Wolf Alice

[ThePumisher]

they were at a German late show

Saw that too the other day.

Fun fact: The studio where the show is recorded is like 15-20 minutes away (depending on how fast or slow i'm walking) from me. If i had known that they have been guest that day, i would have went there with my collection and asked for some autographes - and after that confronting them with my concerns about their new way of announcing different versions of the new album in waves and how they have kept it a secret that the b-side to the Blooms 7" is just another track from the album. There have been so many options for a b-side (Hold Up Your Lighters, Ghoster, Another Girl Another Planet, one of all the covers they've done over the years or the full studio session of Ellie's visit to Rowlands Audio Research...), but no - they choose the lazy way.

Every other song on that album: I will probably never ever listen to you again except on concerts where i have no choice...

Seems like i have to correct myself: 6 Music decided to put Just Two Girls on their A-list, so...

[Csar]

and after that confronting them with my concerns about their new way of announcing different versions of the new album in waves and how they have kept it a secret that the b-side to the Blooms 7" is just another track from the album. There have been so many options for a b-side (Hold Up Your Lighters, Ghoster, Another Girl Another Planet, one of all the covers they've done over the years or the full studio session of Ellie's visit to Rowlands Audio Research...), but no - they choose the lazy way.

I really should have banged at their coach's door when I had the chance and told them "You guys are great an everything, but So geht es ja nun wirklich nicht, fellas! First you push out all sorts of variants of your album any given day of the week, causing Pumisher all sorts of headaches, and then you dare come here and play for just 60 min! Where are we? At the Deutsche Bundesbahn?"

Seems like i have to correct myself: 6 Music decided to put Just Two Girls on their A-list, so...

Ohh noo! These cunning, sneaky Brits! They want to make you like it. Is it working yet?

[ThePumisher]

I really should have banged at their coach's door when I had the chance and told them "You guys are great an everything, but So geht es ja nun wirklich nicht, fellas! First you push out all sorts of variants of your album any given day of the week, causing Pumisher all sorts of headaches

Would have been a nice move

These cunning, sneaky Brits! They want to make you like it

Is it working yet?

Not really, no

and then you dare come here and play for just 60 min!

I have go quote myself from a conversation i had with wolkenkrabber back when i saw them in 2022 here in Cologne =>

Quote

Now that i've found the time to skip through my supershitty mobile in my pocket recording of the show, i can give you the complete setlist if you're interestet. If not, stop reading right now...



They were on stage for exact 1:19:26 excluding the intro & outro track, but including the 2min encore break

Tracklist:
Intro (Karl Denver - Blue Weekend)
Smile
You're A Germ
Formidable Cool
Delicious Things
Lipstick On The Glass
Planet Hunter
Space & Time
Bros
Safe From Heartbreak (If You Never Fall In Love)
How Can I Make It Ok?
Play The Greatest Hits
Silk
Feeling Myself
Lisbon
Visions Of A Life
The Last Man On Earth
Giant Peach
==============
No Hard Feelings
Don't Delete The Kisses
Outro (Karl Denver - Blue Weekend)



Missed a lot of tracks (Blush, Moaning Lisas Smile, Your Loves Whore, Beautifully Unconventional, Freazy, Sadboy, Soapy Water, Heavenward) but it was ok. Short but ok.

[Enjoyed]

Me at the show last night:



Big wow. I'm so in awe of an audience that can vibe just as much with Safe From Heartbreak, as they mosh around to Yuk Foo. Crazy wide coverage of genres - and a testament to how great their song writing is that they've garnered such a fanbase (young and old!) with such a variety in their catalogue.

I wasn't expecting to be treated to half as much of their music as we were. The setlist was quite brilliant.

To echo everyone else in here - go see them if you can. They put on a fucking excellent show.

[ThePumisher]

I wonder if it was also Sonys idea of booking the second largest indoor venue we have here in Cologne for there upcoming tour stop even though the last time they've played (two years ago? Maybe three? Blue Weekend tour) here was in one of ghe smallest venues and it wasn't even sold out. Crowded yes, but not sold out.

They've downgraded the location to one that's only half the size and it's still not marked as sold out.

Hope this will not end like the last time i saw Biohazard live (ca. 2002) where they've played a location much too big for the success they had at that moment [they have been one of, if not the most relevant band in the NYHC movement during the mid-nineties with albums like Urban Discipline and State Of The World Address, but that changed very drasticly in the late 90s]. Long story short: i was able to stretch out my arms while jumping around and haven't even touched anyone else while the location itself was reduced by nearly half using a curtain. The band tried to not be bothered and played it down cool, but like this was one of the sadest moments in my concert history, i think it was for them too.

Fingers crossed for Wolf Alice to not experience something like that in their carreer, because i have the same opinion Chris Hawkins (6 Music host) shares every now and then: "One day they will headline Pyramid Stage". Allthough i havent heard him saying this since the release of The Clearing...

[Csar]

Well, I'd say they should know by now what kind of venues they would be able to fill or not. They've been touring for more than a decade and have played big places as well. If booked locations are too big, I would blame that on management, tbh.

"One day they will headline Pyramid Stage" Allthough i havent heard him saying this since the release of The Clearing...

They should. They're a class act.

I f-ing love the Clearing, by the way. My media player says I've played it about 20 times already, which is like 5-6 times more than the last Chems album.

[Enjoyed]

Not sure yet how I feel about the new fangled Daniel Avery sound (fans of Drone Logic must be so confused coming to the new album after some time away!) but Ellie's vocals really make all things great.

[Csar]

Ah, thanks for the tip of Daniel Avery's new album!

Quite solid track. The bassline could be straight off one of WA's songs like Smile . I dig a lot those quiter synthy parts like at 0:56 and 1:56

Ellie's vocals really make all things great

I must admit, having listened to the album after your post, I would have preferred her to feature on this one:

It would even make a great Wolf Alice track!

This one would be a close contenter for a great Ms Roswell or WA collab, imo.

[ThePumisher]

Hmm, if i just heard that track (Haze) instead of reading about it here first, i would never say this is Daniel Avery. That is so much away from Drone Logic or Lone Swordsman.

I follow Ellie on Insta and for some unknown reason she never says anything about tracks from other artist where she spents vocals on, except one single time for Teenage Headache Dreams...

Btw, less than one week until their concert here

[Csar]

Love the way the two of them met.

"I was buzzing with excitement when I finished it [Haze]," says Avery. "It felt new for me, but I recognised every component of it." Providing an epic top line on 'Haze' is a voice that anyone in the know will immediately recognise as belonging to Ellie Rowsell from Wolf Alice, credited here, simply, as Ellie. Avery met her by chance on a street in Hackney where she told him how much she loved his track 'On & On (Again)', a collaboration with Confidence Man with a chorus worthy of the Chemical Brothers. Soon after, Avery invited her into the studio and once she'd belted out her contribution, he knew how his next album would sound. "It was such a pivotal moment and such an important piece of the puzzle," he says.

https://diymag.com/in-deep/daniel-avery-tremor-in-deep-november-2025

[ThePumisher]

how much she loved his track 'On & On (Again)', a collaboration with Confidence Man with a chorus worthy of the Chemical Brothers

Hmm, can't hear the Chemical worthy chorus, but what i hear is a sound that instantly reminded me of Kraftwerk's Tour de France Soundtracks

[Csar]

Hmm, can't hear the Chemical worthy chorus

Yeah, me neither. It was just an unexpectedly funny coincidence to read their name during the interview.

[Enjoyed]

how much she loved his track 'On & On (Again)', a collaboration with Confidence Man with a chorus worthy of the Chemical Brothers.

The validation from reading this is HUGE. I absolutely adore that track. One of the best things to come out in the past few years for sure.

Me & Ellie: Two like minded geniuses.

[ThePumisher]

Fun fact: warm up music before the Wolf Alice right now is The Sunshine Underground. Nice suprise

[Csar]

How's the venue and crowd?

[ThePumisher]

I went to the show with relatively low expectations based on my experience seeing them live last time, plus i'm still not a big fan of their new album.

But this time it was actually different:

- The opening act (Florence Road) was pretty good and musically a good fit for Wolf Alice. A few people even knew their songs, even though i never heard of them before.

- As expected, Wolf Alice played a fair amount from their new album, leaving out classics like Moaning Lisas Smile or Your Loves Whore, but somehow that didn't bother me. Many of the new songs work quite well live — seems like the album could be what Galvanize is for me (meh on record, great live). Thorns shouldn' be the opener, not on The Clearing, not Live.

- The audience was enthusiastic throughout though rarely knowing the lyrics + thankfully only occasionally holding up their phones. Maybe the trend of filming the entire concert is finally over—I hope so.

Setlist

Thorns
Bloom Baby Bloom
White Horses
Formidable Cool
Just Two Girls
Leaning Against The Wall
How Can I Make It Ok
The Sofa
Bros
You're A Germ
Safe From Heartbreak
Safe In The World
Bread Butter Tea Sugar
Yuk Foo
Play The Greatest Hits
Silk
Play It Out
Giant Peach
Smile

The Last Man On Earth
Don't Delete The Kisses

[Csar]

Loving the pics, great shots! The stage setting is lovely, too!

[...] plus i'm still not a big fan of their new album. [...] As expected, Wolf Alice played a fair amount from their new album, leaving out classics like Moaning Lisas Smile or Your Loves Whore, but somehow that didn't bother me. Many of the new songs work quite well live

Maybe you'll be seeing the light soon - just let it play it out

- The audience was enthusiastic throughout though rarely knowing the lyrics + thankfully only occasionally holding up their phones. Maybe the trend of filming the entire concert is finally over—I hope so.

That's an experience to be cherished! I noticed that in Leipzig as well and it was lovely seeing barely anyone recording and genuinely enjoying themselves, the show and the music. Hope it'll be the same in Berlin tomorrow.

I know it won't happen. but I would love to see them play Space & Time and Planet Hunter from your 2022 concert.