Ocean Colour Scene under starter's orders for Doncaster date

Ocean Colour Scene shot to fame in the mid 1990s after being invited to support Oasis and enjoyed huge success with songs such as You’ve Got It Bad, The Day We Caught the Train and Better Day.

And the band are still going strong – one of the few Britpop-tagged bands still playing without any break-ups, reunions or hiatuses and still with the core trio of frontman Simon Fowler, guitarist Steve Cradock and drummer Oscar Harrison.

The Birmingham rockers headline the latest Music Live event at Doncaster Racecourse on Saturday – and Simon says they’re likely to be there early as Oscar is a “huge” racing fan.

Simon says: “I’ve been to Cheltenham a couple of times, but Oscar is a big fan, I owned a racehorse once, as part of a syndicate, so went to watch that a few times.

“This is the first time we’ve played a racecourse though.”

The band have released 10 studio albums over the years, with the last, Painting, in 2013 – “It’s about time we did another,” says Simon – and enjoyed 11 top-20 singles, including a run of six successive top-10s in 1996 and 1997.

It means there is a huge back catalogue to choose from, but, Simon says, race-goers can expect the hits when the quartet of Simon, Steve, Oscar and bassist Raymond Meade take to the Town Moor stage on Saturday.

“You have to start with hits to win the audience,” he says, something especially important with outdoor gigs and where, unlike headline shows, the audience may not all be fans and ultra-familiar with the tunes.

He is also hoping for good weather, admitting rain can put a dampener on most outdoor shows, despite some of the band’s best open-air gigs coming when the audience embrace getting wet in their determination to have a good time.

Ocean Colour Scene will take to the stage following a full afternoon of racing on Saturday, August 5.

Gates open at noon ahead of the first race at 2.10pm.

The last of the seven races over the flat is at 5.35pm, before Ocean Colour Scene take to the stage at about 6pm for a 90-minute set.

And OCS are not the only top British band appearing at the racecourse this month – Summer Sun stars Texas are performing after racing on Saturday, August 19.

Abby Chandler, racecourse head of marketing, said: “We are delighted to welcome two huge bands to our Music Live line-up. Both bands have stood the test of time and continue to sell out wherever they play. They both have a dedicated following but more recently have attracted new fans to their classic rock pop sounds.”.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at doncaster-racecourse.co.uk