Wolf Alice passed through Madison on the U.S. leg of their tour with supporting act Slaves, an English punk duo. Slaves' set complimented Wolf Alice well, with their high energy, bluesy garage-rock punk riffs. The bands brought a mix of fans, mostly young college types, but also a decent amount of middle-aged counterparts who are still up on the modern music scene.
Wolf Alice impressed me with their interesting blend of punk, indie, shoegaze, and no-frills rock ‘n' roll. They were able to seamlessly transition from 90s feel-good songs like “Bros” immediately to fast, UK Sex Pistols style songs like “You're a Germ,” all while remaining inside a polished pop structure. Lead singer Ellie Rowsell provided warm, fuzzy vocals that made you want to fall in love one moment, but also juxtaposed that style with an equally angsty vocal performance on the recently debuted track “Yuk Foo” with snarled lines like “You bore me to death / but I don't give a shit”. The band commanded the crowd with a confident stage presence that held the audience attentive throughout. Bass player Theo Ellis eerily resembled the late Sid Vicious and shared the same crusty, punk stage presence as he climbed on the monitors and danced around the stage. The crowd loved the set so much that they began stomping on the floor of the Majestic, something I've never seen there before, to prompt the band to return for an encore. Wolf Alive performed a well-deserved three song encore with favorites “Turn to Dust”, “Blush” and the Grammy-nominated track “Moaning Lisa Smile.”
If Wolf Alice can avoid the infamous sophomore slump on their next album, they will definitely be a band to watch in the future.
