Featured image: Georgina Hurdsfield
While on their run of summer festivals, Alvvays stopped by Manchester’s New Century Hall to put on an unforgettable dream-like show. Selling out the 1200 capacity venue, it was Manchester’s first chance to hear songs from Blue Rev live, their third album which was released back in 2022.
Opening with ‘Pharmacist’, the room lit up as the Canadian band glowed in different colours as images were projected onto the white sheet behind them, immediately creating a dreamy feel to match their dream-pop sound. The new songs transpired well live, with a clear favourite being ‘Very Online Guy’. Lead singer, Molly Rankin, introduced the song asking if there were any online guys in the room, which was met with a few cheers.
Alvvays played a 22 song set, featuring a range of tracks from their growing discography. Fan-favourites included ‘Not My Baby’, ‘Archie, Marry Me’, and ‘Dreams Tonite’ which encouraged fans to sway amongst friends and strangers, shoulder to shoulder, and sing along to every word. Rankin’s vocals were soft and airy yet filled with raw emotion while the band and set-up created an intimate atmosphere.
It was clear the crowd were fully immersed in the songs as the set quickly flew by. There was little communication with the audience, however, this felt unneeded as the tight performance and heavenly music spoke for itself.
Finishing the set with ‘Next of Kin’, ‘Velveteen’ and ‘Lottery Noises’, Alvvays fly through the last three songs almost effortlessly, with Rankin hitting every note perfectly. Alvvays were a delight to witness live, and we hope that there won’t be another five year break between their latest album and new music.
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