Hobo’s has always been a popular gig venue for local bands but when the big fans of We are the Ocean discovered that the band was coming to Bridgend, tickets went flying out. Upon arrival at the venue, half an hour early for the gig, the queue was already building. The sound of line checks blared through the window and it was already sounding great.
The doors opened just after 7.30pm and we made our way up the steep staircase to the bar where the crowd were gathering to get in a few drinks before the first act came onto the stage.
The promoters had done a good job when looking for young, local talent to support. The opener were called Falling With Style from the Welsh Valleys. It’s fair to say that this band are one of the most energetic to grace the stage. Frontman, Lucas Woodland, found it difficult to stay on stage and went into the crowd to sing with them.
Main support for the evening were four piece King & Country. Hailing from Bridgend/Newport, this band previously seemed to lack confidence on stage, but tonight they took bold strides across the stage, asserting themselves to the crowd.
The venue went into blackout in preparation for We are the Ocean to come on stage. By this point, the venue was full from front to back to the point of almost bursting. As expected, as the guitars ripped through the speakers, the crowds went wild.
They sound exactly the same live as they do on their albums. They hit every note exact and powerfully. It was nice to hear songs from past albums, even songs they wrote when Dan Brown (former singer) was in the band. This kept all the hardcore fans and new fans happy, at the same time.
After a sweaty, hour long set, they finally finished with one of their most popular songs, ‘Young Heart’. The atmosphere was incredible from front to back with the whole crowd, of varying ages, singing along. A fantastic end to a rare night.
9/10
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