Ocean Colour Scene - Live Review

Oxford got this one a little late. The original January date disappearing from the calendar was annoying, but I was just glad they rearranged it rather than letting it quietly be forgotten. It was also my first time seeing Ocean Colour Scene, which felt slightly ridiculous given how long their songs have been knocking about in my life, and where better than the intimate O2 Academy Oxford.

They opened with "The Circle" and, honestly, it just sounded great! Simon Fowler spent a lot of the night stood in front of a music stand, alternating between acoustic and simply singing, which suited the whole feel of it.

I liked that it didn’t feel like a greatest hits victory lap. They pulled in a few less obvious choices, and it made the big moments feel earned rather than automatic. Fowler mentioned how long they’ve been doing this, 37 years together, and the 30 years of Moseley Shoals milestone. It didn’t come out as a big speech, more like a quick reminder of how far back this all goes.

When he spoke about the band, he also took a moment to introduce the others properly. Oscar Harrison on drums just kept it all moving without drawing attention to himself, and Raymond Meade on bass did that quiet, essential job of holding everything in place. It’s the sort of thing you notice more when you’re seeing them for the first time.

The thing I kept coming back to was how good it sounded. Steve Craddock can play, blimey. His parts never felt like a solo bolted on top, more like he was quietly steering the songs. Every now and again you'd see Fowler glance over at him with a little nod, like he was enjoying it as much as we were. On the way out I heard a couple of people trying to describe his playing and basically giving up, words weren't enough.

Fowler’s between-song chat stayed light. He mentioned the odd track popping up on TV over the years, and there was a nod to "The Riverboat Song" being used on TFI Friday, which got that ripple of recognition from the crowd. Then, before "Profit in Peace", he said, “This is a song that seems to get truer every year we sing it,” and asked everyone to dedicate it to “their current world lunatic.” It got a laugh, but it also landed.

Later on, "Hundred Mile High City" did what it always does - it pulled everyone a step closer.

The encore kept things direct. "Robin Hood" came with Fowler solo acoustic and a brief "Live Forever" snippet, then "The Riverboat Song" rolled in and the place properly woke up again. "The Day We Caught the Train" was the closer you want in a venue like this.

For a band I’d somehow never managed to catch before, it was a pretty perfect first go. Not spotless, not precious, just a room full of people who’d waited an extra month for it and weren’t going to waste it.

Forgotten Pharaohs opened the night with a tight, no-frills set of warm, harmony-laced rock. Rooted in classic West Coast influences but delivered with grit rather than nostalgia, they struck a confident balance between mellow introspection and punchy, guitar-driven moments. An assured start that won the room early.

Ocean Colour Scene are on tour later this year:

• 14 November - Belfast Ulster Hall
• 17 November - Dublin 3Olympia
• 21 November - Glasgow OVO Hydro
• 23 November - Aberdeen Music Hall
• 24 November - Dunfermline
• 26 November - Cambridge Corn Exchange
• 27 November - Bradford Live
• 28 November - Manchester AO Arena
• 30 November - Newcastle O2 City Hall
• 1 December - Derby Vaillant Live
• 3 December - Swansea Building Society Arena
• 4 December - Cardiff Utilita Arena
• 5 December - Bournemouth International Centre
• 7 December - Plymouth Pavilions
• 8 December - Brighton Centre
• 9 December - London, The O2
• 11 December - Bristol Prospect Building
• 12 December - Birmingham bp pulse LIVE