“It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way…” – Warren Ellis
Much can happen in a decade; styles wax and wane, people and priorities shift, and men will be faced with challenges, so legends can rise. Time’s protraction presents both a gift and a test, few end a decennary as strong as they began it; rarer still is the Collective who hold true to their origins and surge with strength infinite, into the next era and on in an Oddworld.
“It’s hard to believe this is where we’d be when we started this thing fifteen years ago”, OCEAN GROVE’s founding co-vocalist, Luke ‘Poochy’ Holmes, emotes. The band’s Odd Label double-feature anniversary tour, concluding the sold-out run in Adelaide, the studio member’s guest appearance (alongside guitarist, Matthew Kopp, aka Running Touch) with his high-school friends, frontman/bassist Dale Tanner and drummer/producer Sam Bassal, embodied the nature of occasion, and the band themself.
Adelaide’s original venue immediately sold out upon announcement, the city’s Unibar hosted the headliners, joined on all dates across the country by fellow-Victorian four-piece, DREGG. Serendipitously named, I Can Remember the Future opens the quartet’s ‘relentless barrage’ of hardcore-hiphop, which has the university’s beer hall swell to capacity early; those In Search of escape from the sweltering heat spilling out into the icy Cloisters’ Chaos Garden. A night for nu-metal’s next generation, the invitation was to Dress Down and show up; Dog Cunts, best mates and #1 fans all welcome.
Opening their Deathparty in style, DIAMOND CONSTRUCT grace the Unibar’s stage for the second time in 2025’s first-half. Glittering in a freshly personalised tracksuit, frontman Kynan Groundwater sings Faded’s serene melodies while similarly uniformed counter-guitarists, including brother Braden, set alight the Neon ballroom. Hypnotised by the night’s curtain raisers, the Enigma and smiling assassin, Groundwater’s words slice with Switchblade precision. Practicing what DC preach, “the energy you put out, I’ll Hit It Back!”, Jynx encourages waves of crowdsurfers over the barrier; to the temporary chagrin of security guards, there could be no other ending to “the most insane tour we’ve ever been a part of.”
Anticipation building to palpable heights, the lighting drops to burnt orange on black as ODDWORLD’s introductory chant repeats and OG’s members appear one-by-one to almost overpowering ovation. Already at fever pitch, CELL DIVISION’s concurrency encourages speculation on how the performance of bookending albums might go. Black Label’s sixth track following, DC’s Groundwater joins in for the facetiously titled, You Know Something We Don’t? and the guessing game is over – tonight, we celebrate and alternate the present and past, OG proving their amazing constancy and commitment to craft.
Dale Tanner comes to the fore; unable to hide his own for any longer, the STUNNER charismatically commands, I Told You to Smile. Swapping duties with Twiggy Hunter for RAINDROPS, the former straps on a bass while the latter mans the mic. Pandemonium ensuing for his central arrival, Hunter may not be a Mentone schoolboy but, as Tanner later articulates, “through every evolution, every change … nothing has been more influential and important for us than the arrival of this man.” A true icon, Twiggy is Ocean Grove personified.
Segueing back to Black, 167 Damillia matches youthful exuberance with older and wiser guile; pit crew wilding, security guards conveyor belt escapees from the churning torrent, band and fans joining hands in passing, as the heat surges again. Introducing Diploid homage is paid to humble beginnings and, enjoying a celebratory beer, Tanner admires: “This is what a sold out Adelaide crowd looks like. Poochy, who knew this city could sing so loud?” Our reward, a loving reprieve, LAST DANCE lit by Flip Phone Fantasy lights precedes SOWHAT1999’s live debut and Holmes’ closure of the major act, fittingly to ODDWORLD’s final, OTP.
Chants of “one more song” beget several from the touring Collective, Tanner, Bassal & Hunter, joined by DREGG’s guitarist, Zak Thom. Showing Backbone, Tanner launches out over the pit, then stripteases on stage; hot B.L.U.D. boiling for ODDWORLD’s last installment, FLY AWAY, before Lights on Kind of Lover closes out Black Label. Not leaving the stage, Tanner pauses to recognise his bandmates, signalling Bassal’s dual contributions: “This man is responsible for some of the greatest heavy music this country has ever heard”, before Hunter returns his praise. “Before we move on, we can’t forget our brother, the reason OG exists – Dale-fucking-Tanner!”
A demonstration of the love that is the secret to OCEAN GROVE’s strength and enduring success, they suspend us in their warmth. “Whether this is the first time you’ve seen us, Welcome to the Oddworld, or if it’s the second, fifth, tenth or twentieth time, we love you and we’ll see you again soon”, OG offer a final gift for this evening – JUNKIE$ going out to each and every fan, The Rhapsody Tapes juggernaut taking us to the end of the night, and the very edge of their ODDWORLD’.
