Take a (long) trip to Ocean (Ocean Hackney (London))

Member Name: samantha

Product:	Ocean Hackney (London)
Date:	20/03/01 (655 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good sound system, reasonable prices

Disadvantages: teething problems

Only just opened (march 2001) Ocean promotes itself as a front line state of the art venue and it is indeed very impressive, from the exterior architecture (previously a church), to the fashionable industrial interior featuring polished aluminium and enough doors made stylishly from MDF for Laurence Lewelyn Bowen to be proud. As a new venue it has managed to escape some of the defect of previous concert venues including a raised stage for maximum ‘viewability’ and a staged balcony to avoid that constant view of the back of someone’s head.

With a capacity of 2,700 this £23million development is clearly an attraction for major bands and groups and is where I went to see the first Soft Cell concert for 17 years this March.

Taking you from the entrance to the gig, I personally found the staff very polite (but more about that later) , my boyfriend was searched but that’s to be expected (they wouldn’t search me although I put my arms up and begged). A very stylish interior, more suited to a concert hall than a new development leads to a legion of stairs which we were directed up by a large number of security staff, presumably to ensure we didn’t steal the carpet.

The standing area was very much akin to the dance floors found at regular club venues (think Rock City, if you know Nottingham) and the drinks were surprising priced at £2.50 a pint, for London. The balcony where we were not seated seemed quite small and several people have commented that they thought it was overcrowded on that particular night. I don't know how they will deal with future gigs.

The staff were very pleasant to myself and my boyfriend although other people have issued valid complaints about their treatment at the venue. These were particularly strong when relating to people with disabilities. One couple rang up to ensure they would be allowed in early and were assured that everything had been sorted out but upon arr
iving found that no provisions had been made. And whilst the venue is fitted with a lift it appears that you have to look particularly ill to be allowed to use it.

As a new venue that is promoting itself as a premier music venue these considerations should clearly be very important and I hope that they will be improved and the staff will be given training in dealing correctly with a variety of customers.


Their web site promises that the venue is ‘easier to get to than you think’ and whilst their web site features a map its not much use unless you’re in the area. Hackney is not served by the tube system and it was quite a treck for us to get there considering we wanted to avoid the high taxi prices in London.

Promising to commission new music by artists and support the areas local culture this is clearly a new kind of venue. A wide variety of musical acts and gigs are planned and once they have sorted out their teething problems I look forward to going again- if I can find it!

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