We Are The Ocean - Academy 2, Newcastle, 14/10/2010
by Kelly Smith
published: 5 / 11 / 2010
intro
Kelly Smith finds much acclaimed post hardcore band We Are The Ocean monotonous and soon becoming dull at a show at the Acadeemy 2 in Newcastle
There is a moment during various gigs where you realise that a circle pit is coming for you and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you move forwards, you will be inevitably crushed to death by the screaming hordes. If you move backwards, there is the terrifying prospect you will trip over your own shoelace and be lost forever. This moment happened to me during the support act Ghost of a Thousand. I chose to stay where I was and the outcome was luckily nothing more than a gentle crush against a man’s anorak during an utterly sublime cover of 'Back in Black' by AC/DC. We Are The Ocean are a five-piece post hardcore outfit from the London and Essex areas. They are fast emerging as a new British talent after being nominated for the Kerrang! Best British Newcomer award in 2007. They have sold out gigs up and down the country and recently released their debut full length album ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ to much critical fanfare. They arrived on stage with a bang, after a longer-than-necessary build up involving sci-fi music and smoky lighting, and initially I was impressed with their sound, their look and the massive energy they put into running around the stage. As I’m not a massive We Are The Ocean fan, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the gig. I know a few songs, but not all. The main dilemma I face when reviewing something less than familiar is “how am I going to remember which songs they did?” And my stock answer to this is to write down lyrics on a postcard, my hand, or in this instance a print out of an email I had in my bag at the time. As a result of this extremely not-recommended technique I don’t manage to catch the names of some songs, but in this instance they were all so similar that beyond the obvious crowd pleasers I don’t think it mattered to anyone there what they were singing. The categorical crowd favourite was also one of their best known. 'Are You Proud Of Me Now?' was the best received of the night, the crowd performing just as much as the band in response to the music. Other highlights included 'Playing My Heart' and 'Our Days Are Numbered', where the band really seemed to play off to the energy of the writhing mass in front of them. It would be unfair to describe their performance as lacklustre, but there was nothing about the band which made me think “I have to see them again”. After the energy and effort they put into their set, I should be able to come out with more to say about them but the truth of the matter was they were formulaic at best, although at least enthusiastic about their same-yness. Reading some of the bands We Are The Ocean have performed alongside, it seems like they would benefit from a more polished performance. They are not yet established enough to rely on the strength of their songs alone, at least for an audience wider than their teen hardcore following. All in all, I think they were outdone by Ghost of a Thousand. The gig would have felt much more comfortable if We Are The Ocean had been the support, and I think I would have been more forgiving of their performance. But maybe that’s just me. I know for sure is that We Are The Ocean front man Liam Crosby looked EXACTLY like He-Man. And in a truly great band, that wouldn’t have distracted me from the music.
Picture Gallery:-
live reviews |
Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 20/10/2010 |
At the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow Tony Gaughan watches Badly Drawn Boy on tour with his seventh and latest studio album, 'It's What I'm Thinking Pt 1: Photographing Snowflakes', play an impressively eclectic set |
features |
We Are The Ocean (2010) |
Anna Gudaniec photographs British hardcore band We Are The Ocean at a show at the HMV Forum in London |
reviews |
Go Now and Live (2011) |
Fantastic second album from Essex-based post-hardcore collective, We Are The Ocean |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Madeline Bell - Interview
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Feedback File - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Deep Purple - =1
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Jules Winchester - The Journey
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart