Ocean Sleeper – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 22nd November @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Adam 'Ricey' Rice

Ocean Sleeper
Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC
November 22nd, 2019
Supports: Stepson, Letters To Amara and Outloved

Ocean Sleeper, a band who are perfecting the art of combining mixed genres to create an incredibly unique sound, as seen on their debut album Don’t Leave Me This Way (our review here) has hit the road to celebrate the release of Don’t Leave Me This Way. We happened to catch the band at the sold-out Melbourne leg of the tour to witness the four-piece do what they do best.

I arrived at the venue just before the doors opened and I was quick to notice that the length of the line to enter the building was huge for a local show, it must have been thirty to forty metres long. I entered the band-room to an already packed crowd who were heavily anticipating the performance of opening act Outloved, which was surprising as this show was the bands very first performance in front of an audience. As they took to the stage a massive cheer from the crowd erupted, along with an electrifying energy that stayed with the crowd for the entire set. I found it hard to believe that this was Outloved‘s first show, their professionalism as a group, the way that they interacted with the crowd, the incredible music that they have and the deafening sing-alongs the crowd yelled back at them during the performance of their song ‘Dying To Leave’ made them seem as experienced as any other band on this line up. This was a set I’m sure this band won’t forget in a hurry, and I for one am looking forward to watching them perform again.

Five-piece pop-punk act Letters To Amara were next to take over the stage, and they were quick to make their presence known. With the entrancing stage moves of lead vocalist Celeste as she danced from the left to the right of the stage, as well as jumping in amongst the fans to sing her lyrics in a personal fashion. Instrumentally, this band was on the mark. If you are a fan of Australian pop-punk, I suggest checking these guys out at your earliest convenience.

It was then time for Stepson to demonstrate their music to a packed music venue. The melodic hardcore band started strong. Their high energy stage presence flowed throughout the crowd as they created the nights first mosh pit. With the live premiere of their song ‘The Entire History Of You’ which was their first single to be released in two years, every attendee seemed to have enjoyed this set thoroughly. Vocalist Brock Alan Conry continuously stalked the stage from side to side, creating a vibe of ‘are you fucking listening?’ which of course the answer was yes. It was a powerful performance in which Ocean Sleeper and Stepson fans around the country can enjoy as they play every show on this tour.

Finally, it was time for Ocean Sleeper to grace the stage with their presence. Beginning the set with ‘Sleep Life Away’ which introduced an electrifying feeling from the sold-out crowd, who provided loud sing-alongs (see video below) and copious amounts of moshing. Vocalist Karl Spiessl repeatedly jumped on the speakers and swung off the roof of the venue, all while screaming his lyrics perfectly, which made for an entertaining performance. The band continuously thanked the crowd for their display of enthusiasm throughout the set. They played most of the songs from their recent album Don’t Leave Me This Way including ‘Hate Me Like You Mean It’, ‘You’ll Never know’, ‘Out Of Sight – Out Of Mind’ and Running Through My Head, all of which fans were ecstatic to finally be able to see them performed live. The instrumentalists didn’t fall short of the mark either, they played with the utmost amount of confidence and seemingly didn’t miss a note, all while each member interacted with the crowd with their own, individual ways. Vocalists Karl Spiessl and Ionei Heckenberg continuously switched vocals roles and made doing so look effortless. Before walking off stage after finishing their set, vocalist Karl Spiessl said “Thank you so much for this, We are just four country boys. Things like this never happen to people like us.”

Ocean Sleeper are currently a powerful and influential band within the local music scene; they have a large, passionate fanbase which seems to grow with every show they play.

Gig Review by Adam Rice @adamrice1994

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Setlist

Sleep Life Away
Killing Me
Hate Me Like You Mean It
Worthless – No Purpose
You’ll Never know
Breaking Free
Save Me
Out Of Sight – Out Of Mind
Running Through My Head
Light In My Dark