OCEAN ALLEY @ UC REFECTORY (Live Review)

Seeing Ocean Alley previously in festival settings, I thought I knew what I was expecting. This rock/reggae rooted 6 piece band was truly memorable to watch and totally blew my mind. From their 70’s/ hippie vibe to the exceptional union of each band member and their instrument, Ocean Alley has easily become one of my favourite bands since the show on Sunday.
Canberra locals Young Monks set the scene at the UC Refectory, although I couldn’t catch them they are most definitely the perfect support choice for the Canberra leg of Ocean Alley’s tour. The indie rock band is fantastic to watch, their music alongside their visuals is a show on it’s own.
Although the experience was so positive, it didn’t start off that way. Ocean Alley started 20 minutes earlier than advertised set times, it was quite a bummer for the attendees like myself still waiting outside getting our id checked hearing the band perform. Finally in, I appreciated having access to the upstairs section of the UC Refectory as it gave me freedom to move, take pictures and enjoy the band without having to worry about the crowd.
The next situation was the fire alarm that caused the entire building to evacuate. Although usually a huge inconvenience in the middle of a show, Ocean Alley and security handled the situation very well. I technically shouldn’t be complaining as I exited through same doors as the boys and managed to take a picture on my film camera of frontman Baden and bassist Nic (if I’m not mistaken).

We made it back inside for some reggae groove. Ocean Alley’s sound is so accurate to recordings –  if not better live. Baden’s voice is so full of emotion which echoes throughout the room, soaring reaching to your soul. The dude on the keyboard is absolutely fantastic, I enjoyed a lot of the brass that was incorporated. All three guitars and bass were of such worked in cohesion and the visuals were also fantastic – complementing the music and setting the scene right for the night. Not too flashy with very calm and ambient lighting.

Highlights were of course ‘Yellow Mellow‘, which starts off with a dreamy synthesizer accompanied by a soft beat that then hits with a heavy reggae beat that instantly got the crowd grooving and ‘Freedom Lover‘ off their Yellow Mellow EP. The song ‘Feel’ was definitely a favourite of mine, Baden’s vocal rippled through everyone’s bodies with this one, you could feel the energy during this song. Ironically during  ‘Feel’, Baden whipped off his guitar to take a moment to put all his passion into this track. Following, was their cover of Player’s ‘Baby Come Back‘ which proved to be the crowd favourite. They covered the 70’s hit on Triple J’s Like A Version earlier this year and like ‘Feel‘, the song had such an impact on the crowd, not one person was not singing.
I feel so blessed to have been apart of the presence of such an incredible group of musicians who take their craft seriously. Their performance and overall energy was so admirable and it made all the little inconveniences literally go away. Incredible show, truly.