The Wombats Celebrate ‘Oh! The Ocean’ in Brighton
Show Review + Gallery ★ Elsa Commander ★ @elsa.com.photos ★ 500 Words
Before their recent tour for their sixth album, ‘Oh! The Ocean’, The Wombats came to CHALK, Brighton, for an unforgettable album release show.
The performance was opened by Dutch Criminal Record, a band with a flashy indie style to bring colourful energy to the room before the main event. The band played fast paced originals such as ‘Stuck Between’, as well as the high energy riffs of ‘Outside’. Their set also featured highly memorable rock version of Chappell Roan’s ‘Good Luck Babe’.
The eruption of sound when The Wombats’ ‘Murph’ came out onto stage was impressive - especially from such a closely packed, intimate venue compared to the likes of the O2, that The Wombats would go on to play this tour. Looking down at the crowd, it seemed that there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know each song.
People danced and sang through ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come’, a vibrant start to the album release show. The energy seemed solid and tangible, and the words were clearly heard throughout the Brighton venue. The grinding, dark track that is ‘Kate Moss’ from ‘Oh! The Ocean’ received immediate cheers as the steady, synth and drum beats ricocheted throughout the venue, reverberating bass through the hearts of those present. Murph’s exclamation of ‘Now all I ever seem to find is mayhem’ was joined by the majority, bringing the room together in a clamour of sound.
The iconic track that is ‘Greek Tragedy’ is mesmerising live; pink and blue lighting merge to create a celestial, nostalgic effect. The opening, uplifting drumbeats were accompanied by bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen emphatically drumming along with his arms in the air - before driving the notes of the famous track heavily into the instrumental of the song.
The crowd was loud during ‘Greek Tragedy’, but you would be foolish if you didn’t think they could be louder. The shouts during ‘Blood on the Hospital Floor’ were like nothing else that night - in sync, crisp and clear. ‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’ was similar though, bursting with jumping and dancing from both band and crowd members. Nearing the end of the set, after ‘The World’s Not Out To Get Me, I Am’ from ‘Oh! The Ocean’, the crowd started a mosh pit for the band’s most appreciated track: ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’, a classic song from their oldest album, ‘A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation.’ Chaos seemed to build from the very first chord, clear chanting grew from the crowd, the band themselves were enthusiastic in dancing and jumping along. The classic Wombat mascot appeared on stage amidst the chaos, as a final celebration for the last album release show. The band was charming and lively with the unique, northern soul of their music - Brighton was lucky to have witnessed the wonders of ‘Oh! The Ocean’.
