As the young, half-mod masses begin to pack the impossibly red confines of Bimbo's tonight, there seems to be a common feeling running throughout: that of disbelief.
For the long-suffering Californian devotees of Ocean Colour Scene, there is disbelief that after a painfully long five year absence, the band have actually returned to US shores. For the more elite music fans here, there is disbelief that so many other people seem to have heard of this band. For the smattering of British and Irish expats dotting the wooden floor, there is disbelief that the same lads who have been packing stadiums from Birmingham to Barcelona are about to perform for just a scant few hundred.
However, within a few chords of tonight's thunderous opener, 'Hundred Mile High City', disbelief gives way to sheer amazement. Those in the crowd who know the tune begin to jump ecstatically. Those who don't find themselves swept along by it as soon as Oscar Harrison's drums rip into the meat of the tune. Bassist Damon Minchella immediately dons his trademark smile, Steve Cradock proudly wields his guitar, and Simon 'Foxy' Fowler lets his crisp, ringing voice cut through the smoky air like a bullet.
Ocean Colour Scene are not a band accustomed to having off nights, and tonight, not even the inevitable jet lag looks set to change that. For the next hour, the drill generally goes like this: Band start song. Audience erupts into full-throttle "Oh My God!" hysteria. Singalongs and backslaps abound.
This unrestrained enthusiasm, astonishingly, never wanes as the band move through their signature setlist, which includes the especially summery 'The Circle', 'Profit In Peace', 'Traveller's Tune', 'Mechanical Wonder' and, of course, 'The Riverboat Song'. The usual dull number or disinteresting filler, so commonplace at so many concerts, simply never arrive tonight.
Nothing, though, could prepare the weathered walls of Bimbo's for the emotional overload that is 'The Day We Caught The Train'. As Simon unassumingly strums the first notes, the crowd totally lose it. They scream back lyrics, mime playing instruments and clap frenziedly, drowning Foxy in a sea of waving arms. By the second round of "'ooh-laa-laa"s, Simon finally gives up, turning his mic completely round to the now ear-splitting audience, letting them carry the show to its close.
After five minutes of unrelenting cheers, Simon returns to the stage, acoustic guitar in tow, begging of the crowd, "What D'You Want, Then?" The answer, 'Robin Hood', is belted out as sincerely and earnestly as anything Travis have ever done. Simon works the mic, backing away then descending upon it again to affect the emotional rollercoaster of the song. The band then reappear. Three songs later, the ghost of Steve Marriott drops by for the impassioned 'Song Of A Baker', and just like that, it's over. But not before the Scene have raised their performance several notches. Look out, America. Rock is back.
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