Ocean Colour Scene
20th November 2017
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
Nostalgia. It’s a funny thing. It can bring complete strangers together in perfect harmony as they relive the exultant memories of yesteryear. Auckland’s Powerstation certainly felt like it was vibing with high spirits last night as a predominantly older ex-pat crowd flowed through the doors ready to relive the heady days of the mid 1990’s where bucket hats were in and ‘The Riverboat Song’ was the local pub anthem.
The crowd was certainly spoiled tonight as they were treated to an international support act by the name of Stillia. Formed in 2011 and hailing from St Helens, in Merseyside these four rather youthful gentlemen had a sound that far exceeded their years. Managing to mix obvious influences such as The Stone Roses, The Who and Oasis with a sound that still felt neoteric and crisp, Stillia certainly had the quickly growing crowd moving up to the front of the stage to take a closer look. Lead by lead vocalist Jack Bennett in a rather impressive pair of stovepipe jeans that looked as if they had been painted on, Stillia were here to show New Zealanders exactly why they deserved this support slot. Famed for their live performances Stillia were everything you could have wanted from an English indie rock band. Their songs were catchy with just the right amount of edge to them to keep you salivating for more.
They may be barely into their twenty’s – Bennett’s little brother Matty with his mop of hair on drums was just fourteen when the band first began their quest for music world domination – but despite this their sound has a maturity to it that will carry them far; songs such as ‘Cold Coffee’ which had a delicious forlorn ache to it quickly give way to more hip swaggering rock songs such as the brilliant ‘Let Me In’. Supported by the lively Connor Moran on lead guitar and the visually entertaining bassist Johnny Waring – Bennett has a brilliant four piece that will indeed go far. Banter down pat – an important factor for any English band – Bennett takes a moment to ask if there is anybody from Liverpool in the crowd tonight before going on to explain that there is a certain street there that is perfect for “taking a bird out”; the accompanying acoustic solo that Bennett performs is rather stirring and provides him the perfect platform from which to showcase his fantastic vocal skills. Finishing on ‘Sometimes’ to huge rounds of applause, it is easy to see that Stillia has tonight not only captured the crowd’s attention but admiration as well. This is certainly a band to put on your playlist and enjoy as you watch them inevitably explode across the music scene.
Following a rather lengthy wait which the crowd happily filled in with ever increasing in volume chatter – side note; absolutely loved hearing all the different variations of the English accent bouncing around the room – the lights finally dimmed and the crowd bellowed at the appearance of lead vocalist Simon Fowler followed by the rest of Ocean Colour Scene.
Dressed simply in black, Fowler stepped up to the microphone and patiently looked out over the fans as the rest of the band took barely a moment to get their instruments ready. And then there it was, the sweet sound of the opening bars to ‘The Riverboat Song’ tumbling out from Steve Cradocks guitar and still sounding as refreshing as they did thirty-one years ago. Having never made it down to New Zealand, this was a special moment for many of those in attendance tonight; Fowler being the rather intuitive gentleman that he is recognised this and at one point stepped out from behind the microphone stand and just raised his arms up to the ceiling, gesturing to the audience to take it away which they did so with gusto. Being the last night of this particular leg of the tour, there seemed to be a somewhat relaxed sensation around the room which fitted in nicely for a Monday evening show. The crowd were jovial and in the mood for a sing-a-long, their combined accents providing a fairly harmonious chorus line.
Celebrating the iconic album Moseley Shoals, which saw Ocean Colour Scene first start to climb the ladder of fame that would ultimately lead them to supporting Oasis on tour and become a household name in the infamous world of ‘Britpop’ – Ocean Colour Scene followed the track listing faithfully. Well one track was out of place but as everyone knew that would be kept for the end of the show and there were certainly going to be no complaints about that. As Fowler began to sing the heart-string tugging ‘Lining Your Pockets’ one thing is clearly evident; his wonderfully rich vocals have not lost a thing over the years. Moving from singing to slinging a guitar over his shoulder seamlessly it is clear that Fowler still deeply enjoys what he does. Behind him the very smooth Oscar Harrison in black waistcoat and union jack bucket hat – dark glasses shading his eyes from the world – was the personification of cool, calm reserve. Also known for his drumming work with yet another iconic Birmingham band entitled The Beat, Harrison easily captivated all in attendance tonight, while bassist Raymond Meade made short work of the strings, adding to that wonderfully deep throbbing sound that features throughout many of Ocean Colour Scene’s songs.
A few tracks in and Fowler addresses the audience for the first time advising everyone that “When I wrote this song I used to be kinda camp when I was a kid, and now I’ve decided just to be gay” – the audience roaring their approval at his tongue in cheek confession; the band then launched into a delightfully jaunty version of ’40 Past Midnight’ which saw many of the fans bust out a few dance moves. Besides a couple of digs about football teams and that island called Australia, chit chat was kept to the bare minimum as Ocean Colour Scene attempted to cram in as much music as they could into their set. Fowler taking a moment to point out the beautiful photo of The Beatles on the back wall of the venue before performing ‘It’s My Shadow’.
The further into the set Ocean Colour Scene got the more the entire band threw everything they had into it. Cradock, a powerhouse on guitar was soon delivering huge arm flourishes and tantalizing solo’s while Simon matched him in ferocity level, adding a few little growls to their more hedonistic tracks. As the band came out of the Moseley Shoals tracks and moved into a mix that leaned heavily on their 1997 album Marchin’ Already – which famously knocked Oasis off their number one perch (see our latest interview to find out Simon Fowler’s thoughts on that little situation) – the crowd were eating out of the palms of their hands. This was a night of memories and long-standing friendships as groups of blokes around the venue hugged and threw their arms about each other’s shoulders, bellowing out the words to their favourite tunes.
Closing in on ninety minutes the set came to an end with ‘100 Mile High City’, Fowler giving only a wave as he and the rest of the band quietly left the stage. An encore was soon boisterously demanded, most fans waiting in anticipation for that one tune that they longed to hear. Returning a few short minutes later, Fowler; after speaking of the horrendously long trip home via Dubai, popped on an acoustic guitar and delivered a stunning rendition of ‘Robin Hood’ before the rest of the band joined in to deliver both ‘Blown Away’ and the grand finale of the night ‘The Day We Caught The Train’ the audience singing so loudly that it felt as if Birmingham herself was in the building.
Nostalgia is indeed a beautiful thing.
Ocean Colour Scene:
Stillia:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this magnificent gig? Or have you seen Ocean Colour Scene perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- The Riverboat Song
- The Circle
- Lining Your Pockets
- Fleeting Mind
- 40 Past Midnight
- One For The Road
- It’s My Shadow
- Policemen And Pirates
- The Downstream
- You’ve Got It Bad
- Get Away
- Better Day
- Profit And Peace
- So Low
- Traveler’s Tune
- 100 Mile High City
- Robin Hood [encore]
- Get Blown Away [encore]
- The Day We Caught the Train [encore]
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