Ocean Colour Scene return to Liverpool

Review and live photo gallery from Ocean Colour Scene at Mountford Hall in Liverpool.

Making a long over due return to the city, Saturday night saw Ocean Colour Scene take to the stage at the Liverpool Guild Of Students, a venue they haven’t played for the best part of a decade.

Burr Island opened up, a two piece from London, with some beautiful brooding melodies. They capture the spirit of folk music well with both Oscar and Tom having sweet relaxing vocals and heart-warming tunes.

The sound of Booker T’s Green Onions bellows out signalling the arrival of Birmingham’s Ocean Colour Scene, opening up with 1996 single You’ve Got It Bad, followed by Simon Fowler reaching for his acoustic guitar for Fleeting Mind followed by Debris Road from the Marchin’ Already LP, the one that went to Number One in 1997 knocking Oasis off the top spot, a fantastic opening trio of tracks by anyone’s standards. And they sound fantastic, Simon, Oscar, Ray and Steve Cradock along with his son who is also playing in the band these days.

Having not released an album since 2013’s Painting, the fact they are still selling out large venues is a compliment to their legacy, a legacy that features tracks Low and July, two classics from the One From The Modern LP. These tracks are over 20 years old but still retain a freshness and Steve Cradock’s clinical guitar solos are a real treat.

This run of six dates, including two in Scotland, were all sold out by the bands loyal fan base, the only OCS shows this year apart from Simon Fowler and drummer Oscar Harrison’s extensive acoustic tour in Spring. We have a feeling the crowd is mostly made up of those in their late 30s and 40s who remember them first time around and the three top 5 albums from the 90s, but unfortunately a lot of people towards the back are choosing to chat like its a Christmas night out, an annoying and seemingly all too common occurrence. OCS aren’t a loud band, it’s a shame that.

The central part of the set begins with the anti-war song Profit In Peace, then a couple of tracks later comes the first of the top 20 singles they played tonight, the Riverboat Song from Moseley Shoals, an album they played in full at the Liverpool Olympia back in 2016. Most of the bigger hits from the mid 90s start to come now, in the middle and towards the very end of the set, with Traveller Tune, Better Days and The Circle being a great run of songs and the highlight of the night.

Hundred Mile High City ends the 90 minuet set perfectly and onwards to the encore which obviouly ends with The Day We Caught the Train, saying that it was now time for a special treat for Liverpool with Chris and Tony coming out to sing the Beatles Day Tripper, a perfect end to the evening.

Now managed by Alan McGee they are planning a new LP for 2024, lets hope they come back to Liverpool to play it.

Set List

You’ve Got It Bad
Fleeting Mind
Debris Road
So Low
July
The Clock Struck 15 Hours Ago
North Atlantic Drift
It’s My Shadow
Profit in Peace
I Wanna Stay Alive With You
Riverboat Song
Half a Dream Away
Free on the Wind
This Day Should Last Forever
One for the Road
Travellers Tune
Better Day
The Circle
Get Blown Away
Hundred Mile High City