Wolf Alice, Scala, London review • DIY Magazine

Something’s going on. In darkened rooms up and down the country, those still able to be enthused are gathering. Excitement reigns, and not just on its blog with its arms crossed at the back of an East London boozer. The Brit Pack is real.

Superfood know it. When scene daddies Peace first declared them as B-Town’s greatest hopes, it might have seemed like a spot of nepotism; helping out mates from the same stable. Since then, though, that Midlands crucible has mutated, not died. From London to Livingstone, Brighton to Bangor, its spirit infected a whole new wave of bands matching the anthemic with a sense of fun.

Belying the history lesson anyone over thirty would try and subject them to, few in the Scala tonight care that - yes - Superfood are magpies, not scientists from the bleeding edge of the sonisphere. Kitchen sink, tea towel melodies, a lackadaisical delivery that hides an iron will, the Birmingham four piece know when to watch the world go by, and when to give it a good old slap on the nose. ‘Bubbles’, ‘TV’ and sort-of-theme-song ‘Superfood’ all connect in a way only a special few can.

Where Superfood ramp it up to 10, Wolf Alice crank it past 11. A band with a couple of EPs and a few singles under their belts, they’re probably having the best week of their lives. A new release ripping up the airwaves, national magazine covers hitting the streets, tonight they headline as if it’s a packed Wembley Arena. From the front to the back, the crowd goes absolutely bloody mental as Ellie Rowsell’s vocal cuts through like glass. This is some homecoming.

The truth is, those established bands may have deep pockets of material to play with, but they don’t have ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’. Nor do they have ‘Storms’. They definitely don’t have a ‘Bros’. In their short lifespan, Wolf Alice have been stacking up the hits like they’re expecting the music apocalypse. When it never came, they decided to usher it in themselves.

Neither of these bands will tackle it on their own, either. The really remarkable part of tonight, without sounding cheesy, is the audience. These are their people - young, engaged new music fans who don’t care what Grandad has to say about 1997 or Britpop. They’re the ones who dance like nobody else is watching, sing back every word and, most importantly, get they’re part of something far bigger.

Support on the night came from Superfood and Gengahr.

Tags: Gengahr, Superfood, Wolf Alice, Reviews, Live Reviews