On a chilly autumn night, Pale Waves brought chandeliers, eyeliner, and a dose of gothic glamour to Norwich, delivering a slick, one-hour set brimming with on-stage chemistry, audience participation, and melodic indie rock. The surprise was why, after the release of their fourth album, Smitten, the band has yet to outgrow rooms of this size.
Before Pale Waves, the Norwich crowd was treated to a short set from emerging artist EMMMA, who delivered a confident yet haunting performance. The singer kept things simple with a performance that switched between a white Fender Stratocaster guitar and a white keyboard, while accompanied on synth drums. As a result the soundscape was a simple synth beat and guitar/keyboard highlights which enabled her voice to take centre stage. EMMMA has a Phoebe Bridgers or Gracie Abrams vibe, but with enough sense of her own identity to suggest her brand of angst-filled guitar and synth-focused music is one to watch.
Pale Waves took to a sparsely decorated stage, with two low-hanging chandeliers hinting at baroque boudoir glamour. The staging, reminiscent of The Last Dinner Party or Florence + The Machine, was theatrical, yet made it clear the band had come to perform, not just play. Frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie did little to dispel those comparisons with her vampire-esque long trenchcoat, boots, and dark makeup. Though the aesthetics drew from a gothic noir playbook, the jangling, rhythmic guitars of opener ‘Perfume’ screamed breezy indie pop.
‘Perfume’, a slice of 1990s-influenced soft rock from Smitten, set the tone for the evening. The song gave the band the chance to kick loose with guitar riffs, heavy bass, and crashing drums. By the time it ended, the crowd was already in full voice.
Without a pause, ‘Not a Love Song’ followed, Hugo Silvani’s sharp guitars slicing through a tight rhythm section. The synergy between Ciara Doran on drums and Charlie Wood on bass was evident. A standout from Smitten, Baron-Gracie described the track to Apple Music as a “f*ck you song…she adored me but in front of everybody else I was a nobody”. Played live, with attitude and melody ramped up, it felt like early 2000s Avril Lavigne filtered through a northern indie lens. That energy carried through the 2018 track ‘Eighteen’ and reached full throttle with the punk-pop song ‘Lies,’ which could easily sit alongside Lavigne’s early catalog. The driving rhythm and heavy guitar riffs had the crowd bouncing at the barricade.
“Why are you standing over there?” Baron-Gracie asked the fans/crowd at the side of the venue. “Do we sound okay? The last time we played Norwich, it was a sh*t show, so we thought we’d come back!” A heavy drum and guitar intro then led into the soft opening lines of the Cranberries’ ‘Zombies.’ Covering one of their influences allowed Baron-Gracie to showcase her vocal range beyond the Lavigne-esque trills. Pale Waves reimagined the song with haunting guitar riffs and thunderous drums, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
‘There’s a Honey’ was dedicated to “anyone who has been with us since 2018”. As the band swapped guitars, a synth introduction carried the set back into pop-punk territory, complete with a big, open chorus. Baron-Gracie prowled the stage with theatrical aplomb, tossing her hair and strumming guitar riffs, while the crowd sang along to every word.
Then, ‘Red’ briefly dropped the tempo as the stage glowed under red spotlights, Baron-Gracie’s voice breathy as she moved across the stage front, leaning close to the crowd. With plenty of gestures and theatrical flair, this track drew on screeching guitar and drum crashes typical of pop-punk. The band members’ interactions were playful and dynamic throughout.
Pale Waves have mastered the craft of delivering well-constructed indie-pop tracks that sustain energy in a small venue. If there was a criticism, it was that the set sometimes felt too easy—the songs didn’t always challenge the band. They clearly have the ability to reach a higher gear, but occasionally play it a little safe.
“Now we’re going to make you depressed—that’s what we like to do”, Baron-Gracie joked before ‘My Obsession’. While guitars and bass carried the track, it highlighted the singer’s vocals. Though a 2017 release, it felt like a song the band had fully grown into, possibly more so than the pop-punk numbers from their second and third albums. ‘Kiss Me Again,’ another track from Smitten, emphasised that when Pale Waves find their skin, their music feels raw and immediate. Baron-Gracie shouted, “Where the gays at? This is a very gay song,” sparking a joyful communal moment of singing and celebration. With the country energy reminiscent of The Chicks or Kacey Musgraves, the track’s breezy guitar riffs and rhythmic switches filled the room with energy.
The set maintained this vibe until the end. ‘Television Romance’ followed—“This next one’s all the way from Manchester”—and hit hard, with thick drums, big guitars, bouncing verses, and an a cappella ending that the audience carried back perfectly. “My favourite one,” Baron-Gracie said, launching into “Glasgow.” Blue lights, white spots, and fast strumming marked an urgent, full-hearted performance that had Norwich singing every chorus back with meaning. These tracks felt like live highlights, moments that demonstrated why the musical direction seen on Smitten could be so important for the band’s longer-term success.
After a brief exit, the band returned for their encore to a huge cheer. “Where’s my lesbians at? This is new,” Baron-Gracie asked, laughing, before starting ‘She’s My Religion’. It began soft and slow — gentle chords, breathy vocals — before erupting into a heavy chorus that shook the room and brought echoes of Lavigne’s ‘My Happy Ending’. The singer wrapped herself in a lesbian flag and owned the moment completely. “Thanks for having us, Norwich,” she said as the noise died down.
The closer, ‘Jealousy’, came in with a blast of more pop-punk distortion and full swagger. The crowd shouted every line back, arms in the air, bodies moving. It was bold, confident, the kind of ending to their hour-long set that left no doubt that Pale Waves can command a stage.
As the house lights came up and the crowd dispersed, it was clear we had witnessed a confident tour de force. The retro pop-punk fits Pale Waves perfectly, but the more synth-based indie-dream-pop from their first and latest albums hints at something far more interesting. The pop-punk tracks had the room bouncing, yet some of Smitten’s tracks were the true highlights.
There is no doubt that the Norwich crowd was treated to a powerhouse performance, maybe a little too tidy for its own good. For all the confidence and style, you sensed a band that could push further — take more risks, find their sense of identity.
These exciting new acts, like The Last Dinner Party or Wet Leg, have found their identity and let their personalities and talent shine through. As The Waterfront witnessed, the talent’s already there; the next step is for Pale Waves to find their sense of self to propel themselves beyond the small stages they are clearly outgrowing.
Words and photos by Andrew Butcher
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