Pale Waves, Auckland NZ, 2018

Pale Waves

14th July 2018
The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Molly O’Brien. Photography by Doug Peters.

An enthusiastic trickle of fashionistas somewhere between Beetlejuice and Robert Smith filed into The Tuning Fork on Saturday night, buzzing with talk of finally experiencing Manchester’s Pale Waves loveable persona in the very flesh. Although far from sold out the crowd were clearly die hard fans, most sporting the classic moody gothic make up featured in their ‘Television Romance’ video.

Starter bands always suffer through the hardest job of the night – warming up a crowd, encouraging bravery to dance like no one is watching and sucking people away from the bar and their phones. However, Auckland band Daffodils bashfully stole the show with danceable riffs and haunting synths highly reminiscent of indie pop legends The Smiths – tunes that inspire romantic nostalgia, such as losing your virginity while drinking rose that you stole from your parents. With an average age of just 18 they proved an understanding of song writing beyond their years while still providing a youthful, endearing and wholesome stage presence that epitomises their namesake. In fact if Grease ever achieves a remake Hollywood would be sinful to not utilise summer loving Daffodils as a soundtrack.

Entering to chanting and a spooky Stranger Things esque retro synth intro, Pales Waves emerged from the darkness in monochrome, their New Zealand debut complete with white wine in hand. Pale Waves have a well built aesthetic that captivates audiences with quirks, vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie’s shy yet dark personality effectively toying with hearts and wrapping the front row around her little finger. Close work with Matty Healy, (the 1975), shows clearly in both vocal styling and delivery and although some melodies often feel recycled and repetitive from one to another they maintain the quality of switching on a radio station and rediscovering music you haven’t heard in years. While Pale Waves leave you wanting to drive away in a convertible in inappropriately large sunglasses, ‘My Obsession’ from their 2018 album ‘All The Things I Never Said’ was the clear crowd favourite of the evening, a somber love song inspired by the relationship between Baron-Gracie’s grandparents, proving their self described essence of bouncy beats with darker, deeper meaning.

Between Baron-Gracie, Daffodils keyboardist Jade Bryham and Pale Waves drummer Ciara Doran the female presence in the room was strong, bubbling and bewitching – an element of sunshine lined with harrowing lyrics and feminine bad-assery. Past interviews with the band speak of the ever important concept of women supporting women, (especially in the often male dominated music industry), and encourage people to don a pair of platforms and rock it – in the words of Baron-Gracie, ‘I don’t really give a fuck about what people have to say’.

Pale Waves:

Daffodils:

Were you there at the Tuning Fork to witness this magnificent goth-pop gig? Or have you seen Pale Waves perform somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Television Romance
2. Heavenly
3. Kiss
4. My Obsession
5. She
6. The Tide
7. Noises
8. Eighteen
9. New Year’s Eve
10. There’s A Honey

If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.