Japanese rock band One Ok Rock formed in Tokyo in 2005, with their name coming from booking rehearsal rooms at the cheapest hour available, one o’clock. Twenty years later, they’re touring the world and filling rooms like Hordern Pavilion with ease.
Opening the night were Sydney’s own Stand Atlantic, who looked completely at home. The crowd was firmly on their side with plenty of people packed in, singing along, not just politely waiting for the headliner. I absolutely adore it when an opening band gets the full lighting package.
You could hear Taka before you could see him. Somewhere, side-stage, he was running through warm-ups, exaggerated scales, and silly vocal runs that echoed out into the room. The crowd at the Hordern Pavilion cheered back from the stalls. A cute and strange little pre-show moment.
By the time One Ok Rock arrived on stage, the energy was already sky-high. None of the band really stands still; they move constantly, running the length of the stage. More impressive is that Taka’s voice holds up perfectly while he’s doing it. Huge range, completely controlled, no sign of strain even at the loudest moments.
The band’s latest record, ‘Detox’, came out in early 2025, produced by Rob Cavallo (the same producer behind ‘Dookie’ and ‘American Idiot’). Their latest material sits comfortably beside the older tracks, with the crowd enthusiastically screaming through most of it anyway!
