Review

Review

Pale Waves at Here At Outernet, 17/10/24

Pale Waves bring their brand of gothic inspired pop to central London, and provide a sense of connection and community in the process.


A pair of chandeliers frame the stage, supported by replicas of classical statues replete with ivy. From the off, it was theatrical. For the past few years, Pale Waves have made a name for themselves producing their own take on pop-punk. Much like their stage decorations, it is carefully curated. Think Avril Lavigne meets The 1975. Tonight, however, there was no need for introductions; from opener ‘Perfume’ onwards it was clear that this was a crowd already well-acquainted.

Cuts from new album Smitten started us off, but it was some of the older offerings where the connection really shone through. “Who’s a 2018 Pale Waves fan?”, lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie asks, before the band leap into fan-favourite ‘Eighteen’. Most of the audience, was the resounding answer. And the audience participation didn’t stop there. Choosing between either ‘Red’ or ‘Unwanted’ was a decision hoisted onto the more-than-willing crowd; volume was the metric by which it would be measured, and ‘Red’ was the clear winner. 

Smitten is something of new territory for Pale Waves, combining their ability to write alt-pop hooks with a dreamy sound that is a shift away from previous releases. It provided a nice balance on the night too, allowing the band to exhibit their new sonic direction without losing any fan-favourites from the setlist in the process. Besides, Pale Waves haven’t lost their ability to write pop songs over the course of this latest album; ‘Gravity’ and ‘Kiss Me Again’ certainly proved that. It’s also an album that sees Pale Waves, and Baron-Gracie in particular, embracing her queerness. Whilst much of the lyrical content throughout the set alluded to it, ‘She’s My Religion’ provided a powerful and overt display, with Baron-Gracie owning the stage (as she had done all night), now draped in the lesbian flag and discussing her own identity.

Such vulnerability was rarely seen from a band who are in complete control of every on-stage action, and as such made it perhaps the highlight of the night. Certainly, it was the most moving. And then it was over. Well, sort of. ‘She’s My Religion’ would’ve been the perfect climax on which to end, but we were left with more. The band may have left the stage, but everyone knew what would follow. There was no “will they, wont they” about the inevitable encore. None of the chatter that can oftentimes fill the room when there’s no-one on stage. Both Pale Waves and the crowd, which by this point had made it clear that it was very much their audience, knew what to expect. The band duly returned before launching into ‘Glasgow’ and ending with fan-favourite ‘Jealousy’. It was another high point in a night filled with them for the hardcore Pale Waves fan. But the sense of connection between band and audience wasn’t only reserved for that small group, instead it enveloped the entire audience and didn’t let up from the first minute. Why would it, when both audience and band were clearly revelling in it. 


Pale Waves play HERE At Outernet again on 18 October. Find tickets here