Ocean Colour Scene may not shift records like they did at the height of their ‘Moseley Shoals’ fame in the 90s, but they showed Glasgow’s Barrowlands just why they continue to sell out venues up and down the country as one of the best live acts around.
Their current tour is a celebration of the 15th year since the release of that album. The intervening years have seen the band’s widespread appeal fade somewhat as their blend of 60’s style Rhythm n’ Blues and Folk Rock has fallen from fashion, and the departure of Damon Minchella from bass duties, replaced by Dan Sealey and Andy Bennett on bass and rhythm guitar respectively, may have been seen by some as signalling the death knell for the one-time Britpop favourites. However, the transformation to a five-piece seems to have rejuvenated the creative juices within the group, as evidenced by a return to form with last year’s album release ‘Saturday’, and judging by their Barrowlands performance on Friday night, it certainly hasn’t harmed their live sound.
In the opening half of the show, the band tore through the tracklisting to their 1996 classic ‘Moseley Shoals’ album from start to finish, guitarist Steve Cradock showing from the opening riff of ‘The Riverboat Song’ through to a storming solo on album-closer ‘Get Away’ just why he is one of the most respected musicians around at the moment. Particular highlights were the crowd-pleasing ‘The Day We Caught The Train’ and ‘You’ve Got It Bad’, which featured a drum solo from Oscar Harrison that shook the foundations of the old ballroom. In between times, the more melancholic style of ‘Lining Your Pockets’ ‘It’s My Shadow’ and ‘The Downstream’ showcased frontman Simon Fowler’s versatility as both a vocalist and a songwriter.
The crowd, which ranged in age from around sixteen to sixty, were lapping up the nostalgia, but the start of the second half of the gig perhaps showed where the problems lie for OCS. More recent singles ‘Magic Carpet Days’ and ‘Saturday’ were received enthusiastically enough by the crowd, but the word-perfect singing in unison that had greeted every track from ‘Moseley Shoals’ was noticeably absent. ‘Old Pair Of Jeans’, an album track penned by Bennett and sung by him here, was also perhaps less familiar to some of the crowd, but the reception it received may give the band hope that some in attendance will take the time to look beyond ‘Moseley Shoals’ and give some of their newer material a listen.
To that end, the rest of the gig was a case in point that this band are no one-album wonders, as they showcased songs from some of their later offerings. ‘Hundred Mile High City’, ‘Traveller’s Tune’ and ‘Get Blown Away’ from 1997’s ‘Marchin’ Already’ along with ‘Profit In Peace’ from 1999 album ‘One From The Modern’ were particularly well received, and the encore consisting of a solo version of ‘Robin Hood’, Fowler’s voice cracking with emotion in parts, and a storming version of The Beatles’ ‘Day Tripper’, which has become a live staple of an Ocean Colour Scene show since a version including the Gallagher brothers appeared on 1997’s B-Sides, ‘Seasides and Freerides’, ensured that the beer-soaked and sweat-stained audience went home happy. Ocean Colour Scene may not re-invent British rock music, but on this evidence, they are clearly one of its finest exponents in the live arena.
Words by Graeme McGarry
