Like most gigs over the past couple of years, Ocean Alley were part of the list of constant reschedules. And it seems most people including myself had forgotten about some, but clearly not this one, with a sold-out crowd of about 5k attending Spark Arena last night.
Arriving to Spark Arena, I realised that this crowd was young (in my eyes) and they were pre-loading up the road but clearly so excited and preparing for the night ahead. As I got to the box office there was a queue of people lining up to buy tickets as well – this was definitely a sold-out show! This crowd was beaming with energy and excitement and I think we all felt that with the return of international acts to Spark Arena. It must feel so good to be getting tickets scanned and hitting that barrier.
The energy was high and a lot of the crowd had packed in as Hockey Dad took to the stage. They gave a great performance and I think what I appreciated was just seeing a band on a big stage with no big theatrics or anything just good lighting, great sound and and having a good time. I had heard of Hockey Dad before but never heard their music but they were great and I couldn’t fault their performance. The band seemed to be vibing off the crowds energy and I think that was reflected in everyone’s face, including my own.
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It was interesting to watch the crowd, I mean people-watching is always interesting, but you could see how much everyone had missed nights out with live music. Some clearly overdoing it a bit on the booze I think but everyone seemed to be in good spirits nonetheless, regardless of how drunk they were. By now they arena was packed and whether you were in the foyer or inside the arena bowl, there were people everywhere. I managed to pop upstairs for some expensive chicken & chips but had to do the night properly. Upstairs catering was definitely the area either people couldn’t be bothered going to or didn’t know about, which made it easier if you weren’t drinking and just wanted food. But after a quick break, it was time to head back in.
Is it weird to say it smelled the same and the floor was it’s sticky self by that point? It sounds weird but it made It feel a bit homely. Then seeing the lights go down and the crowds screams erupt, was almost like a switch. Like this is why we’re here and something exciting is about to happen.
Ocean Alley took the stage with smiles and waves to the crowd. They kicked off the first song ‘Tombstone’ with vocalist Baden making his way out to complete the lineup. You really couldn’t take the smiles off their faces most of the night but they touched on that, mentioning how the show is finally happening and how great it is to be doing shows again. I think we all felt that. I liked that the band just played track after track with only the odd comment in between. It just felt like it held the vibe and energy of the crowd . The band had a large banner draped behind them with their name, with the band on tiered platforms that had mirrors and lighting. It was quite a funky set up and the lighting made for a beautifully colourful experience which worked so well with their music. It was a long setlist, not that anyone would complain at all. People jumped up on each other’s shoulders, some were dancing together down the back, it was quite a wholesome experience in that sense. To see people just having a great night at live music again – we’ve had local gigs but the first international act at Spark Arena was hitting everyone differently I think. When it got close to the end and they thanked the crowd, I thought it seemed a bit quick and I was right, The lighting indicated to the crowd, that you should make noise if you want more, and they did. The band returned to the stage with Baden saying “Jesus Christ Auckland, how could we not”. They played a couple more tracks before finally departing the stage for real.
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Now they just played a Sold Out Wellington show and if you’re reading this all you’re probably trying to decide is should I go see Ocean Alley and/or Hockey Dad live and the answer is yes, yes you should. You will have bad FOMO if you don’t.
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HOCKEY DAD SETLIST BABES |
OCEAN ALLEY SETLIST TOMBSTONE |