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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ocean Colour Scene perform blistering summer set of 90s anthems and Britpop bangers for Glasgow crowd
Read on for our reviewer's thoughts on the gig below. GOT BLOWN AWAY Ocean Colour Scene perform blistering summer set of 90s anthems and Britpop bangers for Glasgow crowd Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S a big year for 90s music nostalgia. There's comebacks galore in the air - Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass are all touring again. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 The band in their 90s pomp 3 Simon Fowler performing in 2014 But some bands from the era never really went away. And judging by the crowd at Ocean Colour Scene's gig, there's plenty out there who don't want them to - even after all these years. The band are playing at the Summer Nights On The Southside festival at Glasgow's Queen's Park recreation ground - a return to the city after April's O2 Academy gig. To read much of today's musical criticism of the 90s, you'd be forgiven for thinking OCS were mere also-rans of an era where there were many. But you simply can't argue with the wealth of incredible music they produced at their height - and you can't escape the feeling that history has been unkind to them. There are fewer greater examples of this than The Circle, a stunning anthem that still holds up to this day. It's one of their more enduring songs from classic album Mosley Shoals, released in 1995. The album propelled the band to new heights and it's easy to remember why when they delve into it - It's My Shadow and One for the Road are among the highlights. It's my first time at the Queen's Park venue but it's easy to see why it's become a fixture of Glasgow's summer festival scene. The Big Top tent is packed with fans who would fall into the "Oasis da" category - bucket hats, a pint in each hand and leaving their rough and ready masculinity at the door to put their arms around each other. But there's a whole younger crowd here too, and not just men. The enclosed tent roof is perfect for raucous tracks like Hundred Mile High City and it's razor blade riff, memorably used in the opening of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. And it's also ideal for sing-a-long anthems, of which OCS have many in their arsenal, like Robin Hood and Go To Sea. Frontman Simon Fowler even gives the crowd a brief burst of Oasis' Live Forever. The gig's not just a showcase for Fowler's vocal and songwriting talent, but lead guitarist Steve Cradock's skills too who surely stakes a claim to being the most talented of his generation. In terms of memorable riffs of the last 30 years, there's few than can touch The Riverboat Song. OCS even include 2007's powerful anthem Go To Sea, it's hard to see how they couldn't given it's inspired by young Glaswegian men being left with no career prospects after the closure of the shipyards. The band close out the night with arguably their finest moment, The Day We Caught the Train, and an army of people joining in with every word and then serenading the band off the stage with the epic chorus. Craddock recently said of the 90s: "People get nostalgic about it because it was such a good time." It's hard to disagree - but OCS can feel satisfied that their fans, at least, are still having one. And their kids are too.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Perfect Match' Season 3 Cast Photos & Episode Release Schedule: Netflix Adds Stars From ‘Love Island,' ‘The Bachelor,' ‘Siesta Key' & More
Netflix has revealed the cast and episode release date for Perfect Match Season 3, and it has leveled up the game. The new season of the dating series will include personalities from the Netflix universe and stars from other reality shows, such as Love Island USA, The Bachelor, Siesta Key, and more. More from Deadline Netflix Sets Prime Oscar Season Release Date For Sundance Acquisition 'Train Dreams' With Joel Edgerton And Felicity Jones 'The Many Deaths Of Nora Dalmasso' Director On His Real-Life Connection To The Series & How He Made The Netflix Doc: "My Job Was Not To Solve The Case" Netflix Searching For 'Hitmakers' In Latest Unscripted Music Series Nick Lachey hosts the reality dating series in its third season, which brings a group of singles together in a tropical villa, pairing up and competing in challenges. As the couples compete, the most compatible couples play matchmaker and break up other couples, sending them on dates with brand-new singles they bring into the villa. When the daters return to the villa, they re-match, and any contestant left without a match is forced to leave the villa. RELATED: Who are the personalities that make up the Season 3 cast? The cast of Perfect Match Season 3 includes Alex Zamora (Temptation Island), Amber Desiree (Love is Blind), Carrington Rodriguez (Love Island USA), Clayton Echard (The Bachelor), Cody Wright (Temptation Island), Daniel Perfetto (Dated & Related), Freddie Powell (Love is Blind UK), Hannah Burns (The Mole), Jalen Brown (Too Hot to Handle), J.R. Warren (The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On), and Juliette Porter (Siesta Key). RELATED: Other personalities in the cast include Louis Russell (Too Hot to Handle), Lucy Syed (Too Hot to Handle), Madison Errichiello (Love is Blind), Olivia Rae (Temptation Island), Ollie Sutherland (Love is Blind UK), Quori-Tyler (The Circle), Rachel Recchia (The Bachelorette), Ryan Gantt (Love Island USA), Sandy Gallagher (The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On), and Scott Van-Der-Sluis (Love Island UK). RELATED: When will Season 3 premiere on Netflix? Starting on August 1st, episodes of Netflix's Perfect Match Season 3 will be released each Friday for three weeks. August 1: Episodes 1-6 August 8: Episodes 7-9 August 15: Episode 10 (The Finale) Scroll through the gallery below to meet the cast of Season 3. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 So Far Everything We Know About The 'Reminders of Him' Movie So Far Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far
Scotsman
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Ocean Colour Scene return to Scotland for summer dates
The band will play at Queens Park in Glasgow on 29th June as part of the Summer Nights on The Southside series of concerts, before returning to play at Discovery Festival at Dundee's Slessor Gardens on 25th July. Joining Ocean Colour Scene as special guests in Glasgow will be Glasvegas, P.P. Arnold and Ben Walker, while The Fratellis, White Lies and Cammy Barnes will be the band's special guests in Dundee . After forming in Birmingham in 1989, Ocean Colour Scene firmly established themselves as one of the UK's biggest bands, enjoying nine successive Top 20 singles, including The Circle, Traveller's Tune, Hundred Mile High City, The Riverboat Song, Profit In Peace and The Day We Caught The Train from the Top 5 albums 'Moseley Shoals', 'Marchin' Already' and 'One From The Modern'. Currently enjoying an extensive run of summer shows and festival dates after their hugely successful tour in the spring - which included sold-out shows in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dunfermline - Ocean Colour Scene are on the form of their lives. 'I'm loving it,' says Simon Fowler, vocalist and primary songwriter in Ocean Colour Scene as he considers his band's ongoing tour of the UK and Ireland. 'When we started off in Leeds a few months ago we had 30 gigs ahead of us and I was like 'Jesus, how will my voice hold up?' Well, it's not only held up but I'm singing better than ever before. We sailed through those thirty gigs and now we've got a summer of festivals and touring ahead of us and – you know what? - this is as good as it gets. Ocean Colour Scene are playing as well as we ever have and the audiences are just fantastic.' 'The audiences have been incredible,' agrees guitarist Steve Cradock. 'We played to over 60,000 people over our April-May tour and the enthusiasm with which they welcome the band just fires us up. We love to play and when we have an audience who are singing along, well, it inspires us.' Fowler and Cradock speak with evident joy, having helmed Ocean Colour Scene (with drummer Oscar Harrison and a selection of side musicians) now for 35 years. 'We're veterans,' says Fowler, 'and we haven't issued a new album in twelve years so we really appreciate the fact that our fans still want to come and see us. Now I see teenagers in our audience – admittedly, they're mostly the kids of people who first came to see us when they were teenagers – but they seem to be digging us. We're obviously doing something right!' 'Everyone in the band seems to have stepped up a gear,' says Cradock. 'We're playing really well and this puts us in good stead for the summer festivals where you have huge audiences and really want to make an impression on them.' Steve then adds, 'There's a quiet confidence that allows us to deliver. A nice confidence. The band are in a good place right now and I think our audiences are responding to this.' 'We just played to 10,000 people in Birmingham,' says Fowler with an evident sense of disbelief. '10,000! And then two nights at Brixton Academy! I don't know how to explain why so many people are enthusiastic about coming out to see us. I think Oasis put something in the water! Bands are back!' He laughs then adds, 'Actually, our tour tickets went on sale before Oasis announced their reunion so I can't give them credit for this.' Mention of Oasis makes me enquire as to whether the summer of 2025 is feeling like the summer of 1996. 'It does,' says Cradock. 'It's like the form of indie rock that we all started out playing is back and popular again. The Oasis reunion is a good thing. Good for Noel and good for Liam and good for rock and roll.' 'The first time we saw Oasis play was at the Jug Of Ale in Moseley – I'd met Noel through Paul Weller and he mentioned that they'd be playing there and I told him 'that's like our office'. So we went along to see them and they certainly had something. They weren't famous yet but you could tell it wouldn't be long before they broke through. In the dressing room I got to meet Liam and I immediately thought 'you are the coolest guy I've ever met'. You know what? He still is. We went out on their first proper tour, playing support …' He pauses and laughs at the memory. 'Good times.' A friendship was forged on that tour and Ocean Colour Scene would support Oasis at their historic (and huge) Knebworth concerts in August 1996. 'It was an amazing event,' recalls Cradock. 'Things had been building towards it ever since the Stone Roses played Spike Island – which we all went to. The Roses opened up the genre. As did The La's, another fantastic band. Then Oasis arrived and suddenly indie was the new mainstream and there we all were having huge hit records. Amazing really.' He pauses to reflect on playing Knebworth then says, 'Excuse me if I sound blasé but I can't recall much about Knebworth as we were touring or recording solidly for two whole years and Knebworth was in the middle of that. I know we played to 125,000 people – Oasis's audience – and then the next night we played to 1000 people, our audience.' 'My knees were shaking,' says Fowler. 'I'd never been on stage in front of such a huge audience before. I borrowed a camcorder as we were about to go on stage and walked up to the front of the stage and filmed the audience and they gave me this huge cheer! I remember that and coming off stage 45 minutes later, but nothing else. It was a blur.' Where Oasis split bitterly for many years, Fowler and Cradock remain close friends and obviously enjoy each other's company. 'When I first met Steve he was playing bass,' says Fowler. 'Now he's one of Britain's greatest guitarists. I admire him so much because he's so focused on playing well and developing as a musician. It was his Dad who said to both of us 'you two need to form a band' and he was right. We've never looked back since then.' Cradock praises Fowler's skills as a singer and songwriter, noting that he's looking forward to Simon presenting the band with new songs at some point. 'I have about half a dozen decent songs right now,' notes Fowler, 'but that's not enough for an album. So I need to keep writing. It's not like the old days where I'd write two songs in a night because we were going into the studio in the morning.' Another change from the old days is this: Fowler no longer travels on the band's tour bus. 'No chance. I have a driver these days and sleep in a hotel. I like my comforts and being cooped up with a bunch of middle aged men – none of whom I fancy! (he laughs) – isn't my thing. And if I did go back on the bus I'd probably fall out of my bunk in the middle of the night. So, no thanks.' Ocean Colour Scene are one of Britain's most popular live bands, which is appropriate as the band now focus solely on touring the UK and Ireland. 'I'd quite like to play again in South America and Japan,' says Cradock, 'but it's not down to me. Our audience is here so it makes sense we play to them.' 'We once went to Australia and played to about 800 people,' says Fowler, 'and you know where they were all from? Britain! We might as well have just stayed at home and not flown that huge distance. And the US is just too tough – unless you have a hit single. We actually love touring Britain and Ireland, so it suits us that we concentrate on these islands.' When asked where there favourite place to play is both men answer 'Scotland.' They then add 'Ireland' with Fowler noting, 'I like everything about the Irish, the way they live, their humour, their music. It's a great place.' Cradock states, 'The further north we perform the audiences just get crazier. And I mean that in a good sense – they don't worry about the weather, they really come out to hear the band and have a good time.' He then says, 'Liverpool and Manchester are both magic music cities. There's something about Liverpudlian musicians, and not just the famous ones, they really have this mystical bent. I love it.' 'One of the joys of my life is getting to know this country inside out,' says Fowler. 'We tour all over and this means I get to stop where ever we are, look at the galleries and churches, go for a walk, get a taste of the place. I'm blessed that I have a job where I get paid to travel all over the UK. Really blessed.' Cradock spends even more time on the road than Fowler as he plays guitar in Paul Weller's band and, until the death of Terry Hall in 2022, was The Specials' guitarist. 'I was fortunate to be able to step into Roddy Radiation's boots and play with The Specials,' he says, 'such a great British band. And I love Paul. I grew up a fan of The Jam and The Style Council, so feel really blessed to have him as a mate and play in his band.' He then adds, 'I've just produced Paul's forthcoming album – my first time in the producer's seat with Paul and I really enjoyed the experience.' Ocean Colour Scene are a people's band and, as they prepare to play across Britain and Ireland, both Fowler and Cradock state they are looking forward to rock and rolling across the summer. 'I'm grateful to all the people who turn up to see us,' says Cradock. 'Being on stage is a joy,' says Fowler. On that note these happy, gracious men who helm one of the great British bands say goodbye and head off in their separate directions. Tickets for Ocean Colour Scene dates at Queens Park in Glasgow on 29th June and Slessor Gardens in Dundee on 25th July are available from 2 . Contributed Ocean Colour Scene lead singer Simon Fowler Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 3 . Contributed Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed Ocean Colour Scene (l-r): Ray Meade, Simon Fowler, Oscar Harrison and Steve Cradock Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Empowering young minds: How 4 friends are teaching AI in low-income communities
Pune: "Why are firefighters always men? Why is a black, old, fat woman never the first image when we ask for a person?" These were some of the sharp questions posed by 11- to 14-year-old children learning about artificial intelligence (AI), its reasoning, and its biases. As part of Pune-based THE Labs, a not-for-profit organisation founded by four friends, these children from low-income communities are not just learning how AI works but also how to challenge and reshape its inherent prejudices, how to train it, how to leverage it, and how to evaluate it. Since June 2024, its first cohort of 20 students explored AI through image classification and identification, learning how machines perceive the world. Now, they are gearing up to train large language models, equipping themselves with skills to shape AI's future. A new batch of 63 students has joined. THE Labs is a non-profit after-school programme blending technology, humanities and entrepreneurship. It was founded by tech entrepreneurs Mayura Dolas and Mandar Kulkarni, AI engineer Kedar Marathe, and interdisciplinary artist Ruchita Bhujbal, who saw a gap — engineers lacked exposure to real-world issues, and educators had little understanding of technology. "We first considered building a school, but the impact would have been limited. Besides, there were logistical hurdles," said Dolas, who is also a filmmaker. Kulkarni's acceptance into The Circle's incubation programme two years ago provided 18 months of mentorship and resources to refine their vision. In June 2024, THE Labs launched a pilot at a low-income English-medium school in Khadakwasla, training 20 students from standards VI-VIII (12 girls, 8 boys). With no dedicated space, they conducted 1.5-hour morning sessions at the school. Students first learned about classifier AI — how AI identifies objects — and image generation AI, which creates visuals based on prompts. Through hands-on practice, students discovered how AI's training data impacts accuracy and how biases emerge when datasets lack diversity. They experimented with prompts, analysed AI-generated images, and studied errors. "We asked them to write prompts and replicate an image, and they did it perfectly. That is prompt engineering in action," Dolas said. A key takeaway was AI bias. Students compared outputs from two AI models, identifying gaps — such as the underrepresentation of marginalised identities. "For example, children realised that a black, fat, older woman was rarely generated by AI. They saw firsthand how biases shape digital realities," Dolas added. Parents and students are a happy lot too. Mohan Prasad, a construction worker, said he is not sure what his daughter is learning, but she is excited about AI and often discusses its importance at home. Sarvesh, a standard VIII student, is thrilled that he trained an AI model to identify Hindu deities and noticed biases in AI searches — when prompted with "person", results mostly showed thin white men. "I love AI and want to learn more," he said. His father, Sohan Kolhe, has seen a surge in his son's interest in studies. Anandkumar Raut, who works in the private sector, said his once-shy daughter, a standard VI student, now speaks confidently, does presentations, and is more outspoken since joining the programme.
The Courier
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Ocean Colour Scene duo announce Dundee, Glenrothes and Stirling gigs
Ocean Colour Scene duo Simon Fowler and Oscar Harrison have announced gigs in Dundee, Glenrothes and Stirling. The pair will perform acoustic hits at the shows in November. It comes as the full band prepare to play at Slessor Gardens this summer as part of Discovery Festival. The duo will kick off their acoustic tour at Stirling's Albert Halls on November 13. They will play at the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee on November 18 before heading to the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes on November 19. The shows will feature some of the band's biggest hits, including The Day We Caught the Train and The Circle. Forming in Birmingham 35 years ago, the band have released 10 studio albums, four of which have reached the UK top 10 album chart. Tickets for each show cost £36.75 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster.
