Words by Jamie Reynolds / photos by Marcus Maschwitz

Playing the Electric Ballroom must be a dream come true for the Essex boys but it’s been due to We Are The Ocean for a while now but tonight is more a treat for the fans. As I make my way a little closer to the stage for the headliners the first unusual thing is that Tom’s drums have allies in the form of two drummers from Stomp. Launching into What It Feels Like, Dan and the boys sound huger than ever. The added percussion’s pulsate the masses into a massive whirlwind of arms and legs. The new direction of the band is a phenomenal show of maturity in their songwriting and they follow that through in their live set tonight.

Lucky One’s ups the frenzy levels around the front while These Days, I Have Nothing builds on the crazy to the point that Dan invades the crowd for his own slice of the action. A minor set back with Dan being injured sees the unusual ‘once in a lifetime’ appearance of Alfie taking up the vocal duty’s of (I’ll Grab You By The) Neck of the Woods. It’s a damn good job on Alfie’s part and although Dan is sadly missed for the few minutes he is away but this truly is something special.

It’s a hard task keeping tabs on my notes tonight’s when all I want to do is get involved but it’s a no win situation, As songs fly by the whole sets slowly starts etching it’s way into my list of ‘all time favourite show’s’ and by the end of the night it’s pretty much chiseled it’s way in to my top 5.

Words by Eric Cannon

Evolution is one thing but it feels like We Are The Ocean have jumped the ladder like The Incredible Hulk. Go Now And Live is the second album from probably one of Britain’s nicest bands and it’s a bloody masterpiece. Trouble is Temporary, Time Is Tonic boldly goes where no other WATO song has gone before and it’s a perfect example of the cutting edge sounds to follow.

What It Feels Like and The Waiting Room give us those fist in the air choruses, it’s songs like these that will undoubtedly push the band further into the mainstream but without the cost of selling out to that WATO signature feel. For me the album is the sound of a band experimenting and pushing their boundaries coming out with something extraordinary, they have taken so many chances on this record and it’s bound to pay off.

The biggest exploration this record takes is on the vocal side of things, both Dan and Liam have delved deep and pushed their vocals in so many interesting and unique ways. Now & Then and Before I Die are probably my two stand out favourites but this is one of those albums you can listen from start to finish and not be disappointed with any of the tracks. It truly is a masterpiece and firmly pushes the band away from any slander that they sound like Alexisonfire. Go Now And Live is the sound of the future, it’s originality at it’s finest.

10/10

Support: The Ghost Of A Thousand

Words by Khyly Madder / Photos by Marcus Maschwitz

Ok so is no secret that I am somewhat of an avid We Are The Ocean fan. With this is mind, I set off to the Kings College gig fully aware that I would probably be the oldest in the crowd (which is not a rarity given the majority of the gigs are only 14+). This did not however stop me feeling and acting like an excitable 14 year old teeny bopper fan waiting to catch a glimpse of the latest pin up craze. This is of course a slight exaggeration but it does sum up the excitement I feel when I am about to see a band that I am very enthused about, and WATO are obviously one of those bands.

It was also the first time I had been to a gig at this particular venue and I was pleasantly surprised. As predicted the crowd could be placed into the ‘younger age bracket’ but this is more than to be expected as this is primarily the target audience and general fan base of a band such as WATO. I think what reiterated this fact, was being asked 5 minutes into The Ghost Of A Thousand’s set ‘Excuse me can you go to the bar for me and get me a beer?’. If I hadn’t just spent 15 minutes trying to get served myself I may have responded in a politer manner, but instead I declined then proceeded to neck down one of the 5 drinks we had just stock piled.

I last saw time I saw The Ghost Of A Thousand was at Groezrock festival in Belgium last April and let me tell you, they tore that shit up. I was of course very excited to see them again, this time in a more intimate venue. They did not disappoint! Tom Lacey is the ultimate front man, full of energy, encouraging the crowd and pitch perfect throughout. The same can be said for Jag, Mem, Andy and Gareth, the unity is apparent and the objective the
same……to rock every single person in the room. ‘I wanna see pandemonium!!!’ exclaimed Tom and I think he got just that.

Classics such as Bright Lights, Married To The Sidewalk, Fed To The Ocean and especially crowd favourite Left For Dead were played to perfection. The crowd were lapping it up, mosh pits, crowd surfing and stage diving all continuous throughout the set, with Tom frequently singing his heart out in amongst the action. The thing I love about TGOAT the most though, is their ‘love not war’ spin on the imminent wall of death, I remembered seeing this at Groezrock and it was so refreshing to see at the time that it stuck with me. Much like all wall of deaths which are prompted by the band, Tom began by asking the crowd to split into two. ‘Ok no kung fu kicking, no punching, no violence……’. I think this is very admirable from a band of their stature, as many bands don’t seem to think it has been a ‘sick’ enough gig unless they see blood in the crowd.

Just enough time for a quick loo break and another monster bar queue, before We Are The Ocean stormed the stage with their new single Lucky One taken from their recently released Cutting Our Teeth Deluxe Disc . Although this is a fairly recent track, the crowd reception was amazing and sparked an instantaneous atmosphere within the venue. I was a little concerned about Liam’s voice prior to the gig as he had mentioned on his personal Facebook profile that he hoped it would hold out. I needn’t have worried as he sounded at his usual best, as did Dan with their infamous complimentary vocal stylings.

Alfie, Jack and Tom all played their hearts out and lapped up the energy which resonated from the crowd. Long standing favourites This Is Called My Home, I’ve Never Felt This God Damn Good, Don’t Be Careless and Look Alive went down an absolute treat. The chemistry between the band is indescribable especially between Dan and Liam, there are many bands out there that work the whole dual vocal approach but none in my opinion are as successful as these two. Everyone in the audience were singing along and soaking up everything that WATO had to give. The highlights for me were most defiantly I’ll Grab You By The Neck Of The Woods, Confessions and by all time favourite Nothing Good Has Happened Yet. By this point (the encore) I was 100% submerged in the atmosphere that this gig had generated and without doubt I was completely lost in the music. This is everything a gig should make you feel and everything a band should be.

The boys obviously gave it their all, as the scheduled Nottingham gig was cancelled due to Liam’s voice completely going the next day. The boys ever the gents issued a vey apologetic statement ‘We head straight out to Europe on Monday morning and we can’t risk having to cancel an entire tour, rather than just one night’ which is understandable. I feel for Nottingham, but I gotta say I am SO glad his voice held out for London. One hell of a kick arse gig and I wait with baited breath to see them in action again….soon!

Support: Our Last Night & The Ghost Of A Thousand

Words by Teri Oakshott / Photos by Jemma Dodd

Support band Our Last Night open up the 17th show of We Are The Ocean’s headlining tour to a rapture of applause from the crowd. For a band largely unknown they perform with so much passion that it’s not long before hundreds of bodies start to move.

The Ghost Of A Thousand have been a quiet band over the last few years, but they broke their silence in Birmingham with a raucous set comprised of their well-known songs. Vocalist/screamer Tom Lacey leapt between crowd and stage during the half-hour set and encouraged circles pits to the annoyance of the O2 Academy’s security team – during a wall of death security actually sighed and left the crowd to it. Songs Black Art Number One and closer Bored Of Math reminded the crowd of why TGOAT is such an underrated band who deserve a lot more recognition than they currently get.

Headliners We Are The Ocean have had a long day – various promo events mean that the guys are working full days on this UK tour. But that doesn’t show in tonight’s performance. WATO open their 14-song set with Lucky Ones, which keeps the crowd moving just as TGOAT left them. The following three songs see WATO play a song from each release in Don’t Be Careless, Look Alive and Our Days Are Numbered.

Playing My Heart separated WATO’s hardcore fans from others in the room, as the band played through a song from their rereleased Cutting Our Teeth. Those aware of the song make enough noise to cover up those less aware. Dan’s screams made a reappearance during (I’ll Grab You By The) Neck Of The Woods as the crowd burst into yet another circle pit and sweaty bodies hurled themselves around the venue.

This Is Called My Home saw the energy rise in the band as they performed a polished version and crowd vocals rivalled the bands’. Dan’s screams combined with Liam’s soulful vocals provide a soundtrack for, undoubtedly, many an angst-ridden teenager and was apparent through the main part of the set tonight. As the final notes play out around the room, WATO leave the stage.

Singer Liam returns for the two-song encore with just his guitar and epic-sounding vocals for Confessions before the remaining members join him on stage. WATO finally end their set with Nothing Good Has Happened Yet as the crowd erupts with cheers, group vocals and almighty chaos. WATO give it all they have and leave the crowd in awe of their passion and enthusiasm for live shows.

Support: We Are The Ocean, Mayday Parade, Adelaide

Words by Brendan Monteiro / Photo’s by Imelda Michalczyk

With a queue running the length of the venue and then some, there are some doubts as to the reception that tonight’s openers Adelaide are going to receive. Contrary to my thoughts there is a good crowd rooting for them and from my first listen of the Kent boys it’s no wonder. They play an impressive set with minimal help in the lighting and sound department, but it seems that its the norm for such an early start these days.

Next up on the bill is the Floridian pop punkers Mayday Parade who bounce onto the stage to a deafening screech of 14 year old girls going berserk. Derek Sanders leads the way with set opener Jersey but it’s Black Cat that really gets the hysteria rising, so much to the point where I need my earplugs. Three Cheers For 5 Years gives time for a bit of air before they get back into the swing of things with When I Get Home You’re So Dead. Mayday Parade have great tone, catchy songs and lot’s of energy about them but I think that they’re greatest assist is frontman Derek, he lacks all of the pretentiousness and arrogance that a lot of pop punk frontman like to flaunt. In between songs are met with sincerity and gratitude rather than irritating banter and it’s this that I really like, they just get down to the point of actually playing the show instead of trying to look cool. Mayday also have to be honoured that they had the loudest single fan, the girl that managed to catch Jake Bundrick’s drum stick almost tore the roof off with her siren like yelps.

Local heroes We Are The Ocean are main support and you always know it’s going to be a good show when you see there name on the roster, yet some people have their doubts as to whether they will perform tonight due to their rigourous touring schedule lately. Dan, Alfie, Liam, Jack and Tom take to the stage and blow everybody’s doubts right out of the water with a cracking version of Look Alive, Alfie’s rapid running lead riff is the ideal motive to get any crowd moving and tonight it does just that. Dan and Liam juggle the vocals with ease while Jack and Tom keep the cadence at a constant high.

WATO seem to impress me more and more every time I see them and although some people viewed the worry’s of such a busy schedule, I think that it’s the constant touring that is fine tuning this band into one hell of a machine. They end off with Nothing Good Has Happened Yet, and with a performance like this it’s not hard to imagine that they could be headlining venues like this soon enough.

The lights go out for the final time tonight and everyone knows what that means: with a spacey ambient intro and a crowd in frenzy, Matt, Mateo and Dan take to the stage. Finally as the unmistakable sounds of Never Take Us Alive start circulating around the Forum Nathan leaps on to the stage. As far as opening song choices go Madina Lake hit the money, Never Take Us Alive is such an anthemic and uplifting song, everyone who knows the words is screaming as loud as there lungs will let them.

You can’t bleed,
Can’t touch,
Can’t take us down.
You’ll never take us alive

From this moment on ML never let the pace drop for even a fraction of a second, Mateo and Matt are in constant circulation around Nathan and Nathan himself is like an energiser bunny. They blast through Adalia next, Dan laying down some insane groove while the audience gets louder and louder. One thing that I really enjoy about ML is there constant effort to remind the crowd that they are no different from their fans, the gratitude is immense from these guys and you can see it in their faces that they are having the time of their lives.

They rummage through an amazing set consisting of a fair amount of old and new, radio hits and album gems. House Of Cards receives ML trademark balloon treatment, adding more sparkle to an already dazzling performance. They float in from the top balcony as the chorus kicks in and at that moment the sea of fans go mental. On stage it seems a bit of a competition; with the balloons going either Nathan’s way, with him firing them back into the crow, or Mateo’s way where he casually pop’s them with his guitar neck and showers himself in confetti. Let’s Get Outta Here is the only song that strikes me as a bit odd at first and I think that it’s down to the fact that vocally for me it takes a different direction in it’s delivery. It’s still a good song but seems contrasting to the rest of the set, however they bounce straight back into that party vibe again with Statistics, it’s edgy rock feel has the whole floor bouncing about.

My fondest moment of the evening, is the spaced out and perplex intro to Stars, it’s really fitting with the song and Mateo really shows off some impressive effects skills and brilliant fret board work while Matt and Dan keep the momentum constantly moving forward. As a whole the show is non stop action and although all the support bands played their hearts out, there is no doubt that ML deserve to be headlining shows like this. I must admit that I am not the hugest fan of Madina Lake’s recorded work, maybe I havn’t given it enough time or maybe I wasn’t in the right receptive mood at the time but after tonight’s performance I know that both albums will be circulation in an attempt to bring back a little bit of the magic that the four Chicagoans managed to dish out live.

Setlist:

Never Take Us Alive
Adalia
One Last Kiss
Now Or Never
House Of Cards
Let’s Get Outta Here
Statistics
Stars
Pandora
Welcome To Oblivion
True Love
Not For This World

Encore:

Legends
Da Limp
Here I Stand
Me Vs The World
Escape From Here
Lila, The Divine Game

Words by Carla Woodburne

For any We Are The Ocean (WATO) fan this album, originally set for release in the summer of 09, has been a serious wait. Waiting builds up high expectations and sometimes it is easy to be let down. However this is most certainly not the case here, it is evident from the first ridiculously catchy song ‘Look Alive’ that this was worth the wait. WATO have truly gone above and beyond any expectations with their debut album ‘Cutting Our Teeth’.

The mature content of this album has to be commended, and as musicians these boys have evolved nicely to bring more depth and substance to 10 extremely good tracks, showing a clear step forward from their first self titled EP. There is a definite sense that this, 5 piece, London based band are really putting their necks on the line. They are doing what they so evidently love and do best. This is obvious in the last track of the album ‘This Is Called My Home’, where vocalist Liam Cromby and Dan Brown sing about the stage being where they belong. In this track one can almost feel the anticipation, the excitement and the burning desire that fuels them; this is heightened by the epic riffs of guitarist Alfie Scully.

With such a vast array of material ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ will definitely keep the listeners attention for the full duration of the album. There is a mix of catchy riffs and chorus lines in songs like ‘These Days’, ‘I Have Nothing’ and ‘I Used To Be So Much More’ The bound to be favourites such as; ‘Confessions’ and ‘(I’ll Grab You By) The Neck Of The Woods’ provide powerful vocals, raw heart pounding screams and riveting guitar solos amplifying how far the band has come to demonstrate the growth in their song writing capabilities.

Regardless of ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ being a greatly produced album, WATO remain a band that one really does have to see live, as their incendiary sound and incredible stage presence makes for one rad band night out.

With this album We Are The Ocean have certainly called dibs on 2010!

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