We Are The Ocean at The Islington Academy
We Are The Ocean – The O2 Academy Islington – 1 December 2009
Support: All Forgotten, The Amity Affliction, Flood Of Red
Words by Carla Woodburne / Photo’s by Brendan Monteiro
With so many bands on a roster it’s sometimes difficult to catch all the sets and unfortunately the amount of time seeing All Forgotten on stage is just to short to give an honest review of their performance. The Amity Affliction closely follow them and although rather unknown in the UK, the Brisbane mob carve a fine memory into tonight’s audience. They come out and from the first seconds girls are already throwing appreciation towards Joel, and with smiles plastered on their faces and beers in close proximity they charge through a blistering set. Ahren Stringer swoons the crowd with his tranquil tone and then Joel Birch steps in with his tempestuous roars that literally whips the crowd into frenzy. Songs like Fruity Lexia and Stairway To Hell are my personal favourites, especially in parts of the latter like
and if you died I just don’t think I’d have too much to say tonight…
Their lyrics come across very grizzly and brooding which to me just show a certain passion and realism to the band, that not everything is powder coated and sometimes things are just messed up in this world and it’s alright to feel that way. Lastly a big applause is needed to sent in the general direction of Troy Brady who played the entire show with two broken fingers, wow!
Next up is the ever pleasing Flood Of Red, think Saosin with a Scottish kiss and your right on their sound. They whisk you away with some of the most beautiful melodies and then bring it all back around again with some amazing musicianship. They’re set closer where the band grab some and any form of percussion and hammer away is a mind bender that leaves me salivating for more.
As We Are The Ocean take to the stage the crowd surge towards the front and come alive for the first time tonight, and it is made evidently clear who everyone is here to see. They kick off with ‘Save Me Said The Saviour’ a clear favorite amongst the crowd, as the fans scream the words back at the ever present lead vocalist Dan Brown. A man not scared to get involved with the crowd, and really knows how to command a room of people and get them going. Everyone is amped, and by the end of the song, WATO has the audience begging for more.
We get a taste of their new album due for release on February 1st with songs like ‘Look Alive’, ‘(I’ll Grab You By The) Neck Of The Woods’ and ‘Confessions’. What can i say, other than these were too epic for words, and the fact that a good portion of the fans already knew some of the words to the songs, is a clear indication of how much these guys put into touring and just how loyal a fan base they have already built up along the way. ‘Confessions’ is pretty awesome to see live, truly showing off the advantages of both the beautiful melodic voice of Liam Cromby, provided with a complimented contrast of Dan Browns harsh but colourfull screams.
WATO truly come across as humbled by how far they have progressed on not much more than an EP’s worth of material. It is refreshing to see after non stop touring, their energy levels are still booming as they seem to be as excited as the crowd themselves.
For their highly anticipated final song, ‘Nothing Good Has Happened Yet’, the energy levels of the crowd noticeably spiked as a the fans almost piled on top of each other at the front to sing along with Liam’s well known opening lines. Then exploding into a frenzy of people, that regrouped to sing the chorus back at the band with such intensity, almost drowning out the band themselves.
As a sweaty exhausted crowd leave the venue, with satisfaction on their faces, it was clear this was one hell of a wicked show to have experienced.
Set List:
1. Save Me Said The Saviour
2. These Days I Have Nothing
3. (I’ll Grab You By The) Neck Of The Woods
4. God Damn Good
5. Confessions
6. Don’t Be Careless
7. Look Alive
8. Ready For The Fall
9. Nothing Good Has Happened Yet
