The Fleece, Monday 14th March 2022
Well if there was ever a way of proving that absence truly makes the heart go fonder it was demonstrated in glorious technicolour on Monday night at the Fleece.
Dream Wife…UK live music has missed you so much!
My own history with Rakel, Alice and Bella goes back to wandering into the O2 as part of the city wide DOT 2 DOT festival in 2019 and being blown away. I have been following their exploits ever since.
Falling in love with “new” album “So When You Gonna” when it was released in July 2020. And then the forever wait for the world to open up so I could catch it performed live and in person.
The frustration of not being able to catch this beloved band was obviously shared by many. Evidenced by the packed crowd at the Fleece on Monday. The room was positively, bubbling with excitement and anticipation before the trio hit the stage.
I don’t think I can remember being part of a gig where both band and crowd were just simply having so much fun… The smiles beaming on the faces of everyone in attendance and the band themselves.
Rakel stopping the show multiple times to implore how good it feels to finally play the album live, be on stage and to see everyone having a great time. It was open, heartfelt and honest. The crowd reciprocated those feelings tenfold.
Dream Wife hit the stage like a hurricane. Screaming guitars, Valkyrie vocals and flashes of pink high viz jackets. Back to backs of “Hey Heartbreaker”, “Hasta La Vista” and album title track “So When You Gonna” leave band and crowd gloriously breathless.
Rakel gladly accepting a cooling off with a giant fanning from a member of the audience as we slow things down a touch and the every popular “Temporary” sees the crowd adopt a gentler sway as they sing along.
We are treated to 14 glorious tracks in all. Although I would have paid the full price just to watch the epic rendition of “Sports”. Crowd split int two and instructed to support either PLAYER 1 Alice or PLAYER 2 Bella. What followed was the best guitar-off / dual I have every witnessed. Rakel joining the crowd to proper belly laugh as the other two band members gave it everything and more.
This is partly where the charm of Dream Wife lives I think. This band feels very much like a trio of equal importance, rather than the normal fair of an overly dominant lead vocalist.
By the time FUU was belted out, band and crowd were as one. A room full of sweaty, smiling and blissfully happy people. THAT is what Dream Wife do. THAT is why we love them.
Review & Images @thebristolnomad
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