Wolf Alice Conquer Glastonbury Festival 2022 With Grit, Grace, And A Genre-Blending Masterclass

by | Jul 3, 2022

In a weekend packed with career-defining performances, Wolf Alice’s Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury Festival 2022 stood out—not just for its musical brilliance, but for the sheer drama that led up to it. Days before they were due to perform, the band found themselves stranded in Los Angeles after a cancelled flight, prompting a now-famous tweet appealing for a private jet. It was a moment that captured the chaotic energy of the modern touring musician—and a test of resolve they passed with flying colors. With fans on both sides of the Atlantic watching their updates anxiously, the band managed to reroute via Seattle and then London, landing back in the UK mere hours before their set. Lesser bands might have crumbled under the pressure. But Wolf Alice, as they’ve proved time and time again, are not lesser bands.

Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022

Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)
Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

By the time they stepped onto the Pyramid Stage on Friday afternoon, there was already a sense of triumph in the air. The crowd, fully aware of the travel nightmare, welcomed them like heroes returning from battle. Ellie Rowsell, dressed in a flowing cream dress and flanked by her bandmates—Joff Oddie (guitar), ever the showman Theo Ellis (bass), and Joel Amey (drums)—looked simultaneously relieved and determined. They opened with Smile, a defiant anthem from 2021’s Blue Weekend, which set the tone for the set: muscular, melodic, and emotionally charged. The transition into You’re A Germ brought back the snarling, grunge-laced edge of their debut album, My Love Is Cool, prompting a roar from longtime fans.

The setlist was a carefully curated showcase of their evolution as a band. The dream-pop beauty of Lipstick On The Glass melted into the dark swagger of Formidable Cool. On How Can I Make It OK?, Rowsell’s voice soared with aching clarity, backed by atmospheric synths and a pulsing rhythm section that had the massive Pyramid Stage crowd swaying in unison.

For many, the emotional apex came during The Last Man On Earth. Pearched on the edge of the hallowed stage, Rowsell delivered the vocals with heartbreaking vulnerability. You could hear a pin drop during the song’s fragile verses, followed by thunderous applause as it built to its climactic finale. Yet, this wasn’t a performance that relied solely on ballads and mood. Giant Peach, their gritty, explosive ode to suburban restlessness, triggered mosh pits in the front rows. Bros was delivered with warmth and nostalgia, its themes of youthful friendship landing perfectly in the late afternoon sun. Moaning Lisa Smile, one of their early breakthrough hits, still packed a feral punch—Ellis and Oddie throwing themselves into the riffs with visible joy. Their 60 minutes closed with Don’t Delete the Kisses, perhaps their most beloved song—a dreamy, cinematic track that captures the modern angst of love and self-doubt. The crowd sang every word with Rowsell, turning the song into a communal hymn. It was a moment of catharsis, and as the final synths faded out, the applause was long and heartfelt.

Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022

Theo Ellis of Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)
Theo Ellis of Wolf Alice @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

Wolf Alice’s Glastonbury 2022 performance was more than a great festival set. It was a statement of resilience, of maturity, and of why they remain one of Britain’s most exciting and unpredictable bands. They’ve always been hard to categorise—part shoegaze, part punk, part classic rock, part synth-pop—and that’s precisely what makes them so special.

To deliver a set this tight, this dynamic, and this emotionally resonant under such pressure is no small feat. But Wolf Alice didn’t just make it work—they made it unforgettable. At Glastonbury, they didn’t just arrive on time; they arrived in style, staking their claim as a band that can go toe-to-toe with any headliner.

Live review and photography of Wolf Alice at Glastonbury Festival 2022 by Kalpesh Patel

Pyramid (And Other) Action On Friday At Glastonbury Festival 2022 In Photos

Courting @ Oslo, London (Charlie Harris)

Courting Share Deluxe Version Of Third Album ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story, Or: Lust For Life’

Liverpool four-piece Courting release the deluxe edition of their acclaimed album, How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story, Or: ‘Lust for Life’, out now via Lower Third Recordings.

Henge performing at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea (Simon Reed)

Matthew C. Whitaker Unveils Dreamlike Solo Single ‘Lucid Dreamer’

Best known as the magnetic frontman, guitarist and songwriter for space-rave pioneers HENGE, Matthew C. Whitaker steps...
GUV (Victoria Prestes)

GUV Announces New Album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ – Out 30th January

Guitar pop visionary Ben Cook — formerly known as Young Guv — has announced his new album Warmer Than Gold, set for release on 30th January. The record marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cook’s long-running project, now simply known as GUV, and arrives with the vibrant lead single Let Your Hands Go.

Sophie Grey (Maximilian Stafford)

Sophie Grey. Reimagines ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ Ahead Of London Dates Supporting Sting

Rising electronic pop artist Sophie Grey. returns with a dazzling new take on Video Killed the Radio Star, reworking the Buggles’ 1979 classic into a lush, synth-driven dreamscape. The single — out now — arrives as Sophie prepares to open for Sting across three London shows later this month as part of her global Middle of October tour.

The Churnups (Foo Fighters) @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Foo Fighters Return With Dark New Single ‘Asking For A Friend’ And 2026 North American Stadium Tour

Foo Fighters have returned with Asking For A Friend, a darkly melodic new single that channels both introspection and...
Bon Jovi (Mark Seliger)

Bon Jovi Announce Long-Awaited Global Return With ‘Forever Tour’ — Including London, Dublin & Edinburgh Dates

Global rock icons Bon Jovi are set to make their long-awaited return to the road with the announcement of their 2026 Forever Tour — a series of monumental concerts that will see the band perform across New York, Edinburgh, Dublin, and London, marking their first full-scale live performances in years.

The Nocturnal Affair (Press)

The Nocturnal Affair Return To The UK With Wednesday 13 And The SoapGirls

Las Vegas dark rockers The Nocturnal Affair are set to return to the UK this November, joining Wednesday 13 and The SoapGirls on the Mid Death Crisis UK Tour. Following their triumphant summer run alongside Wednesday 13, Drowning Pool and Max Cavalera’s NAILBOMB, the band are back to deliver their haunting brand of “dark rock” to British audiences once again.

Everyone Says Hi @ O2 Academy Brixton (Kalpesh Patel)

Everyone Says Hi Return With Infectious New Single ‘Communication’ + Announce December Headline Shows

Everyone Says Hi — the new project led by ex-Kaiser Chiefs songwriter and drummer Nick Hodgson — are back with their...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing