Wolf Alice

An eternity-long wait separated us from Wolf Alice, and not just any date, but the final one of their acclaimed tour, charged with expectations from both the hardcore fanclub and the band themselves, who were looking forward to the British outfit's return to Italy as headliners, fresh off opening a handful of songs for Harry Styles's summer dates in Turin and Bologna.

Following the doors opening at 7pm, the Fabrique gradually starts to fill up, and, pricking up one's ears, it's immediately clear that a good percentage of the audience comes from other countries, Germany and the UK first and foremost, even though the band led by Ellie Rowsell is now known internationally, and their third and latest effort, "Blue Weekend", was very well received by critics and ranks among the most acclaimed albums of 2021.

Announced in the afternoon, warming up the atmosphere is the teenage, romantically tinged alt-rock of Milanese quintet Figura, whose greatest strength lies in the rhythm section. It's customary to say that clothes don't make the man, but the bassist's Pinegrove shirt undoubtedly steals the scene from the somewhat too stiff look of the singer and multi-instrumentalist, dressed in an elegant jacket and turtleneck. Despite this side note on the night's slightly mismatched look, what really matters is the collective work done on stage, a detail that ensures a decent outcome for the performance, particularly on the instrumental side.

Rowsell and co. make their entrance right on time to the strains of Karl Denver's "Blue Weekend", an old track with a country flavour (though recorded in Scotland!), launching straight into the powerful, effective "Smile", with the crowd immediately joining in on rousing, heartfelt sing-alongs, belting out the lyrics to almost every song that follows.

The bar is raised progressively with the guitars of the dynamic "You're A Germ", which harks back to the band's early grunge influences, getting the crowd fired up on the bassline of "Formidable Cool", with showman-bassist Theo Ellis on great form, and on the more harmonious "Delicious Things". The chorus of "Lipstick On The Glass", delivered in a punchier version than the album track, marks the first highlight of the evening with a shower of roses thrown towards the stage from the centre of the front row - a small fan action arranged in advance by those who have followed the band across Europe.

With his dancing, Theo at times steals the scene from Ellie, who is slightly more static on stage (though charismatic enough to need very little to draw the attention back to herself), getting involved in a few comic bits, such as offering her a drink (vodka, presumably) halfway through the explosive "Space & Time".

A theatrical dimension emerges at times on the strains of "Safe From Heartbreak (If You Never Fall In Love)", sung almost a cappella by most of the band's members (including new keyboardist Ryan Malcolm), and on "How Can I Make It Ok?", the latter barely contained within Fabrique's walls thanks to the overwhelming force of a true anthem.

The well-balanced setlist skilfully alternates the sharp guitars and more aggressive sounds of "My Love Is Cool" and "Visions Of A Life" with the crystalline, ethereal ballads of the latest album. Meanwhile, a few more roses fly through the air, and during the wildest pits of "Play The Greatest Hits" - ever closer to hardcore punk - a bra turns up out of nowhere too.

A special mention must go to Rowsell's vocal range, capable of hitting extremely high notes and holding them superbly, showing enormous growth - just like her band - compared to their early days, when the gap between the studio recordings and the live performances was far more noticeable. It's above all the songs from the latest album that benefit from the live setting: presented in a new guise, less reliant on keyboards, they nonetheless magically retain their dreamlike atmospheres while gaining in power. A perfect example is "Feeling Myself", made even more menacing, with an epic, crescendo-driven finale with Celtic touches.

The band leans heavily on the guitar-driven double bill of "Lisbon" and "Visions Of A Life": the former is a textbook slice of noise-pop, as irresistibly melodic as it is noisy, while the latter is more complex, marked by constant shifts in rhythm, ranging as far as prog and metal.

Then comes the solemn moment of the piano ballad "The Last Man On Earth", to which the crowd responds, as well as with the usual singing, by lighting up the venue with their phone torches. The main set closes with the heavier "Giant Peach", during which the band members huddle together on stage.

The encore raises the stakes again with the driving riffs of "Moaning Lisa Smile", chosen over "No Hard Feelings" (the only uncertainty going into the night regarding an otherwise well-established setlist), followed by the inevitable crowd favourite "Don't Delete The Kisses", the masterpiece with which Wolf Alice traditionally bid farewell to their audience in a mix of emotion and fun.

Once the show is over, the most dedicated fans decide to brave the harsh November chill, waiting outside for the band for one last greeting, a few quick autographs and photos, just before midnight. It's hard to say why Ellie and co., despite now boasting the consolidated maturity earned through more than a decade of activity, still remain confined to a narrow niche in our country that they haven't managed to expand much further, not even with the chance to support Harry Styles on tour (an opportunity that, by contrast, literally catapulted newcomers Wet Leg into the headlines). What is certain is that recovering from an intense live show lasting over an hour and a half like this one from Wolf Alice takes more than just a single "blue weekend" of happiness and nostalgia.

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