Metros Fremantle is absolutely packed when I arrive. It’s always good to see a band willing to share their stage with a couple of support acts. These artists often represent the future of the local scene, and its important to give them a platform to perform like this. Elli Schoen wows with smooth vocals on Mumma and throws in an artfully stilted backbeat on tunes like Gold Mess.
Next up are indie rock favourites Great Gable, a Perth band who are quickly gaining traction and planning to tour on their own in five months time. All Day Long is so catchy, and sticks in my head long after the song ends.
Ocean Alley come on around ten-thirty to rapturous applause. Their latest album, Chiaroscuro, referring to the dramatic contrast of light and dark shades in art, came out earlier this year after single Confidence made it to number forty-eight in the Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown.
The Comedown and Confidence promote a darker tone each with an electric pulse that are strong enough to bring down the house and get everyone bumping. I say bumping because I literally got bumped almost onto the floor several times by people in varying states of drunk or high. It lends to the atmosphere, because Ocean Alley are not confined to the more chill tracks, as anyone who is familiar with their brand of reggae-inspired beats will already be expecting.
Yellow Mellow starts with forty seconds or so dreamy synthesiser and light drumbeat, then theres that expectant pause before they hit you with a heavy reggae upbeat. Lead singer Baden Donegal’s famous dreads shake as he bobs tilts his head back and forward and sings.
Longer tracks towards the middle of the set are more chill, soothing the crowd into the kind of reggae trance that is only punctured with meaty guitar riffs. The sound seems to ripple through everyone’s bodies, inducing a synced swaying movement of people.
The entire crowd heartily sang along to Ocean Alley’s cover of 1970’s Player song Baby Come Back, which they first covered that morning on Triple J’s Like a Version. The reception the song gets makes me wonder if they can experience a revival as an instant classic?
Holiday is the embodiment of warm summer nights and loved-up days at the beach, and Happy Sad’s piano notes have an old-time ballad feel to them.
White confetti explodes over the crowd at the end, providing endless photo opportunities for the many people who quickly whip out their phones. Ocean Alley were initially compared to Sticky Fingers quite a bit, but seeing them live only confirms the only connection between the bands and their sounds is the ‘reggae’ tag. If their sold out show is anything to go on, it is clear Ocean Alley are an already very well-loved and hugely promising addition to the Aussie music scene, which is lacking in similarly successful reggae-rock bands.
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