Featured image and gallery: Rianna Ram
Indie-pop band Pale Waves sold out the stunning Albert Hall Manchester on Friday for the first night of their UK tour. A packed crowd of enthusiastic fans meant the atmosphere had risen even before the support artist took to the stage.
Abby Roberts, previously known from creating videos on TikTok, has recently turned to creating music. The crowd seemed to love her angelic voice and she appeared to be no stranger to performing.
By the time Pale Waves were due to make an appearance, the room had reached capacity as people filled both the main floor and the balcony area – securing a place to watch the show. The band were around ten minutes late, which only made the anticipation stronger.
They instantly launched into ‘Lies’, the opening track from their most recent album ‘Unwanted’, which was released in August this year. The stage was lit with subtle hints of purple as vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie controlled the audience with her voice. Her stage presence is strong enough to win over the eyes of everybody in the room – she knows how to perform.
It was clear that the five-piece band were enjoying the show as they played through the sixteen-song set, which contained some of the best hits such as ‘Television Romance’ and ‘Eighteen’. Watching most of the show from the balcony area, the crowd were clearly enjoying it too.
There were plenty of highlights throughout the show, but the one that stands out the most is ‘She’s My Religion’. The song was written to express Heather’s sexuality and has since inspired many Pale Waves fans to feel more comfortable within their own identities.
The song was brought to a stop when the band discovered some technical problems, so during the break, Baron-Gracie brought it upon herself to drape herself in a lesbian flag, and Ciara the drummer in a Trans flag. The crowd were moved as they held up coloured hearts which were passed around before the show had begun.
The concert ended with a live debut of ‘The Hard Way’ and ‘Jealousy’, two songs from the new album. It was a night celebrating inclusivity and identity and it was near impossible to spot somebody walking out without a smile on their face.
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Sunday may signal the final day of Truck Festival 2026, but there’s still plenty to celebrate before the gates close for another year. From rising indie stars Keyside to the long-awaited return of Rizzle Kicks, festival favourites Circa Waves and headliners The Wombats, these are the performances that define…
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker It’s Saturday at Truck Festival 2026 and, somehow, the sunshine is still holding out. The weekend’s biggest day is packed with indie heavyweights as The Vaccines, Kaiser Chiefs and Two Door Cinema Club deliver the soundtrack to a generation. In between the nostalgia, Adult DVD provide the perfect excuse…
Featured image: Lucy Elson-Whittaker After CMAT’s unforgettable set on Thursday, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Truck Festival 2026 had already peaked. But with the weekend only just getting into its stride, there’s still plenty more to come. Friday is packed with a lot of artists worth catching, from The Love Buzz and My First…
Featured image: Press The gates have finally opened for Truck Festival 2026, and for the third-year running, the weather could not be more perfect. Beneath clear blue skies at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, the iconic Ferris wheel is spinning once again, the Truck Monster is roaming the fields, and thousands of festival-goers waste no time filling…
Leave a reply