There is a buzz around Radio Free Alice. Currently on a UK tour, they keep adding dates which immediately sell out. At the last count there were five London gigs alone. On the day that they announced their third EP Empty Words the Naarm/Melbourne four-piece played at Glasgow’s The Garage, Attic Bar. It promptly sold out as soon as tickets went on sale. Let’s be clear, this is a band with no album out to date, and yet they supported The Killers in Australia. However, you get the sense that these intimate rooms are where they feel most at home. They had better savour this tour, because I suspect the space will be bigger next time around.
Arriving at the venue not long after the doors opened the room was already half full. The capacity of the Attic Bar in The Garage is just 150 and I’m sure they could have filled it twice over. And how to review the gig? It whizzed by, the best measure. Noah Learmonth (vocals, guitar), Jules Paradiso (guitar), Michael Phillips (bass, saxophone) and Lochie Dowd (drums) took to the stage to be greeted by a Glasgow roar. They played every track from their first two EPs, the self titled debut released in November 2023 and 2024’s Polyester. The room was as one, lapping up every song. Mid-gig included a cover of Gang of Four‘s ‘Damaged Goods’, a thrilling rendition which slotted perfectly into their own set. The music of Radio Free Alice sits in its own lane, and therein lies the pull. Delivered with such stage presence this is music that strikes at the very core, such is its emotional tug with guitar riffs to die for and whip smart lyrics.
Radio Free Alice – Setlist
‘2010’
‘Paris Is Gone’
‘Toyota Camry’
‘On The Ground’
‘Damaged Goods’ (Gang of Four cover)
‘Empty Words’
‘Spain’
‘Look What You’ve Done’
‘I Gotta (Fall In Love)’
‘Johnny’
‘Waste of Space’
And just like that it was over. Such disappointment at the end but that is the biggest compliment. Radio Free Alice had played every track from their two EPs plus the two new singles from the next EP and a cover. What more could we ask for? An album and a swift return of course. After this UK + EU tour the States beckons in September. It’ll be Glasgow’s Barrowlands before too long….
For more information on Radio Free Alice please check their facebook and instagram.
