The Way I See It
The shipyard painter, political activist and razor-sharp cartoonist Bob Starrett has just written a new book The Way I See It on his eventful life and times. Below we reprint one of his stories and review an essential read
La Boheme
ENO's production of La Boheme is a triumph,
Ocean Colour Scene
Electric Ballroom, London NW1
Saturday 16 March 2013
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EmailIt's hard to believe that it's over two decades since Birmingham's favourite indie rockers Ocean Colour Scene released their first album and almost the same time since the critically acclaimed second album Moseley Shoals shoved them into the Britpop limelight.
They've released a number of albums since their heyday and they're back to showcase songs from their new album Painting. What better place to do so than this cornerstone of north London's music scene.
Their set opens with several tracks from the new album and unfortunately they're uninspiring. Country-rock-style Goodbye Old Town and almost-reggae Doodle Book fail to rouse the crowd.
And, after half an hour, it begins to sound almost dull with punters seeming bemused and restless. That's a shame as the sea of lumber shirts, mod hairstyles and baggy jeans evidence that there's a large number of their loyal fans out for pure nostalgia.
But thankfully OCS manage to rescue the evening and win over the audience by pulling out the popular anthems, which undoubtedly is what the majority of the audience are along to hear.
Erupting into the classic The Riverboat Song - classic, even if many of us would actually associate it with Chris Evans and TFI Fridays - gets the crowd swaying, beer throwing and arms waving, while The Day We Caught the Train and Hundred Mile High City sound just as fresh as they did over 15 years ago.
A great evening if you're a die-hard fan. And there was a nice bar on the balcony near the smoking area for the non-converted.
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