Starfreak Team had the opportunity to attend both the Birmingham and London shows of “The Clearing Tour”!

Photos by Wiktoria Wolny

Words by Chloe Williams

STARFREAK Magazine is profoundly consumed by our search for the stars of the modern music industry, though it seems we didn’t need to search too far from home to find the most perfect example: Wolf Alice. Stars practising their utmost potential, though we are certain this is only the beginning of something spectacular. Something legendary. 

Wolf Alice is a rock band that sweeps genres and styles time and time again, with grunge, folk, 90s shoegaze, 70s glam, punk, and undeniably catchy indie bangers. And this isn’t just throughout their career with each album roll-out, it is on the very stage they perform on each and every night. It seems impossible, but lead vocalist Ellie Rowsell, drummer Joel Amey, lead guitarist and rocker Joff Oddie and bassist Theo Ellis manage to ignite almost every emotion possible during their two hour performance, embodying everything they dreamed to become and so much more. 

Those at the Utilitia Arena in Birmingham on Saturday night received a warm welcome from the band, and Ellie Rowsell forced each and every individual to search for their words while she dominated the stage. It’s as if the very glitterball above her head knew whose presence it was interrupting, making sure to dazzle to the best of its abilities while yielding itself to the Rowsell effect. And the crowd felt it too, with firstcomers immediately understanding why Wolf Alice grew on the biggest of festival stages. To contribute to their brilliance, the stage set-up felt like something out of a movie; a silver backdrop meeting at a raised staircase in the middle with half of a star directly above, perfected by the dramatic mirrorball ready for its appearance at the end of the night. Therefore, when Wolf Alice joined the stage, the band were positioned to do anything but fail. 

Opening with “Thorns,” the band ensured their new music from “The Clearing” had the show-stopping spotlight it deserved, playing a total of 9 out of 11 songs from the album released in late August. For any regular artist, this act in itself is a statement often very hard to follow through with, but of course, Wolf Alice thrived with these difficulties, taking each struggle and turning it into a moment of vulnerability and excitement, combined together to create the most valid portrayal of love. It is true what they say after all, “Music and love have magnetic properties”. Though a new element of their live performances is brought to the stage as “Formidable Cool” comes along, re-igniting the shouty, expressive rock influence that “Visions Of A Life” offered in 2017. There is not one bad moment as the show continues, merging only the very best songs to create a free-flowing experience for old and new fans alike. 

With a view of only two rows from the front, the superfans were viewed in their full glory: singing their hearts out, clinging onto each other, and even head-banging when necessary. And if you didn’t think Wolf Alice attracted this crowd, well, think again, and add witnessing Joff in all his sweaty glory to your 2026 bucket list. Moments of grace and nostalgic beauty flourished regardless, with “How Can I Make It OK?,” “Bros”, and the ultimate closing song of them all “Don’t Delete The Kisses”, urging tears to fall while the crowd wore smiles that ran cheek-to-cheek. And don’t fret, there was so much more to it, with acoustic, stand-alone performances with “Safe From Heartbreak (if you never fall in love),” megaphone-worthy moments with “Yuk Foo”, and odes to the past with “Giant Peach”. There is simply so much to say, and it can only be understood when you hear Rowsell’s incomparable vocals with your very ears, completed by the band’s collective stage presence and clear portrayal of talent.

Wolf Alice are made for the stage, the loyal crowd and the energy of it all. The pathway of messy and complete stardom is theirs, a future we hope to be untouched by the negative attitudes of the music industry and the unreachable standards laid out daily. As fellow Londoners, we are in awe of “The Clearing Tour” and the many sold-out arena dates, a moment of time many have been waiting for since 2010. The next hurdle for the band is two nights at The O2, and we are certain they will come out stronger than ever before. Thank you, Wolf Alice, for being the stars that light up our sky. 

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 (if you never fall in love) | Safe In The World | Bread Butter Tea Sugar | Yuk Foo | Play The Greatest Hits | Silk | Play It Out | Giant Peach | Smile 

Encore The Last Man On Earth | Don’t Delete The Kisses

Photos by Wiktoria Wolny from the London show