Ocean Alley
4th April 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
New Zealanders love their reggae, it’s a sound interwoven deep within our roots. So it was no surprise that Sydneysiders Ocean Alley had sold out not one, but two consecutive nights at one of Auckland’s best live music venues the Powerstation with their unique blend of reggae fusion.
Here is a band that have paid their dues, releasing two EP’s and two stunning studio albums independently while steadily building a dedicated following across the world over the last eight years. Formed in a backyard shed the six-piece have come a long way, with all accolades well and truly deserved.
With a nod to their inherently Australian roots, the distinctive guitar riff and vocal combo of AC/DC’s ‘T.N.T’ stomped their way through the venue, signalling Ocean Alley’s imminent entrance which when it arrived was welcomed wholeheartedly by an enthusiastic audience, ready and waiting to give Ocean Alley all the love they had.
Laying down the foundations for a luscious night of funk infused groove, Ocean Alley began their set with both ‘Corduroy’ and ‘The Comedown’, the crowd immediately swaying as one as voices rose in unison and heads tipped back on pillows of blissed out vibes. With half a dozen members in the band, Ocean Alley have the ability to layer their sound and they do so effortlessly, the band members lacing together their parts while barely breaking a sweat, the overall sound one that envelops you and carries you away to days at the beach with a cold beer in the hand.
Giving the audience a taste of what’s to come, the boys dropped ‘Stained Glass’ early in the set; released in February it is the first single from the band’s forthcoming third album which judging by the quality of the song will certainly be a must have. While each of the members of Ocean Alley are just as talented as the next – Angus Goodwin’s guitar solos often providing delicious mid-song highlights while the confident keyboard playing and harmonizing backing vocals of Lachlan Galbraith lift many of the tracks into the above and beyond territory of live music – it is the vocal stylings of lead singer Baden Donegal that really set Ocean Alley apart. More than an adept guitar player, Donegal is visually appealing as a front man but also has a voice that is like liquid gold; it pours from his jaw with the greatest of ease, and at times is just so good that you begin to wonder if there is some underlying wizardry at play.
While the crowd rocked out in high spirits to ‘Mellow Yellow’, Ocean Alley were busy organising a surprise; following the song up with ‘Partner in Crime’ the boys brought out local support band Tunes of I’s saxophonist Bryn van Vilet to join them, his smooth jazz tones fitting in perfectly. Sadly, the exuberance of the crowd meant that Donegal’s duet with Lachlan on ‘Man You Were Looking For’ was lost in the noise, which was a shame as the harmonization between the two was outstanding, Donegal proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has the chops for the job.
Saving some of their most infectious tracks for the end ‘Flowers and Booze’ – easily one of the catchiest songs of the evening, guaranteed to still be buzzing around inside your skull long after the night has ended – and ‘Confidence’ (if you haven’t check out the fantastic retro roller-skating of the music video) brought the night to a close in style; the audience already screaming for an encore well before the band had even left the stage.
Not wanting to disappoint Ocean Alley returned for a two-song encore that began with their fantastic cover of the 1977 Player classic ‘Baby Come Back’; Donegal ditching the guitar in favour of working the stage with just a mic in hand. Finishing with ‘Happy Sad’ that built in strength as the song went on, Ocean Alley left Auckland on a high, the fans positively fizzing as they spilled from the venue and into the cool night air.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this sold out alternative rock/reggae show? Or have you seen Ocean Alley perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Corduroy
- The Comedown
- Hold On
- Muddy
- Knees
- Stained Glass
- Yellow Mellow
- Partner In Crime
- Holiday
- Overgrown
- Frostbite
- Man You Were Looking For
- Rage
- Bones
- Flowers And Booze
- Lemonworld
- Confidence
- Baby Come Back [Player cover – encore]
- Happy Sad [encore]
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