It’s a Wednesday night in the heart of Glasgow and gig goers are descending to the West End for Australian bands Seaside and Ocean Alley. After a day full of rain and dullness it was nice to see the sky clear for tonight’s show as the punters headed into the venue. The gig goers got their refreshments and waited at the stage ready for the night to begin.
Not long after the doors opened, the lights went dull and out came four excited Australians greeting the crowd with an “Oi Oi” as they introduced themselves as Seaside. The music began with heavy drumming before the guitar riffs lead into vocals from the female lead singer. Although the crowd wasn’t very full at this point, they didn’t hold back their cheering that erupted giving the band a warm welcome to Glasgow.
Seaside filled their set with some newer songs and older songs they have released. I really enjoyed watching them perform, their stage presence and energy were great even though their instruments were significantly higher than the vocals sometimes which made it difficult to hear the singing. The crowd seemed to enjoy their set too as they bopped their heads along to the tunes and let out loud cheers throughout.
After a short interval and the punters got their refreshments of what looked like mostly beer, the crowd was now full as the lights went down and the six Australian’s of Ocean Alley took to the stage with a very upbeat intro that had the crowd roaring.
First time hearing Ocean Alley and seeing them live, I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The crowd continued to roar in approval of the set list, bopping their heads and swaying to the music as it blared through the room. Their tune is very relaxing with a bit of energy infused throughout, kind of like reggae with a bit of indie-rock mixed through it. Their sound is pieced together with heavy drums and rhythmic guitar riffs paired with good strong vocals from the lead singer.
Although it’s not my usual gig scene, it was a nice change of pace, and I really enjoyed the laid-back feel of the gig while still seeing the crowd fully appreciate the musical talent of the bands. I wouldn’t say no to seeing them again if they came back to Glasgow.