Pale Waves

Manchester’s underground scene felt charged on Friday night as The Block, un. titled studios opened its doors for a lineup built on noise, emotion and unapologetic identity. 

A crowd that came ready to sweat got exactly what they wanted: a run of acts that swung from heavy feminist punk to shimmering alt-pop, from grunge chaos to intimate indie confessionals. It was the kind of bill that made the room feel alive before the headliner even walked out. 

The lineup included an array of talented artists and bands such as Boyish, Nxdia, Hotwax, Witch Fever, and Crawlers, with a headline slot from Pale Waves as a part of their ‘Kiss Me’ tour.

Up first were American duo Boyish. The band entered the stage with a clear, enthusiastic nature, ready for their set, launching straight into it, giving fans no time to settle. The band played a set of dreamy indie songs, such as ‘Jumbos’ and 'Prom', that can be perfectly described as emotional, with guitar-driven textures. The set felt so intimate, despite being in a rather large venue.

Next up on the ‘Kiss Me Tour’ bill was Nxdia. They entered the stage with a big smile that was met with adoration by a cheering crowd. Compared to the rest of the lineup, Nxdia was a little different genre-wise, verging on alt/electronic pop, with some of their songs leaning into experimental R&B. One highlight track of this set was ‘Jennifers Body', a sweet, lovely sapphic anthem that was well received by the crowd. Nxdia’s set finished on a high note with their most popular and well-known song, ‘Feel Anything', which starts slow, and then a gruelling bass jumps in, and the track explodes.

HotWax walked onstage with an air of confidence, and within seconds they were tearing the room open. The trio hit Manchester with big energy, shaking off the time away and dropping a quick “Nice to be back in Manchester” that sent a cheer through the crowd. Tallulah’s delivery had flashes of Ellie Rowsell intensity, Van McCann’s looseness, and Hayley Williams’ feral edge, a mix that made every line feel like it was spat rather than sung. Mid-set, during ‘Rip It Out', they launched into full chaos: moshing on stage, ripping through each track like they were possessed. At one point they pushed right up to the barrier, getting closer to the crowd during ‘One More Reason’, which got the crowd even more hyped up.

Witch Fever pushed the night into its heaviest, most breath-stealing moment, tearing straight into ‘Dead to Me’ and Fevereaten with the kind of big energy they made The Block car park shake. Their brand of heavy rock hit hard, thick riffs, doom-punk weight, and vocals that sounded like they were clawing their way out of the speakers. Crowd interaction was sharp and deliberate, the band feeding off every shout and every raised fist. At one point they dropped a line about Andy Burnham giving us hope, appropriate as we were in Manchester!

Crawlers came in swinging, Holly Minto carrying herself with that Miley Cyrus-level presence — raspy power, swagger, and a voice that can flip from soft ache to full-throttle roar in a heartbeat. They tore through ‘Afraid to Die’, ‘Stay Alive’, ‘Birthday’, ‘Cool’, and ‘All We Have Is Us’ with tight, emotional force, each track landing heavier than the last. However, everything shifted when they hit 'Come Over (Again)', the song everyone was waiting for, the one that’s become their most-known and most-loved. The atmosphere snapped into something electric: phones up, voices raised, the whole room surging forward as if pulled by the first note. Crawlers closed their set on a high that left the crowd breathless.

Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for Pale Waves. The indie/pop-punk bands entered the stage, and it was truly mesmerising watching the way the crowd were transfixed on their every movement, a special moment for this band in their home city. They kicked off their tour with the song ‘Kiss Me', and Heather’s vocals were on top form as she belted out every line. During this set, the band unveiled two new songs, making their live debut, including ‘Kisses of Tangerine’ and ‘They Don’t Want You’. Sadly, due to technical issues, the band had to abandon a fan favourite track, 'Eighteen'; however, despite some disappointment, the band won the crowd back with the true lesbian anthem, ‘She Is My Religion', which had the crowd mounting each other's shoulders. Pale Waves finished their headline set on the wonderful ‘There’s A Honey', one of their earliest ever releases.

Kiss Me Manchester was incredible from start to finish, each act bringing something different but utterly unforgettable.


Picture credit: Kelsi Luck