The Leicester crowd are ready and raring to go on this cold Friday night. Starting with Bitters, we’re in for a strong female led night which is helped along by the music playing over the speakers; Katy Perry, Paramore, Tatu and many more certainly helps pass the time between acts. It doesn’t take long for Hot Milk to enter the stage and as they do, a roar erupts from the crowd loud enough to take the roof off the place. This might not be a sold out show, but Leicester always know how to make it feel like it is. Whilst Hannah’s vocals sound as though she has recently had a cold, it doesn’t stop her & Jim from getting the crowd ready for what’s about to come. No one is standing still and every one is in the mood for Pale Waves by the time Hot Milk are done.
This eclectic audience is filled with a mix of people you both would and wouldn’t expect to be there; from girls who fit this scene aesthetic to parents who have been dragged along by their kids. As the lights dim, there isn’t a person in the audience who doesn’t burst into a song and anyone who wasn’t singing yet, is definitely joining in with their second song, ‘Television Romance’. Pale Wave’s sound has clear influences of The 1975 and Avril Lavigne but still make every song their own. ‘Fall to Pieces’ gets the crowd to be the loudest they’ve been so far and though the majority of the show is uneventful, the audience only gets louder from here and ‘Kiss’ gets everyone jumping too.
Heather Baron-Gracie introduces the next song as their new single ‘Jealousy’ as a song for everyone outs there who gets jealous; the song has a different/heavier sound to their back catalogue, but there isn’t anyone in the room who isn’t there for it. Towards the end of the show is when we get a few comments from Heather to get the crowd jumping higher and singing louder and she certainly gets what she asks for. It seems this 4 piece has the crowd eating out of the collective hands as one simple line gets the crowd screaming like teenage girls at a Take That concert in the 90’s;
“Let’s take it back to the early days of Pale Waves.” ‘The Tide’ followed by ‘Easy’ leave the crowd wanting more especially after requesting help to sing the love song that is ‘Easy’.
The encore couldn’t come soon enough and they’ve saved the best til last. It seems this audience have been saving their energy for the last 2 songs. ‘She’s My Religion’ and ‘There’s a Honey’ gets every hand in the room in the air and everyone throwing showing off best moves.
“Come on, Leicester – show me what you got!” is the only thing that could have got this flock of people any louder. If there’s one thing Pale Waves know what to do, it’s how to leave a room wanting more.
