Next up, the main event. While me and my friends ducked out for a breath of fresh air between sets, most of the crowd stayed put. As we dipped back inside it was clear why; it was hard to find a place to stand - let alone groove. Soaked Oats came out onto the stage, greeting us with some atmospheric sounds while they take their places.
While their studio recordings are absolutely fantastic, Soaked Oats’ live performances capture some special kind of energy again and again. When you see them in person, you’re guaranteed a few things: at least 3 Jam sessions, 4 jokes that will make you laugh, 12 accent changes from Mein and most importantly; a hell of a good time. Oscar Mein is a fantastic frontman, changing up song lyrics to fit in a gag or bantering with the crowd off the cuff.
Even though I could hardly fit a breath in as I was well cramped into the bench to my right for two thirds of the set, Soaked Oats still made a standout performance, something that I am well coming to expect from a band of their calibre. You can catch soaked oats on the rest of their Corona Sunsets’ Tour around the country.
Soaked Oats are a young four-piece band that percolated into existence in Dunedin. Catapulted by their infectious and joyful shows and fast-evolving songwriting chops, the band's profile and fanbase are on a steep rise. 2019 saw the release of their most accomplished work to date, the Sludge Pop EP. The band's single Coming Up was discovered by indie-rock icon Sharon Van Etten who shared to her 90 thousand plus fans, the band were signed to Australian label Dot Dash (Methyl Ethel, Gabriella Cohen) and invited to play UK’s tastemaker festival The Great Escape. Sell-out shows across NZ and Australia and the UK throughout 2019 have the band excited for what is to come as they begin work on their debut album proper.