OCEAN COLOUR SOENE/OOVES
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You can thank or blame Chris Evans, Noel Gallagher and Vinnie Jones. Or you can point to the British record- buying public who have snapped up their releases by the barrowload. Whoever is responsible for their huge success, there is no denying that OCEAN COLOUR SCENE
are the archetypal festival band. ‘."."()!(l82 Mark Robertson
IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE NOW hut ()cean (‘olour Scene were once the cutting edge ol underground indie and dance iiiusic. Yet. it was on BBC ’I‘V's music show Snub where the Brummie hand made their lirst foray into the puhlic psyche. a place where they appear to he terminally lodged.
They were l‘ilmed playing their lirst single 'Sway”. in a cuphoard-like London nightcluh. 'l'hey strutted like peacocks: all Breton shirts and .lagger— esque pouts. ‘(‘hrist. that was a while ago; you’ye got a good memory.‘ exclaims ()(‘S t‘rontman Simon Fowler. Admittedly this was a while hack l‘)‘)() to he precise so following that logic. ()cean (‘olour Scene are the higgest underground hand in the country. ‘\\'e‘ye come a long way since then. hut in ten years you‘d expect anyone to.'
l’rom these
seen its
less than heady
beginnings. they‘ye gone on to play arenas. l’oothall stadiums and exert a few castles. including Slane in Ireland
12 THE LIST 0 /'. ,. ./
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and a record-breaking three nights in
Stirling. Despite the liickle world of
fashion. the hand haye held on to a huge following. Nowhere is this so apparent as in Scotland. ‘We do haye a considerahle following in Scotland.
we always haye done. We get a similar
response in Ireland. Mayhe it‘s the ('eltic appreciation for good music. drinking and haying a top time.‘
They are among only a handful of
hands who could keep the punters happy at a l'estiyal which many are regarding as 'l‘rayis' homecoming party. They are a hardy hunch who haye suryiyed the heralding and eyentual critical dadrock and all its deriyatiyes as well as record company eontrariness and
legal wrangles. 'l‘hey eyen added their
signature mod-ish guitar stompers to
inseam-:9 r rantedaiit
ruhhishing of
'Maybe it's the Celtic appreciation for good music, drinking and having a top time.’ Simon Fowler
two duhious telly excursions »- (‘hris liyans‘ sell—indulgent twaddle. 'I'l’l l’rir/uy. and the current series of Luck. .S'Imk. . . -- and managed to get out the other side reasonahly unscathed. ()cean (‘olottt' Scene’s music is not l’ashionahle and prohahly neyer really has heen. But it is rooted in an era (the late (Hts) which is ol‘ such huge cultural importance and despite their musical magpie tendencies they continue to excite. 'l'heir success can he attrihuted to an ahility to capturing elements ol’ the past‘s most yihrant lights and harnessing it with earnest enthusiasm. contemporary energy and aggression. Long may they continue.
Ocean Colour Scene play main stage, Sat 8 Jul.