Photography by Sam Wachs
By Nora Onanian, Web Services Coordinator
Artist: Wolf Alice
Venue: Paradise Rock Club
When: Thursday, November 11th
Wolf Alice stepped onto stage fashionably late at the Paradise last Thursday night. Ellie Roswell and Joff Oddie — the duo that first formed the band out of London in 2010 — donned blazers and button-ups. Wasting little time, the five-piece band set the night off on an up-note, breaking into their set with the high-energy “Smile,” off of their recently released album Blue Weekend.
A PALPABLE APPRECIATION FOR BEING ON STAGE
In an interview I did with Oddie and bassist Theo Ellis last June, the two expressed how eager they were to get back to touring. Finally getting to see them perform, I could see how much they meant it.
While they started with serious faces, Ellie and the rest of Wolf Alice couldn’t help but crack smiles as the crowd cheered and belted out lyrics alongside them. The band and crowd fed off of one another’s energies throughout the night.
Wolf Alice not only displayed gratitude at the chance to perform but also a sincere appreciation for their fans. “It’s good to be back here,” Ellie said rather softly after finishing up a second guitar-shred heavy song. Later on, Ellis commented on seeing lots of familiar faces in the crowd and checked in on how everyone was doing after a particularly moshy song.
A REPRESENTATIVE RANGE OF SONGS
While the first four were more of their metal-leaning tracks, Wolf Alice effortlessly transitioned into softer moments, creating an accurate sampling of their discography.
The first of the more gentle songs was “Delicious Things.” With its quieter instrumentation, Ellie’s low, biting vocal style got a chance to shine. “Lipstick On the Glass” directly after saw her vocals reach further heights, angelic and airy against an impossibly catchy bass line.
Later on in the set, the band put on a chilling performance of piano ballad “The Last Man On Earth.” Keyboardist Ryan Malcolm shined in the rendition, and in this song and a few others, drummer Joel Amey joined for supporting vocals creating a beautiful compliment to Ellie’s singing.
The setlist continued to float from album to album with the songs varying in intensity, yet it never felt abrupt. “Play the Greatest Hit,” which Ellis noted he was most excited to perform in the interview last June, got the crowd moving the most. Its screamy singing and rock instrumentation sent vibrations through the room.
THE MOVING ENCORE
After a fiery performance of “Moaning Lisa Smile” off of their debut album Love Is Cool, Wolf Alice exited the stage to fans’ disappointment. But returning for one last song, they delivered a performance that seemed to be an obvious crowd-favorite. Coming from their sophomore album Visions of A Life, “Don’t Delete the Kisses” had the audience belting out the catchy lyrics. Couples, friends and perfect strangers danced along with one another, the dreamy electronic soundscape the ideal way to close the night.
