Britpop legend Steve Cradock announces North Devon tour date

Brit rock star Steve Cradock has written a new book to accompany his forthcoming solo tour, which will see him perform at the Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple on May 13.

The guitarist best known as a founding member of Ocean Colour Scene is releasing Travellers Tunes to support his tour of the same name, which kicks off in Belfast in March. 

The exclusive book – available in Luxe and Superluxe editions - features stories, rarely seen photographs, and a signed bookplate, and is considered a must for all Britpop fans.  

In it, Steve looks back on the formation of  Ocean Colour Scene and the super-sized success of such records as Moseley Shoals.  

Both editions include a free CD, A Soundtrack To An Imaginary Movie. The Superluxe edition also includes an exclusive set of  four postcards, and a set of five Steve Cradock plectrums in their own tin. 

Steve needs little introduction; he’s responsible for some of the most distinctive riffs of the past 30 years. The man who gave us signature riffs that ignited The Riverboat Song and Hundred Mile High and helped propel OCS to double-platinum glory with Moseley Shoals has been a mainstay of British rock since forming OCS in 1989 with Simon Fowler, Damon Michella, and Oscar Harrison.  

The band played record-breaking gigs with Oasis at Knebworth for 250,000 people as Britpop reached its zenith in 1996. He joined Paul Weller’s band in 1992 and has appeared on all his studio albums, while also joining The Specials in 2014.  

His debut book takes a look back at the highs of a stellar career in music. 

Steve said: “I am really looking forward to going out on solo tour this spring in which I will look back at my career in music and sing some of my favourite songs. This book is the perfect accompaniment to that tour; a souvenir of my career so far.”

 “I’m looking forward to the tour,” he said. “It’s something very different. Ocean Colour Scene has just done a tour of arenas, and huge theatres, so going into smaller clubs and smaller, regional theatres will be interesting. It’s a long time since I toured like that and I’m really looking forward to the intimacy and connection. There’s nowhere to hide when you play the smaller rooms.” 

The tour is called Travellers Tunes and is accompanied by a book of the same name, which has a foreword from Paul Weller. 

The book is built around one thing: Steve’s love of music. He’s achieved many of the things he dreamed about as a kid, from playing in a great band to working with his heroes. He’s made some great music and had good times, along the way. 

It’s a musical memoir, where behind-the-scenes, captured-the-moment photography beautifully illustrates the many highs of an extraordinary musical life. Each copy includes a signed book plate and features either a vinyl or CD of Steve’s exceptional fourth album, A Soundtrack To An Imaginary Movie.  

The Steve Cradock story started somewhere near Birmingham, long before he’d travelled the world and met and played with some of the greatest musicians of our time.  

At Christmas in 1979 he got his first instrument, a Kay bass guitar from the catalogue, and he played it until he had blisters on his fingers. He got into music at that time when a mate let him listen to a seven-inch single of The Specials, called Gangsters, which he played on his mom’s Dansette record player. As a 10-year-old, he loved that record, little realising he’d later be asked to join the band.  

UB40 were a seminal influence on Cradock and in 1980 he was given a copy of Signing Off. The record changed his life. He also listened to Get Happy! by Elvis Costello, while beginning a lifelong love affair with The Jam. 

Pre-order your copy of the book, published by A Way With Media, at https://www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books/entertainment  

Full Steve Craddock tour dates and tickets are available online at https://www.stevecradock.com/