Ocean Colour Scene – live in Bournemouth

Ocean Colour Scene at O2 Academy Bournemouth on 3.12.2023 with Burr Island supporting.

Another visit to the O2 Academy Bournemouth – more on the venue here in my venue blog.

Sunday night and it’s sold out and bustling. Both balconies open and the upstairs back bar. I start off in the top tier ‘Gods’ seats for the support band. A bit of legs preservation. Support is from folky rock Burr Island, from around Somerset somewhere originally.

A decent listen with hints of MacCartney at times. Short set. Not a great view from the seats further forward and down the side up here as the lighting rig gets in the way. It’ll be downstairs for Ocean Colour Scene.

Ocean Colour Scene

These boys from Moseley, Birmingham, started out in 1989 with the big break being the superb and decade defining Moseley Shoals album in 1996. I lived in Moseley a bit before that in the early 80s and had left the city by 1987 but I still warmed to the album marking my first home from home. I’ve never seen them play in Birmingham though.

This is my tenth OCS gig on a look back. Two Victorious Festival appearances in recent years inspiring this gig and nine others, the last of which in 2011 here in Bournemouth O2 wasn’t that good. The Ryde Ice Rink gig on the Isle of Wight was quite an event with a mini-invasion from the mainland and some over-partying. They did cover the ice over!

I have bought just about all of the 10 or so studio albums and a few other specialities. I find I can put any of their material on and enjoy it.

Tonight’s performance

The band come on after a moving playing of The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York, with a wash of emerald green lights over the stage – it’s just days after the death of Shane MacGowan.

It’s not long before they are blasting out The Circle, accompanied by a backdrop of scooters, mods and old footage from Birmingham streets – it’s a song about the bus route that goes through Moseley and in a loop right around the city. The nostalgic video backdrops that accompany many of the songs are excellent.

Great atmosphere in here tonight. It’s noisy and the drink is flowing with people pushing through trying not to lose any and failing. Certainly no rainy Sunday feeling in here and isn’t that what the escape of gigs is all about.

Better Day is another fan favourite early on in the set. Simon Fowler’s voice has remained excellent. He has an acoustic tour with drummer Oscar in 2024 but you might not recognise his current frame from that slender figure of 90s youth.

We don’t hear much from guitarist Steve Cradock but he looks as trim as ever as he dazzles with his guitar playing. I saw him earlier this summer in his usual place in Paul Weller’s band.

Simon recounts childhood visits to nearby playground of the rich, Sandbanks, as he introduces Travellers Tune. The crowd cheers loudly to the opening chords. Of course there is Riverboat Song: this is very much a greatest hits set. A real crowd pleaser.

The old videos from through the OCS years accompany some tunes – one sees the band packed into a car driving around central Birmingham and along the Aston Expressway (cutting edge road engineering of its time, with controversial flexible middle lanes) in a video reminiscent of The Specials’ Coventry Ring Road Ghost Town video. I think this was during 100 Mile High City. Then last before the break: Get Away. Such a care free song.

I wander again during the break to get a better view. Simon Fowler returns alone to play Robin Hood, from Moseley Shoals.

Building on the earlier high spots this is now building to big faves to finish and with the full band back on a raucous version of Profit in Peace. If only songs could solve anything eh. I’m nearly the back by now as the final gem from Moseley Shoals brings a great evening to an end – The Day We Caught the Train.

This is what it’s all about. Escapism on a dark and rainy Sunday night and a sellout crowd gathering to enjoy tunes they love with like-minded people.