On Wednesday 15th November, Wolf Alice returned to Nottingham to play to a sold-out Rock City, with support from Superfood and Sunflower Bean. Wolf Alice’s tour follows the successful release of their second album Visions of a Life in September which got to number 2 in the UK album charts. The theme of the night seemed to be strong women in indie bands, with each of the groups containing a powerful guitar playing bad-ass.
Superfood, a four-piece, chilled out indie band, opened the show and got a great reception from the crowd. Ellie Baker on bass seemed unusually quiet, having been known to jump into the crowd at previous gigs. They played their popular songs including ‘I Can’t See’ and ‘Double Dutch’ and by the end the crowd were jumping up and down, singing along and were pumped up ready for Sunflower Bean.
When Sunflower Bean walked on the stage it was hard to know what to make of them. Singers Julia Cumming and Nick Kivlen were dressed in futuristic silver and grey looking like they had travelled from out of space- not New York. However, drummer Jacob Faber was dressed in what is best described as dad clothes. They describe their music style as ‘night music’ and it was very raw and punky, taking music back to basics. While it got some of the crowd really going, most of the songs just seemed to drag on a bit too long.
Finally, it was time for Wolf Alice. As soon as the band walked on, Rock City went mad, and it truly erupted when lead singer Ellie Rowsell took her place at the microphone. They smashed out song after song from both their new album and their previous debut album and for each song the whole dancefloor become one big mosh pit. Cups of beer were being chucked around all night and the energy never slowed. Ellie praised the venue saying she had been looking forward to playing there again after the band played in March last year. After a powerful set, and finishing with a two-song encore, Wolf Alice left the crowd full of adrenaline and respect for such a talented band.
Wolf Alice continue their UK tour heading to venues such as the LCR in Norwich and the Brighton Dome in Brighton, ending at Alexander Palace in London on November 24th. Not only was it an enjoyable and energetic night, the bands also demonstrated that women in indie music, although seemingly rare, are talented and exceptional musicians.
Photo Credit: Laura Allard Fleischl
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