Opening a UK and Ireland tour at one of London’s most prestigious concert venues could be intimidating for many artists, but powerhouse indie-rock band Wet Leg, whose latest multi-Grammy-nominated record ‘moisturizer’ went straight to number one on the UK Album Charts, seemed unfazed, delivering a compelling show to the sold-out Royal Albert Hall.

Warming up the ever-growing crowd, art-pop duo Faux Real offered a striking performance, instantly commanding the huge room with synchronised movements akin to experimental dance theatre. With an undeniable onstage connection, it is unsurprising they’re brothers, combining dance, futuristic voice effects, and flute and guitar solos. 

Intense strobelights transported the audience to a hazy nightclub in ‘Scratch’ before treating the sold-out venue to unreleased ‘Absolution’ from their upcoming album. The crowd attempted to take the chorus of penultimate, ‘Walking Away from My Demons’, which some may have recognised from the Wet Leg remix, before Faux Real closed their enchanting set with ‘Kindred Spirit’.

Aside from an illuminated Palestinian flag, the Wet Leg stage was kept simple, all attention focused on the five-piece. As smoke filled the stage, Rhian Teasdale flexed her biceps as they kicked off the nineteen-track set with ‘catch these fists’. Whistles and yells from the audience cued ‘Wet Dream’, the energy shimmering across the hall, a lingering cry of “Royal Albert Hall. What the f*ck”, the only interruption to an unrelenting set. Anthemic ‘Oh No’ was a testament of a rock band who know how to put on a show, before the rumblings of a guitar solo gave way to Wet Leg’s debut album track, ‘Supermarket’. 

A duo from their latest record followed, the stage lights only exaggerating the sudden end to ‘liquidize’ followed by ‘jennifer’s body’, strobe lights illuminating Teasdale like camera flashes. Whilst the first eight tracks had a natural spontaneity of a band jamming through their favourite tracks, ‘Ur Mum’ held the catharsis of over 5,000 audience members’ “longest and loudest” screams, now a staple part of a Wet Leg show. 

Playing five back-to-back tracks from a fresh album would be a risk for some artists, but the audience was not shy in showing they knew the words. A special guest appeared for ‘don’t speak’, playing tambourine with hair down to the floor, later reappearing in ‘u and me at home again’ as Teasdale pitted the different sections of the audience against each other.  

Smoke bloomed across the stage, as bubbles floated across the audience, complementing a breathtaking performance of ‘11:21’. Stage lights ebbed and flowed, leaving room for almost improvised, eerie vocals. Showing off the expanse of Wet Leg’s sonic realm, ‘pillow talk’ came soon after, filling the hall with heavy guitar riffs. 

The iconic guitar introduction to ‘Angelica’ was met with anyone who wasn’t already dancing, clambering to their feet. With a shout of “we have three songs left, let’s do it”, the atmosphere thrummed with energy as the crowd screamed along to ‘Chaise Longue’, the track that catapulted Teasdale and Hester Chambers to fame in 2022. Penultimate, ‘CPR’ found Teasdale stumbling around the mic stand before kneeling in front of the audience to answer a prop phone; “Hello, 999 / What's your emergency? / Well, the thing is / I, I, I, I, I / I'm in love”. 

Closing the first show of the tour with ‘mangetout’, the abrupt final line, “get lost forever”, lingered with an unwavering energy as the Royal Albert Hall broke out in intoxicating cheers and applause.

Having built a reputation for their captivating live performances, it is no surprise that Wet Leg are taking on their largest headline shows next summer. Tickets are available here.

Maisy Neale

@maisycreative

Images: Lydia Sedda 

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