Wolf Alice at the O2: 'Impossible not to be emotional on their behalf'

“I can’t quite believe it? We’ve been a band for the last 15 years and I never thought this would happen, so this is just the best day ever,” gushes Ellie Rowsell - audibly giddy and justifiably overwhelmed. The first triumphant night of two at The O2 Arena, tonight marks the first time the London band have broached venues of this size and the culmination (so far) of a career spent truly putting in the hours. As bassist Theo Ellis instructs their sound technician to “play Queen” and the opening lines of Bohemian Rhapsody - “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” - ring out to signal their exit, Freddie Mercury clearly is speaking to the mood of every person on stage.

More than perhaps any modern British band, Wolf Alice have put in the hard yards over the years. They’ve never had one viral moment, but instead a series of steady and escalating wins: a Mercury Prize victory for second album Visions Of A Life and a Brit Award for Best British Band following its successor Blue Weekend. This year’s luscious and ambitious fourth LP The Clearing earned them their fourth Mercury nod, making them the only artist in history to receive nominations for every record they’ve released.