With an arguable oversaturation of indie rock and alternative bands flooding the UK scene, it’s rare to come across a band that genuinely needs no introduction.
Four albums deep and over a decade into their career, 2025 is seemingly the year that cemented Wolf Alice’s place and saw them reach higher highs than ever before. Summer saw the band dominate the festival circuit (Glastonbury, Radio 1’s Big Weekend), and the much-teased release and clever marketing of their return track ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ left no radio station untouched. August marked the unveiling of their fourth record, The Clearing, a pronounced shift from their usual heavier rock tones, stripping the band down bare to reveal vulnerability accompanied by richer narratives and more delicately thought-out soundscapes. It was this album that the band were recently promoting on their tour. Having conquered Europe, Wolf Alice touched down in England with Manchester as their first date, and after meandering their way down south, they were back up North, ready to show Leeds just what this new era was made of.
Warming up the crowd for Wolf Alice were Canadian solo artist Bria Salmena and the New York-meets-Brooklyn trio Sunflower Bean. Where Salmena’s softer intonations were a welcome addition to the night’s bill, Sunflower Bean came enveloped in an overt air of nostalgia for long-standing Wolf Alice fans. The bands toured together in support of Wolf Alice’s sophomore record (Visions Of A Life) almost eight years ago to the date – a sonic relationship that’s withstood the test of time.
When Wolf Alice stepped out onto the stage, theatricality reigned supreme from the outset. From a tinsel-shrouded stage, to costume changes (adding a moniker-emblazoned leather jacket), wind machines and carefully timed celestial spotlights highlighting Rowsell at the apex of the centrestage stairs. With this latest tour, it’s clear that Wolf Alice aren’t just a band on stage sticking to a pre-conceived setlist – they’re putting on a performance. Everything had been meticulously thought out, formulated and designed right down to the last shimmer of glitter and tap of Rowsell’s knee-high boots.
Similarly, the set list order, though it worked almost entirely backwards through the band’s discography, explored a narrative of burgeoning self-confidence and acceptance. Where the show begins with overt vulnerability and fears of appearing utterly self-centered (“I must be a narcissist / God knows that I can’t resist / To make a song and dance about it”), it weaves through chapters of unabashed joy (“I feel kind of lucky right now and I’m not ashamed to say”), odes to the intricacies of female friendship (‘Just Two Girls’ and ‘Bros’), before ending on notes of self-assertiveness (“wind it up and this honey bee stings”) and being utterly enamored (‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’).
None can deny the success and impact The Clearing has had on 2025’s musical landscape, and led to Wolf Alice’s first-time selling out arenas tour-wide, but it was songs plucked from the deeper corners of their discography that riled the crowd up the most. The forceful vocals of ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ and delicate, comforting whimsy of ‘The Sofa’ still stand, however, as some of the stand-out performances of the night, but the back-to-back renditions of ‘Bros’ and ‘You’re A Germ’ from their debut outing (My Love Is Cool) had the crowd enthralled, screaming back every lyric (“you’re a germ / twist my insides”).
Further high-octane duos, ‘Yuk Foo’ and ‘Play The Greatest Hits’, and ‘Giant Peach’ and ‘Smile’, were interspersed by heavily lower bpm cuts. The ethereal ‘Silk’ offered a much-needed respite from Rowsell’s hasty ‘Play The Greatest Hits’ vocals – offering a raw reflection of heartbreak (“Your broad shoulders, my wet tears … If you don’t love me, don’t tell me / I’ve never asked who and I’ll never ask why”) and questions of religion (“just looking for protection / God never reached out in time”). The set ended on the confidence of ‘Smile’ as Rowsell dares you to underestimate her (“I ain’t afraid though my steps appear tentative”) and takes pride in her sensitive nature (“I wear my feelings on my sleeve”).
A brief hiatus was endured before the band re-emerged onto the stage for the soothing dissections of identity and humanity found veined throughout ‘The Last Man On Earth’. Fan-favourite ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ took its well-earned position as the final song of the evening, where questions of “What if it’s not meant for me?” are swiftly answered with the tender realisation of “Me and you were meant to be / In love”. This was not just a commentary on romantic entanglements but an intentionally well-placed love letter to all Wolf Alice fans.
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ filled the arena long after Wolf Alice had departed, and soundtracked the aftermath of a theatrical, dynamic, meticulous performance.
Words and photos by Lana Williams
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