Pale Waves return to their beloved Manchester on their 'Still Smitten' tour

One of Manchester’s most distinctive and beloved bands, the ever-enigmatic Pale Waves, returned home to deliver a triumphant night that blurred the lines between gothic romanticism and indie-pop euphoria. With their unmistakably Tim Burton-esque aesthetic and a setlist spanning their evolution, the band brought Smitten, their most recent album, to life, once again in front of a crowd that has been with them since the very beginning for their ‘Still Smitten’ tour.

Even though the tour is called “Smitten,” only four songs from the album made it onto the setlist. This was a bold but intentional choice that showed how much the band wanted to mix new music with old favourites. Opening with “Perfume,” a song that perfectly conveys the glittering melancholy of the new era, shimmering guitars, yearning vocals, and that classic Pale Waves blend of heartbreak and hope. Before the encore, “Glasgow,” an intimate, cinematic closer that made the crowd dance under the stage lights, was one of the most emotional song of the night. It’s no surprise that lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie likes it the most; it’s a perfect representation of all that Smitten stands for: being open, nostalgic, and yearning.

The conversation between songs came from the heart, and Heather Baron-Gracie thanked the city “where it all began” on multiple occasions. Her voice was truly soft as she talked about Pale Waves’ early days in Manchester’s music scene, when they gigged in small venues in lieu of the vast amount of devoted fans they play to now. It felt full circle when she dedicated the band’s first single, “There’s A Honey,” to Manchester. The poignant lyrics of the track, filled with a Northern sense of pride and sentimentality.

Around the middle of the set, the audience were taken aback when the band played “She” for the first time since 2019. When achingly vulnerable synth intro of this Pale Waves classic began, the crowd erupted.

They performed a dreamy nevertheless powerful cover of “Zombie” by The Cranberries, It’s a song they’ve undoubtedly made their own. They play this song a lot at live shows now, as it turned into a festival favourite. Fans can now stream the studio version on Spotify here. Pale Waves take the emotional weight of the original and weave it into their own sound world without any problems. They’ve certainly created their own sound by combining The Cranberries‘ ethereal melancholy with The Cure‘s dark romanticism and shimmering, gothic-pop style.