Currently, Ocean Grove and Fox Lake are on tour with Poppy across Europe and the UK. So imagine my surprise when I saw the two were putting special side shows on during their off days. There are 4 dates the bands have added to their already humongous tour, and luckily, one of those is right on my doorstep.
Displacer is a Sheffield-born band taking the local scene by storm. The band were pulled onto this short side tour at the last minute as a replacement, the ads for the show not even updated. It’s not my first run-in with Displacer and definitely won’t be my last. The vocalist does a great job of waking up the crowd, ready to get going with his harsh vocals, which have a sharp edge.
The band are a great example of successfully genre-blending in this new era, and it’s only a matter of time before they are regularly pulled onto these bigger tours. It’s great seeing the local scene, reviving with the new wave, and shouting out to the people who came early to catch them.
Review & Photography: Jayne Slater
www.madeinerrormedia.com
@madeinerror.media
Fox Lake is an American metal-blend band currently on tour with Poppy and Ocean Grove. The energy shift in the room is palpable once they take the stage. A lot of fans in the room formed a mosh pit right in the centre. We even had a couple of stage jumpers leaping from the edge back into the crowd. The entire audience is facing the stage, giving the band exactly what they want. The band held together on stage as a unit. All working off each other’s momentum to keep the hype up. To me, the band lined up well with the hardcore crowd, riling them up and encouraging even more chaos to unfold. As someone new to the band, it’s hard not to watch not only them but the crowd below. The hype is real, and they’re ready to get the vibes going. A really great choice of main support.
Review & Photography: Jayne Slater
www.madeinerrormedia.com
@madeinerror.media
Ocean Grove are an Australian metal fusion band blending nu-metal, alternative and whatever the fuck you can think of. My first experience with the band was around 2 years ago and it’s safe to say they have as much energy then as they do now. The band definitely put on one of the best live shows whether you know their music or not. The beats are bouncing, the harsh and soft vocals are on point and the tracksuits are serving.
The crowd are sardined towards the stage as the barrier-less pit allows them to reach the band- people getting fist bumps and the band even jumping down at one point. The band has a way of inviting you right into their world with little effort and purely based on vibes. They’re a treat to watch live and each time I see them they impress me more.
For what was technically an “off-day” show, tonight felt anything but small. Displacer proved why the local scene is worth paying attention to, stepping up last minute and delivering a set that showed exactly why bands like them are starting to appear on bigger lineups. Fox Lake kept the intensity climbing, leaning fully into the chaos that the crowd was more than happy to give back.
And Ocean Grove, as always, turned the room into their own weird and wonderful world — the kind of band that doesn’t just play a show but creates an atmosphere you get pulled into whether you planned to or not.With all the two bands heading back into the much larger Poppy tour run after these side shows, it felt like catching lightning in a bottle. Smaller rooms, no barriers, and the kind of energy that only happens when touring bands squeeze in a gig just because they can. If this was just a quick detour in the middle of a massive tour, it’s safe to say the fans who caught it got something pretty special out of it.
Jayne Slater
www.madeinerrormedia.com
@madeinerror.media
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