Pale Waves at KOKO

Words by Marianne Brits · Photography by Marianne Brits

Pale Waves at KOKO, London — 2026-09-25

Pale Waves formed in Manchester in 2014, when Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran met while studying at BIMM Manchester.

Pale Waves formed in Manchester in 2014, when Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran met while studying at BIMM Manchester. After signing to Dirty Hit in 2017, the band began building momentum with songs including ‘There’s a Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’. Their debut EP, All the Things I Never Said, and debut album, My Mind Makes Noises, both followed in 2018, the same year Pale Waves placed fifth in the BBC Sound of poll.

Pale Waves returned to London on 25 September for a sold-out show at KOKO, with Boyish and SISTRA also on the bill. By the time the band came on stage, every available space was occupied, from the floor through to the balconies. KOKO has hosted plenty of busy shows, but it has been a long time since it felt quite this full.

Pale Waves opened with ‘Kiss Me Again’, followed by ‘Television Romance’, ‘Perfume’, ‘Red’ and ‘Change’. It was a direct start, moving quickly through some of the band's best-known songs.

Heather Baron-Gracie remains the focal point, but Charlie Wood is much more than background support, moving around the stage with a relaxed confidence and adding plenty of character to the performance. Ciara Doran keeps everything anchored from behind the drums, while the guitars retain the darker edge that has always worked well against the pop elements of Pale Waves. Baron-Gracie's vocals stay clear above it all.

‘Television Romance’ was particularly strong early in the set, followed by ‘Perfume’, ‘Red’ and ‘Change’. Baron-Gracie often stepped back from the microphone during the songs, allowing the audience to take over sections without turning participation into the focus of the performance.

Then came ‘Zombie’.

Baron-Gracie dedicated The Cranberries' song to Dolores O'Riordan, calling her “the queen”. It was a fitting tribute, particularly for a song so closely associated with O'Riordan. Pale Waves kept the performance relatively straightforward, allowing the original song to remain recognisable rather than attempting to completely reshape it.

‘Kisses of Tangerine’ followed, marking the first of two new songs in the set. The track has already appeared during the band's current September tour, with ‘They Don't Want You’ arriving later in the show.

‘Came in Close’ followed before Baron-Gracie asked, “London, are you the jealous type?” ahead of ‘Jealousy’.

The interaction between the band and the audience worked well throughout the night. Baron-Gracie and the rest of the band made comments between songs, keeping the conversation relaxed without letting it take over the set. The exchanges were generally brief, with the band moving quickly back into the music.

‘Fall to Pieces’ came before ‘Eighteen’.

Before starting the song, Baron-Gracie asked who had been around since 2018. Quite a few hands went up. Pale Waves have now been performing for long enough that songs from their earlier releases sit naturally alongside the newer material, rather than feeling like a trip back to a different period of the band.

The second new song, ‘They Don't Want You’, arrived later in the set. Baron-Gracie told the audience that by the next time they see Pale Waves, the new music will have been released, and said the album is 98% finished.

‘She's My Religion’ closed the main set before Pale Waves returned for the encore.

‘Not a Love Song’ came first, followed by ‘There's a Honey’, bringing the night to a close with one of the band's earlier songs.

I first photographed Pale Waves at The Garage in 2018. Seeing them fill KOKO last night was a striking difference from that first show. The venue may have changed, but Pale Waves looked completely at home in it.

Setlist

Kiss Me Again / Television Romance / Perfume / Red / Change / Zombie / Kisses of Tangerine / Came in Close / Jealousy / Fall to Pieces / Eighteen / They Don't Want You / She's My Religion

Encore

Not a Love Song / There’s a Honey

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