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.
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