05 December 2025 (gig)
2 d
International sensations Wolf Alice played a sold out show at Leeds Arena on Friday and it was truly remarkable from start to finish.
As I entered the packed out arena, I looked down to an ever growing sea of punters in standing packed in like sardines and thanked my lucky stars I was in seated.
The DJ played an array of indie bangers to get the crowd fired up before the band came on, and as the lights lowered, each band member entered the stage and everyone’s eyes were awaiting Ellie Rowsell, easily one of the best modern day frontwomen within the past decade.
Ellie entered and the band launched into their first track of the night ‘Thorns’ followed by ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’, both from their latest album The Clearing, released this year. Ellie’s anger, passion and ferocious female rage is something to marvel at, and it clearly got the crowd feeling the same as they screamed the words back.
A special moment in the set came during ‘Just Two Girls’, another of their newer tracks, a song about friendship and the beauty found even in simple moments. The crowd clearly understood the meaning, replicating the song’s narrative in real time as they held each other while belting out the chorus, “I like the way she chain smokes incessantly / Tiny epiphanies, when she's drinking with me”.
‘How Can I Make It Okay?’ got the crowd waving, politely encouraged by Joff. However, things took a turn further down the set list as they reached the rocky and relentless ‘Play the Greatest Hits’. Watching the band perform with such energy and passion felt emotional, seeing them on such a big stage and knowing it is what they have dreamt of and ultimately deserve.
For the encore, they played one of the most beautifully sad tracks ever written, ‘The Last Man on Earth’, highlighting how soft and gentle Ellie’s vocals can be, followed by their most popular and successful song ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’, leaving not a dry eye in the house.
Leaving the gig, my heart was racing and the atmosphere was electric, with smiles on elated faces in every direction. Without a doubt, this was the best show I have seen all year and I truly wish I could give it more than five stars.
Picture Credit - Nora Toth, The Concert Chronicles
