It’s a typically glum night in Manchester, the streets are laced with people wrapped in as many layers as physically possible, all wondering just how we’ve gotten to December so quickly. The only polarising factor of the night is that the time has finally come for Remi Wolf, a California-based singer-songwriter, to grace us with her presence. Her sold-out stop at the historical Albert Hall on Peter Street marks her first ever in the city – despite her revealing to the audience that she is no stranger to our streets.
“I’ve been here, like, so many times, but never played, how weird is that?” – Wolf, on stage.
Perhaps the name may be most familiar to fans of Olivia Rodrigo – as Wolf recently filled the support slot on the European leg of her Guts World Tour, paralleled to the likes of Chappell Roan and The Breeders on the North American excursion. The tour saw Wolf as support for 21 dates, two of which were the infamously postponed Co-op Live shows in May. It’s unclear as to whether she’ll return when they take place on their rescheduled dates in the summer of 2025; the quality of her highly-anticipated performance leads me to wonder if she’s as deserving of her own success as Roan likewise proved herself to be.
The set starts with ‘Cherries and Cream’, the sixth track from her sophomore album Big Ideas which the tour is named after and in support of. Much to her surprise, this record was the first project she’d released to successfully crack both the UK and US charts, perhaps owed mostly to the explosion of her track ‘Cinderella’, allowing her to garner somewhat of a cult following. Being her biggest hit to date, it was refreshing to hear the initial chords of that track so early in the set.
Not a face in the crowd found itself without a smile as Wolf’s erratic meandering of any, and every, crevice of Albert’s Hall unusually small stage fabricated a level of intimacy that left every single one of the 2000 attendees feeling within her reach. The venue is infamous for its unique atmosphere, Wolf’s charismatic energy took this to dizzying new heights.
Wolf proudly identifies as bisexual, with her music being centred around not on the pain and longing that comes with being queer, but rather on the honour of it. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, my heart could almost burst at the abundance of queer couples embracing one another in the audience. Wolf has created a sanctuary for her art; a safe space in which those who relate to her lyrics have the freedom to be unapologetically themselves, even if just for a few hours. It’s clear by the frilly skirt she’s matched with a graphic tee that Wolf is about as creative as one can be – making for a truly spectacular recital.
The setlist went on to boast slices from all areas of her discography, jumping from slow, self-introspective ballads to tales of queer joy and self-love. As an audience member, the constant changes of pace made the show difficult to digest. Beyond this, each performance was followed by a lengthy crowd interaction that often ended in Wolf admitting she’d lost her train of thought. It left me unable to truly let go and get lost in the moment; it was as if she had no idea she was completely in command of our attention. An artist as eccentric as herself needs not to prove herself to the audience; her presence was a gift in itself. Being her first major worldwide tour, I can’t hold her against the lack of realisation that less is sometimes more. At the end of the day, Wolf is more than just a being to her followers; she is their everything. Some of her tangents completely broke the third wall and this is one of the only elements of the show which fell flat.
Wolf reserves time in each set to do a fully improvised song with her band; a risk as daring and reflective of her talent as I hope her next musical step will be. Bar staff told me that queues had formed early in the AM for this show, remaining intact throughout the turbulent weather. This practice always bewilders me, though it became abundantly clear by the joy that sparkled in the front row’s eyes that it had all been well worth it. In a world oh-too-plagued by negativity – Wolf herself admitting, “It’s hard to be a person, like, at all, these days” – I was reminded of how vital of a space concerts provide. If just one of the several hundred youths that devoted their day to the cold concrete of Peter Street felt safe, seen or loved… then maybe I do get it.
Credit: Frankie Austick @ The Mancunion
I and the rest of the crowd left Albert Hall that night with a heart much fuller than when we’d arrived. This gig offered a unique insight to a truly complex character. Perhaps, one that is yet to find confidence enough in herself to let the music do the talking.
