LIVE FROM THE PIT: Pale Waves and Swim School

Blasting forth with romantic harmonies that suit perfectly for the rapidly darkening autumn days, Pale Waves is here to remind us to believe again in falling in love with people that we really should not fall in love with.

Tuesday night- under the cover of darkness in the center of Birmingham at the O2 Institute- we were invited to go and see Pale Waves for their ‘Smitten’ 2024 UK tour. From our balcony view, there was whole crowd packed into all areas of the venue, of various styles and ages, all excited and ready to see the nights live music. The stage adorned with a red velvet backdrop, two chandeliers which match that of the album covers side line the drum stand, Greek inspired statues and ivy crawling between the metal stands of the setup is a gothic dream come to life.

Our opening act in support is swim school, a Scottish band three-piece with an alternative indie sound. Make no mistake, they might have a smaller fanbase but that does not mean they don’t give their all for a performance. With two guitars and a drummer they are able to command a room full of excited fans while having the perfect balance of songs to get the crowd ready for the main act. The shifting of riffs and taking the time (and courage) to drop to just lead vocals before once again bursting forth with their choruses, they are surely a band to have on your radar. We can’t wait to see where they will go next!

The audience is enraptured by the whimsy of it all, notably a large following of alternatives and queerness is celebrated- in line with Pale Waves’ members itself. The whole gig and album ‘Smitten’ remind us of the confusion of falling in love with the right person at the wrong time, mixed in with heartbreak and still being enthralled with young lovers. Which in turn reminds us of many experiences we are sure we can all relate to.

Pale Waves is a band that celebrates all of its members and takes joy in bouncing off of one another, this is highlighted by the wide use of the stage and taking time to connect with each band member throughout every song. While some bands might struggle with this, Pale Waves embraces it- most notably when all three guitarists, Heather Baron-Gracie, Hugo Silvani and Charlie Wood, play to our drummer, Ciara Doran, with backs turned to the crowd but we can see the elation on our drummers face.

To note a crowd favourite moment, we were able to pick between two Pale Waves songs: Unwanted or Red. We would like to say it felt like a close call to us,  but the hearts of Birmingham were set on Red! With lighting to suit this was certainly a crowd favourite and we would urge if you are thinking about delving into Pale Waves to give this one a listen as it gives a great overview of their style and artistic aesthetic.

Getting to hear most if not all of the songs from the new album is extremely exciting, and seeing fans who already know every single lyric from every song can’t stop us from getting fully immersed in the gig. One of the biggest cheers from our captive audience when our lead singer and guitarist, Heather Baron-Gracie, introduces one of the next songs with “this one’s for the lesbians!”

We would definitely recommend giving Pale Waves a listen if you are into pop-punk, rock and queer life stories. If there is one thing Pale Waves isn’t against its celebrating queerness in all of its forms and complexities.

Words: Tyler Whiting

Photos: Kelsi Luck