Gig Review: Oracle Sisters @ Oslo Hackney

A night with one of the best bands out there. And I had tickets. I arrived at Paddington late Friday afternoon. After meeting my wonderful cousin Emma (shout out) we headed to the Underground. Three changes, two tubes and one overground later, and we arrived in Hackney Central, got McFlurrys, and waited for the show. 

Converted from a former railway station, Oslo Hackney is a buzzing bar-restaurant that moonlights as a gig venue. The gig was tucked away in a cosy room on the top floor, far from the choc-o-block bar. Ryder the Eagle, the supporting act, was a top-notch saxophonist, and just so happened to be a friend of the band! Ryder was dressed with a priest collar and played a lot of songs from his new record, Megachurch. He came down into the crowd and serenaded his girlfriend, Eloise, to the joy and slight bemusement of the crowd. 

Emma and I managed to score a jammy space in the front row, and we waited in anticipation. This would be my third time seeing OS in 16 months, but I was still acting like a kid on Christmas Eve. "Is everybody in? The show is about to begin." 

And just after half past 8, out walked Lewis, Christopher and Julia to the sound of elated cheers and claps. I'd spent the whole train ride over wondering which song they'd open with.  A lot hangs on a gig's opening song. So when I heard the first few strums of I Don't Wanna Move, it was clear they'd chosen wisely. 

The bittersweet I Don't Wanna Move was a perfect opener. Next up was Tramp Like You, a song from their new record which had a beautiful piano solo that gave me a Beatles-esque feel. The best gigs mix their gold oldies with their glitzy newbies - and Oracle Sisters did just that. 

They knew how to work their crowd, and had the perfect mixed set list that seamlessly floated from one Oracle Sisters era to the other. From The Dandilion, to Hail Mary, to Cigale Song, to Peat Fire Morning, the setlist perfectly culminated the many moons of the mysterious band. In other words, OS knew how to give the people what they wanted, and were delivering it with incredible proportions. 

And not only that, they were having a ball. One of the great things about watching Oracle Sisters is their enthusiasm. Each time I've watched them from the front row, they're grinning, exchanging ecstatic looks with each other, and are clearly having as much fun as the crowd. Not to sound too chuegy, but the vibes were immaculate. 

The red, pink, yellow and orange lights blinked, slid and swooped in perfect time to the music, drenching us all in rainbow light. Emma and I couldn't stop looking at their new bassist, who was giving it so much pizzazz the whole crowd roared with cheers when he freestyled. Oracle Sisters met him in America and were so wowed by his plucking prowess - they brought him on tour. He brought a funky edge to Oracle Sisters and elevated the whole gig. 

One memorable moment was when the three of them sang the hypnotically harmonious Who Knows Where the Time Goes. And of course - when they launched into epic Asc. Scorpio (one of my all-time-faves) the crowd erupted. 

I was holding out for my 2 new favourites from Hydranism, and once again, Oracle Sisters came to the rescue. The pensive harmonica opened their killer track Hot Summer, followed by the mighty RBH. They even brought Ryder the Eagle back on for an epic saxophone solo, and the crowd went wild. From emotive ballads, to moving lyrics that read like a fairytale, to understated folk tracks to feet-stomping indie anthems, we travelled through the epicentre of Oracle Sisters, a world and sound suspended in time. And way to soon, Modern Love was playing, and the gig was winding down to a close. 

As they walked off the stage, the chant for an encore began instantaneously. To our joy, they ran back on for 2 more tracks. What happened next was almost unheard of at a gig, but proved to me again how awesome the band are. A girl next to us in the front row had been in the loo for Asc. Scorpio and missed the whole thing, so they played it again for their final song! Who does that?! 

All in all, Oracle Sisters was an unreal gig, they're amazing, and there's no one like them. It was truly an honour to get an up close and personal look at 3 otherwordly artists that are changing the scope of modern music. Oracle Sisters - hats off to you. I'll see you at the next gig.