivers exceptional vocals, can captivate an audience, and commands the stage in a way that is rarely seen within the industry. Rowsell steals the show with her incredible range of vocal styles, spanning from fierce to ethereal. In contrast to the album’s more edgier tunes, ‘Just Two Girls’ has swiftly become a favourite among listeners. The song’s light-hearted and whimsical vibe is a welcome change. The following number on the setlist, ‘Bros,’ continues the whimsical theme and elicits an emotional reaction from the crowd.

The band’s performance takes a whole new level as they exude an aura of self-assurance. Evidently, this is the case when Joel Amey spearheads ‘White Horses,’ his rhythmic voice rising high over the deep percussion and jangly acoustic sound, Rowsell joins for the chorus with her searing vocal ability. At this point in the set, the band is ushering in a new period with a markedly different sound and direction.

The highly anticipated ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ finally makes its arrival right before the encore. It was a wonderful experience for everyone. As the crowd joins in, arms intertwined and singing together, the room becomes a giant sing-along.

Despite the oppressive heat of the room, this felt like such a magical and memorable moment within the set as ‘The Sofa’ concluded the evening by heightening the intimate atmosphere of the venue. It felt as though the audience was at one with the band, a real sense of unity that you don’t get with bigger venues. ‘Giant Peach,’ sends the crowd into a frenzy of heavy rock mayhem. The band then transitions into Iron Man and Seven Nation Army, with the audience eagerly singing along to the iconic bassline. A true night of celebration for one of the contemporary rock bands.