Barrowlands, 12/11
Support acts Superfood and Sunflower Bean both put on a great show. I’ve personally seen Superfood a number of times in Birmingham and Glasgow, and they never fail to be engaging and entertaining. A talented group of musicians who know how to bring energy to the stage and infuse it into their audience, they mainly play their more recent stuff which retains their unique and original charm. Sunflower Bean’s vibe is meanwhile softer, but they switch it up in such a way as to keep the crowd wanting more – dreamy one moment and raw the next, their stellar performance keeps you on your toes.
Wolf Alice’s set is one of simplicity, the North London quartet silhouetted by a strobe backlight and a plain, monotone background. Opening track ‘Heavenward’, melodic and thrumming, quickly whips the crowd into a trance-like frenzy. As they follow up with ‘Yuk Foo’, mosh pits explode throughout the Barrowlands, knocking this reviewer’s pint out of her hand. From hardcore bangers to softcore ditties, the band dips one way then another, pulling fans – who are clearly loving it – with them. ‘You’re A Germ’ is the obvious crowd pleaser, with glassy-eyed fans staring adoringly at vocalist Ellie Roswell, chanting her lyrics back to her.
This adoration is not wholly reciprocated, however – apart from the cursory “We love Glasgow” (which goes without saying), there is little engagement with the audience; perhaps it’s the North London in them, famous for minding their own business. Nevertheless, the band seems to be enjoying the performance, and they do an excellent job of blending their older and more established tracks with their newer material (probably due in part to their fairly consistent style), making for a well-executed setlist.
The buzz that’s been shadowing Wolf Alice for a while now is well deserved as they’re visibly on their way to something big. Overall a decent show by four very gifted individuals.
[Megan Galbraith]
qmunicatemagazine.com 