Wolf Alice, Ritz Manchester, 26th March 2015 5/10

It's unfortunate that Wolf Alice followed one of the most memorable events I've experienced to date, the absolutely incendiary Sleater Kinney in a beautiful venue. Not that there was any lack of excitement amongst Wolf Alice's fans, even allowing for their extremely youthful age profile. I too was eagerly anticipating seeing the hotly tipped North London band, not because of the buzz around them, but due to my love of their second EP, Creature Songs. It's remarkable that they have made such an impact in the indie world that they are playing a venue of this size before the release of their first album. In fact, they even performed in London's O2 Arena in January supporting Alt-J, and have just returned from SXSW in Austin.

Last night started boldly, with the dark, brooding London noise band Crows, who compensated for a lack of musical nuance with bold stagecraft which extended to leaping into the crowd. By contrast, the main support act The Magic Gang was the epitome of blandness, bringing  energy levels crashing down to earth with uninspired song craft and a low key stage presence. Whilst Crows relate to the heavier rock side of Wolf Alice, The Magic Gang would have made been a better match for a band such as Peace.

Wolf Alice opened with their recent single Fluffy, and it immediately became obvious that this was the third band I've seen this week (alongside Warpaint and SK) with an awesome drummer. Yet, I'd waited three hours to hear Ellie Rowsell's much acclaimed voice, and it was quickly apparent that the vocals were too far back in the sound mix compared to the rhythm section. The balance improved only slightly in the middle of the venue after the intense moshing necessitated moving off the front rail at the end of the main set. I'm sure sound issues will be resolved as they gain touring experience, but I was sad Ellie's impressive vocal range was obscured. Wolf Alice's two EPs show real subtlety, contrast and dynamic range, which in a live setting requires more sensitive technical backup. Yet, the chemistry within the band was evident in their body language, and they were clearly enjoying themselves.

Musically, Wolf Alice has played down the grunge influence on their début album My Love is Cool, and the new songs in last night's 50 minute set centred on more reflective, quieter numbers. It was a pity though that Creature Songs was omitted. The key to their appeal is uplifting energy and emotional hooks, written to inspire festival crowds. Ellie was humble and well spoken between songs, and all four members of the group had no lack of instrumental technique. They had the audience in their command from the start, and despite being let down by the sound engineer, it's clear most of the crowd felt ecstatic. They came closest to fulfilling their potential in the more tender moments, and in the exuberant closing Moaning Lisa, where finally all came together. Despite Ellie's artistic potential being obscured on this occasion, I still eagerly await the album release.

Set List

• Fluffy
• She
• Your Love's Whore
• 90 Mile Beach
• The Wonderwhy
• Storms
• Soapy Water
• Bros
• Blush
• You're A Germ
• Giant Peach
• White Leather (encore)
• Moaning Lisa Smile (encore)