Wolf Alice live in Manchester: It's impossible to look away

Wolf Alice's shoegazing, earnest indie roots have blossomed into a vivid stage show. On the opening night of the tour, Manchester was treated to somewhere between a 1950s theatrical and a grungy, sticky basement.

Wolf Alice, from North London, began by performing loud and quiet, emotional songs with vivid lyrics. They kept going, ascending fast and winning the Mercury Prize for the nimble Visions of a Life.

They won legions of fans, allowing them to sell out any academy they wanted to in the country.

Now, Wolf Alice has taken the unlikely leap to an arena show for a band of their genre. Leaving no tickets out on the street, the band played to an almost full arena on a cold Friday night in Manchester.

Bringing their friends with them, Sunflower Bean opened up the show in the same slot as Wolf Alice's 2018 tour. Grungy and defiant, the crowd were suitably warmed up to see the latest iteration of the band, following the release of their fourth album, The Clearing.

The band assumed their positions with individual style, and Ellie Rowsell emerged from behind the silver decorations in a black, hearted bodysuit, channelling performers from the previous century.

Wolf Alice began with their airier, grand numbers ('Thorns', 'White Horses') before nosediving straight into their grungy past. Somehow, it all fits together. The worry from these shows is cohesion, but the setlist was well thought out, evenly paced and brought the 20,000 along with them.

The distance and upgrade in venue didn't harm the intimacy. Rather, a feeling of pride was palpable. Wolf Alice is a key band for many gen Z teenagers, who grew up with them. Myself included. For a reason unknown to even myself, I picked them as my band. I felt pride as they grew, learnt the words, learnt the interviews - they invited me in.

As we blossomed, they blossomed. After experimentation across multiple genres and honing their style well, they now have a sound, much similar to us settling into finding out who we really are. For Wolf Alice, it turns out they are lots of beautiful, delicious things all at once.

Highlights included the now-classic Giant Peach, with Rowsell and bassist Theo James two-stepping in the intro, leather jackets branded with the band name on the back. James also introduced 2016 hit Bros as a song the band played at the former Fallow Café on Landcross Road, which 'everyone hated then'. Satisfying.

However, the beauty in Wolf Alice is that they could still make another turn. A settled, spectacular residency that many bands wait a career to find may just be another phase, if they wanted to.

Festival headline sets await Wolf Alice now. They've beaten the game that seeks to pigeonhole bands like them. It's impossible to look away.

Wolf Alice are currently on tour in the UK.