Wolf AliceAdelaide's Bad//Dreems slash and burn their way through a short set of raw, scuzzy lo-fi guitar noise accessorised by psychedelic, garage and good old-fashioned Aussie pub rock.
They sing of the dole queue blues and failing relationships and introduce a certain darkness and underlying tension that's best washed down with a few schooners. It's left to anthemic choruses to save the day as they flex their melodic guns. It's a shame their short set it feels like it's over before it even started.
Wolf Alice take to the stage with a no-nonsense attitude after a lengthy interlude of feel-good tunes from the '80s that takes in Morrissey and the tinkly synth pop machinations of OMD. The crowd roars with approval and Wolf Alice roar back at us with a thunderous take on Fluffy. Currently among the most hyped bands on the planet they've just dropped one of the better debut albums of 2015 and there's no doubt it won't be long before they magnify tonight's set for willing stadium-sized audiences. Wolf Alice are every bit the grunge revivalists they've been labelled. Joff Oddie plays guitar like he wants to blow the place apart — and he does when Giant Peach breaks down into instrumental frenzy. Ellie Rowsell introduces a feminine energy to the mix; her vocal effortlessly shifts from soft and demure to crazed and howling, often within the same song. As a British band, Wolf Alice come with all the distinctly English baggage of late '80s and '90s indie made famous by labels like 4AD and Creation. That allows Wolf Alice to add unexpected depth to predictable grunge tropes. The hazy 90 Mile Beach for instance feels like the sweet shoegaze of Lush, unafraid to let the trip get a little heavier and nastier. Having released only one album and a handful of singles, Wolf Alice predictably play most of the tunes from My Love Is Cool but also include an early single, She, and b-side, White Leather. An energetic version of Moaning Lisa Smile sees bass player Theo Ellis energetically bouncing about the stage as Joel Amey furiously slaps down some thick beats. It's a wild and rousing finish to a short but intense set that understandably has fans clamouring for more.
