| Ocean Colour Scene | Ocean Colour Scene
Support: Mark Joseph
Hexagon Theatre
Queen's Walk, Reading
04/04/05
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Mark Joseph’s band walk on stage to greet a not so empty hall filled with half drunk people. They sing six songs, one being their last single Lady Lady and leave. Mark Joseph’s voice has a sound resembling a cross between Kelly Jones with hints of Bobby Gillespie that sparks a good relationship with the people he faces. Their songs are so eclectic that it is impossible to describe them. It may be a case of “jack of all trades”, because no one song seemed to be a huge hit with the crowd, but few, namely the aforementioned single and a song titled The River makes Mark Joseph an act that is pleasant enough to stick around for. By the time Ocean Colour Scene saunter out on stage, the Hexagon is suffocatingly packed. And for good cause, because OCS have made a welcome return to the firing line, missing no shots and with a performance like theirs, no one can say they were anything other than superb. Starting with latest single Free My Name from the new album A Hyperactive Workout For The Flying Squad, they mixed the seasoned sound of their youth with a wisdom and cultured experience. OCS has currently a new line up, where Damon Minchella has been replaced on bass with Andy Bennett and by having Danny Sealey on Rhythm, Steve Craddock could concentrate solely on his lead, which he did spectacularly. His brilliance on lead shone through and with Oscar Harrison perfectly hitting the beats. The band followed on to play classics such as The Circle, Traveller’s Tune and The Riverboat Song with passion and charisma that only can be matched by the likes of The Rolling Stones or Oasis. As well as playing numerous songs off the new album, such as Everything Comes At The Right Time, and This Day Should Last Forever, the crowd was rewarded with an encore of Robin Hood on just acoustic, merging some of Oasis’ Live Forever lyrics which lead to an abundant of cheers. Overall Ocean Colour Scene created a euphoric atmosphere and an inspiring sound that has definitely made me want to see them again. The single Free My Name is out now along with the album A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad and the band are still touring so don’t miss this great opportunity. | 
