By Henry Groves
Saturday night, sold out Roundhouse, Aussie rock band. I’m not sure there are 3 bigger hints that this was going to be one hell of a gig. This was the first of 2 Roundhouse shows for the psychedelic surf rock band, and despite being the other side of the world from home, there was an incredible turnout for it.
To make the night even more exciting, Ocean Alley had brought Hockey Dad along with them, one of my favourite Australian bands, and their set did not disappoint. It was the first time I had seen them since the release of their latest album ‘Rebuild Repeat’ which they released back in June, and they have only got better. On stage they are full of energy, led primarily by drummer Billy Fleming, who does most of the chatting between songs too.
Their set was made up of songs from their latest album, as well as the band’s hits, including ‘Join the Club’ and ‘Germaphobe’. The response from the crowd was emphatic, and Hockey Dad were the perfect support, getting the crowd ready for Ocean Alley. They have performed massive shows back in Australia, and I am confident they will be back eventually, headlining venues like the Roundhouse themselves (although I am surprised this hasn’t already happened). They are back in the UK early next year, so if you can get to a show, get a ticket. You will not see a better band next year, especially in such intimate venues.
Sufficiently warmed up, the crowd were now buzzing, patiently waiting for Ocean Alley to grace the Roundhouse stage. Although described as psychedelic surf rock, the band have their own unique sound. Their setlist kicked off with ‘Touch Back Down’ taken from their most recent album ‘Low Altitude Living’’.
Their setlist was made up of songs which spanned their entire back catalogue, from all 4 albums, and even their debut EP ‘Yellow Mellow’ released back in 2013. But it didn’t matter which song they played, the crowd leapt into action at the very first note of each song, and sang it back to the band, like they were trying to be as loud as the band. The band have also been well practiced performing live.
The stage set up, the transitions between songs, and the flawless performance turned this from a normal gig to a true spectacle. The crowd couldn’t take their eyes off the stage, and in particular off of lead singer Baden Donegal. His energy and charisma on stage made him a truly phenomenal front person, and his performance was truly captivating. Personal favourites from the show were ‘Yellow Mellow’, ‘Happy Sad’ and unreleased song ‘Tangerine’.
As they finished their set, the crowd were still buzzing, despite the energy that they had all put in throughout the set, hoping for the band to return for a song or two. As the band returned to the stage, this was potentially the biggest roar of the night, just showing how good a show the band had put on to that point. The encore started with Player’s cover of ‘Baby Come Back’ before the band ended the night with ‘Lemonworld’, an incredible way to end a truly remarkable night.
As the crowds distributed into Chalk Farm, I am sure that a number of fans were quickly getting online to try and get a ticket for the Roundhouse show the following day, to see if the band could trump what had been an incredible first night.
