Featured cover image courtesy of Nora Toth at The Concert Chronicles
Wolf Alice at Utilita Arena Cardiff
On the 1st of December 2025, Deputy Editor Molly and I were invited to Wolf Alice’s The Clearing tour at Cardiff Utilita Arena, and it was the perfect concert to end a year of great music. This was a much-anticipated event for me and Molly, as avid Wolf Alice supporters who have had their new album on repeat since September. We were kindly gifted seats in the upper balcony, which was a prime spot as we had a great view of the glittering stage and the pit which was buzzing with adoring fans.
We didn’t stay in our seats for long – when the band tore into their first song ‘Thorns’, there was no way on earth that Molly and I could resist the urge to sway along to the music. Basked in the glistening rays of a disco-ball, against a silver-sparkling backdrop, Ellie Rowsell’s powerful vocals reverberated through the arena. The crowd clung onto every note that rose from Rowsell and instinctively recited the lyrics back to her, joining her in her lullaby. The band seamlessly danced from their more fast-paced, upbeat songs such as ‘You’re a Germ’, to their slower, dreamy ballads such as ‘How Can I Make It Okay?’ and ‘The Sofa’. Their emotionally driven tracks, from both their most recent album The Clearing and their previous albums such as The Blue Hour, sounded completely flawless live, providing an experience that was ethereally nostalgic, yet fresh and exciting.
Molly and I were enthralled from start to finish, leaving the arena reeling with a lulling buzz in our chests. It was incontestably our concert of the year.
Words by Jemima Lake
Miles Kane at Rough Trade Bristol
Having been a member of The Last Shadow Puppets alongside Alex Turner, seeing Miles Kane in the flesh was a genuine pinch me moment for my 14-year-old self. His scouse charm, mod inspired fashion and simple acoustic set made for a heartwarming and an unmistakably British evening, as I awkwardly fumbled through a conversation as he signed my poster. The atmosphere was defined by a shared love of the artist.
Words and image by Emma Howe
Mumford and Sons at Utilita Arena Cardiff
Last year I ended up somewhere I would never have guessed- seeing Mumford and Sons at the Utilita Arena. This was the biggest gig I’ve been to so far and it surprised me in more ways than one. Not only was there a screen of excited fans accompanying their songs, but the ceiling was covered in glowing hearts and stars which were truly beautiful. They made each and every member of the crowd feel included with their music, and the whole night gave me a new appreciation for a genre I knew so little about!
Words by Ruby Davis
