Wisp | Aldn
Gorilla, Manchester
23rd October 2025
Wisp, fresh out of San Francisco, California, has her own set of fuzzed out chords and airy vocals to blow any listener’s expectations out of the water. First timers in Manchester and amid their two month tour, Wisp and her band set their sights on the hearts of Manchester’s crowd.
To set the tone for the night, aldn strut onto the stage, their doped out style echoing through Gorilla. Jumping straight to their hit icantbelieveiletyougetaway, the crowd is already singing along and, without dropping a beat, they launch into their own rendition of Radiohead’s No Suprises. They leave a warmed-up crowd (a stark contrast from the whipping winds from outside the venue) for the main act.
Wisp has been hard at work meticulously crafting her discography for her adoring fans, and is fresh off the back of her newest releases: latest single Yellow, her own rendition of Coldplay’s song, and her first album If Not Winter making this year an eventful one for her band.
Gliding onto the stage, Wisp goes straight into playing her first few songs. The fans, captured by Wisp’s ethereal style, are staring straight up at her, awestruck by the catchy vocal lines and crushing shoegaze chords.
All would not be possible without the rest of the team. Max Epstein (aka Photographic Memory) on stage right, blasts his howling lead lines on a signature white Jackson – embossed with black tape reading “fuck ICE” – with hardcore riffs in between songs as banter with Wisp as she addresses her crowd. Meanwhile, a beautifully tight rhythm section holds down the songs throughout the set, never dropping a beat.
Wisp, flowing seamlessly through the set, takes time to ask the audience to “sing along” with her most recent release, Yellow. The audience sings along seamlessly with the cover, a beautiful moment of solidarity and connection between artist and audience. Wisp seems to care for her audience too, taking frequent breaks between songs to check in on the packed out room and make sure everyone is having as good a time as she is.
Coming to the end of the set, Wisp and her band leave the stage, but to no avail – the crowd wants more. Chants of “one more song!” echo throughout the venue, and Wisp willingly returns to the stage to grant the audience not one, but two more tunes. Ending with her number one streamed song, Your Face, the crowd are content with Wisp’s performance.
Her first time in Manchester, and certainly not her last, she puts on a memorable show, cementing herself as one of the most current figures in modern alternative rock music.
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You can find aldn on their Socials
You can find Wisp on her Socials
Words and Photos by Elliot Davies
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