Live Review: Ocean Alley

Psychedelic reggae-rock, circle pits and reefer oozed through Metro Theatre last night as Sydney outfit Ocean Alley took to the stage for their homecoming headline show. The entire venue was engulfed by the immense soundscape and energy emanating from this impossibly attractive six-piece.

Kicking off with the trademark beckoning guitar riffs and raspy vocals of their latest gem of an album Lost Tropics, Ocean Alley melted minds with Stripes In My Mind and Feel. They took a dip into the older catalogue, digging from 2013's Yellow Mellow EP for pure reggae track Paradise A Burn and then Muddy Water from the Hendrix-infused psychedelia of their In Purple EP. Hailing from the Northern Beaches, it's no surprise that Ocean Alley's sound is so rooted in this brand of sun-soaked psych-reggae that they do so well.

Being an all-ages gig on a Saturday night most likely explains the formation of a deep and gnarly circle pit that never left the front of the floor and the high volume of teen girls hoisted up on shoulders. The energy in the venue was electric; amplified by technicolour lights and, of course, the charisma of Ocean Alley themselves. They moved and played in tandem, curling around drummer Tom O'Brien's thumping beat and lead singer Baden Donegal's snarling vocals. 

This was the first of two sold-out Metro shows for Ocean Alley, which is a testament to the local band who have amassed such a loyal fan following. We all sang the lyrics to each and every song back at them. Holiday transported us to the tropical place of our dreams, while brand new single The Comedown sparked another blaze-up. For the ultimate crowd-pleaser Yellow Mellow, the band members released a bunch of oversized balloons that floated and bounced around among the crowd, creating the summer-festival vibes we all so crave.

When the well-amped audience called out for "one more song", we got not only a two-song encore, but also a token shoey from Donegal. True Australian showmanship.