OCEAN GROVE w/Diamond Construct, Dregg
UniBar, Adelaide, South Australia
May 30th 2025

It’s not often a show in Adelaide sells out a venue, gets upgraded and then sells out AGAIN. If one band can do it though, it is the formidable Ocean Grove. Tearing up the East Coast earlier with their Odd Label Tour, the band headed Southwest to little Adelaide to finish up on a chaotic high. Performing their iconic EP’s, 2015’s Black Label and last years highly acclaimed Oddworld a hectic night was promised from the second the tour announcement went up.

Before Ocean Grove had a chance to tear it up, Melbourne’s Dregg had the task of warming up the crowd. With many people in the crowd sporting Dregg shirts, it seemed that they were already going to be a hot favourite. After powering through a few songs, the band polled the crowd to see who had seen them before. With a pretty even split between the eager audience who were not standing still at all, they were quite successful in their task to impress.

An absolute wild set all round, putting on their own brand of heavy that represents the true spirit of Aussie nu-metal hard rock fusion. Finishing off with spectators going to the ground tussling over a t-shirt, the rowdy act lived up to their reputation.

One band you can never accuse of skipping our city is the one and only Diamond Construct, who were making their second appearance at Adelaide UniBar this year. Their love for the often overlooked state capital seems to have been paying off as most of the sold out audience came in from the beer garden to watch this techy but groovy numetalcore contingent rip up the stage. Giving some bangers from their latest album Angel Killer Zero, once again we were wowed by frontman Kynan Groundwater’s bedazzled tracksuit.

Don’t let the sparkles fool you though, this band goes in hard and heavy. One second you are wowed by their technical prowess. The next minute you are headbanging, only to then , like one enthusiastic moshpit goer, be throwing it back in the middle of the pit. Kynan laid down a challenge to the Adelaide audience, promising that they would return all the energy that the punters gave them- and that they did.

Also, lamenting that the security seemed bored, crowd surfing was encouraged and while people were a little hesitant to partake, eventually there were some bodies moving. The band never escape the success of their classic single ‘Hit It Back’ but they seem to embrace it, as they never fail to include it in their set.

After the room was well and truly warmed up, as well as ridiculously packed, it was time for the men of the hour: Ocean Grove. Opening with ‘Cell Division’, the Victorian lads had the room bouncing straight away. It was one of those moments where you realise just how incredible this band is live. The atmosphere of the room was immediately elevated and it was one of those sets where you cannot help but bond with everybody around you.

Swinging back into the ‘Black Label’ tracks, it seemed that either everybody had been a fan for a long time or they had indeed done their research. Often when you get a band that has stood the test of time, you get a divided crowd but not Ocean Grove. The energy for the songs on both releases was just as enthusiastic. In true Adelaide fashion, the pit got weird and wonderful, with unfortunately a few injured punters stumbling out of the sea of bodies- but other than a poor lad who had seemed to have dislocated his kneecap- smiles were still plastered across their face.

It was not all just blazing party vibes. There were sentimental moments that showed just how genuine and still deeply humble this band is. Paying tribute to every person who stood onstage with them was one thing. A touching moment where Luke ‘Poochy’ Holmes lamented that he never thought he would perform the Black Label songs again as he has changed from the person who originally wrote them, but he was so inspired by how they seemed to resonate with audiences this many years on.

Dipping out for an encore that shocked nobody, the highlight of the night for me was when they performed ‘Fly Away‘. They said that when they played the song in Brisbane on the first night of tour- they had never heard anything so loud coming back to them. While Adelaide may not have completely matched, they gave it a red hot go. The floor rumbled, voices rang out through the room and it was genuinely one of the best moments I’ve ever experienced at a live show.

Over 20 years of live music, going to shows every other week, some shows start to blend together (maybe getting kicked head in the pit might have something to do with it) but this show was truly a standout. No malicious behaviour, no hiccups and incredible sets from every band- the vibes were immaculate.

Shout out to Ocean Grove, you truly are something special and the atmosphere you create is one of the best I have ever experienced.

Don’t stay away from Adelaide for too long yeah?