Wolf Alice // Dea Matrona // Live Review // Custom House Square // Belfast

It has not stopped raining all day! Perfect weather for an outdoor gig in the heart of Belfast city centre! I myself have to drive in from the sticks; fingers crossed that the motor issues I’ve had all week don’t kick in on the way down! Thankfully not, but band parades (and not the good kind) taking place outside my village mean a 20-minute detour to get onto the motorway and then off to Belfast! I arrive safe and sound and in time to catch tonight’s main support.

Dea Matrona, the foundation of this band, are two lovely local lasses who started their career on the streets of Belfast, busking and beating out classic rock songs by Fleetwood Mac and the likes. Today these crazy kids are touring the world, most recently with Sting on Joe’s European dates. What can you say other than fair play? These young ladies have been grafting for years to make their dream come true, and what better way to play to a home crowd on a stage as big as CHSQ. Tonight, their hearts are full of love and pride as their hometown comes out strong in the rain to support them, reminding us why they are in such high demand. Even with a minor technical glitch on poor Orlaith’s behalf, Mollie reminds us that this shite ain’t AI and this is what happens to real bands! She ain’t wrong! A great performance by the band all round whets the appetite for tonight’s headliner.

Dea Matrona

9 pm and the lights drop for tonight’s headliner! Wolf Alice are a band that have been making serious waves across the scene for years, a seriously dynamic band that has been capturing the imagination with a sound so individual they just sweep you off your feet right from the off.

The band is bathed in Beautiful light, and with a soundtrack as glorious as Wolf Alice, you can understand why they want the whole atmosphere to be as electric as their set. The whole band are magnetic to watch on stage, from their bass player, Theo Ellis, busting moves stage left to their guitarist, Joff Oddie, stage right, giving his all; the soundtrack is quite eclectic, ranging from ambient pop through to disco vibes and beyond. Frontwoman Ellie Rowsell is majestic; she commands the stage like she has been there all her life, and her vocals appear so effortless, clean, and transparent as they wash over the Belfast night.

Custom House Square, bathed in glorious light, has a crowd going out of their minds as the rain has finally stopped and the party can properly start! Ellie occasionally grabs a guitar from song to song, but it’s when she is there with her mic in hand that she really comes alive; you just can’t take your eyes off her! Hand when she really comes alive; you just can’t take your eyes off her! As powerful a frontwoman as I have ever seen, quite a sight and something to admire and aspire to for any young ladies out there looking to know how it’s done! The soundtrack is so eclectic, the fans are alive with the sound of music, and it feels good. This soundtrack is made for having a good time, and Wolf Alice are bringing out the best in Belfast tonight. There are so many bangers in there for the Belfast crowd to lose themselves in: ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’, ‘Just Two Girls’, ‘Bread Butter Tea Sugar ‘, ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’, to name but a few. Ellie is a thing of beauty, orchestrating the crowd at will, four thousand odd pairs of eyes transfixed on her every move, and those moves are kinda legendary! A photographer’s dream. This is what it’s all about; I am lucky enough to attend so many shows across the year, but every once in a while one stops you in your tracks, and tonight that band was Wolf Alice.

As the night wraps up, the band finish off with ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ and ‘Giant Peach’ and the Belfast faithful stream out into the warm night air, occasionally comforted by light showers on the way home, but with a soundtrack embedded in their brains and smiles as far and wide as the Irish Sea.

I think to myself. Well played, kids. Till next time.