A nostalgia trip back to 90s

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE AT PAVILIONS

- BY CLARE ROBINSON

HAVING thoroughly enjoyed playing a slew of festivals last year, Glasto being a highlight, Ocean Colour Scene are back on the road for a 29 date tour, stopping off at Plymouth Pavilions next month.

What's more, they'll be joined by their old friends Kula Shaker for a double whammy nostalgia trip back to the 90s and those heady days of Brit Pop.

Renowned as one of the UK's best live bands, OCS aka frontman Simon Fowler, guitarist Steve Craddock and drummer Oscar Harrison - embraced the spirit of soul, funk and blues that had gone before, their shows serving as a communal outpouring of hope and joy, full of life-affirming singalongs.

Three top five albums plus a run of 17 top 40 singles and numerous awards saw them hailed as one of the most successful bands of the era. But, as frontman Simon points out, they can put that success down to just one thing - "without Chris Evans it wouldn't have happened," he insists.

It had taken five years of graft and support from Oasis and Paul Weller before they were signed to MCA, where a contact and friend of Chris Evans suggested they might like to take part in a pilot TV show with a working title of TFI Friday.