Pale Waves – The Waterfront, Norwich – 22/10/2025

Pale Waves brought their chandeliers back out and returned to Norwich for another show, this time on their Still Smitten tour. 

First up was EMMMA who crafted an emotionally intense set full of soulful lyrics and enticing guitar riffs, especially during ‘Cards’ from their latest EP ‘Wednesday’s Child’. EMMMA had the audience captivated while switching between synth and guitar for an upbeat yet stripped back set that allowed her incredible vocals to shine through. 

Pale Waves then took to the stage to a loud roar from the crowd. The intro of ‘Perfume’ began, and the fans immediately started swaying and singing along to every word. They picked up the pace even further with ‘Not a Love Song’, also from their latest album Smitten before taking us back to their earlier discography with ‘Eighteen’ and ‘Lies’. The intensity of Pale Waves’ lyrics combined with the stage set up and atmospheric lighting, created the most amazing experience for the crowd.  

The mix of new and older songs allowed Heather Baron-Gracie to show off her newer polished vocals as well as showing their evolution from their older more punk sound which the fans seemed to appreciate. The crowd were particularly loud for ‘You’re So Vain’, singing the lyrics back to the band at the top of their lungs. They got even louder for the cover of ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries which was a highlight for me, this song paired with Heather’s vocals so perfectly and is set to be released on streaming on October 28^th. 

The set continued with more gut-wrenching lyrics and upbeat instrumentals for ‘There’s a Honey’, ‘Change’ and ‘Red’ which had everyone dancing along and singing the lyrics to their friends. ‘Kiss Me Again’ was dedicated to the lesbians in the crowd, the voicemail-like backing vocals made the show feel even more immersive and intimate.  They ended their set with throw-back fan-favourite ‘Television Romance’ and Heather’s favourite track ‘Glasgow’. 

They returned for an encore consisting of ‘She’s My Religion’ which Heather performed wrapped in a lesbian pride flag, gifted by a fan, and ending on a high with high energy rock song ‘Jealousy’ which had everyone even more hyped before the end of the show. 

This year’s show was even better than last year’s with a much livelier crowd and even more fan interactions from the band. It was an evening full of queer joy and incredible music.