Article

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE’S SIMON FOWLER TO PLAY LAUNCH PARTY AT MEANTIME’S TAPROOM

March 21, 2023

The intimate show on 12th April will also launch Record Store Day 2023’s official beer, Meantime’s Double Groove All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Record Store Day’s charity partner, War Child Tickets on sale 9am, Monday 3rd April.

GREENWICH, LONDON, March, 2023; Record Store Day UK is excited to announce a one-off exclusive performance from Ocean Colour Scene’s Simon Fowler to kick-start the countdown to this year’s event.  


The intimate show at the Meantime Brewing’s Taproom in Greenwich on 12th April will see the frontman of the legendary British band deliver a stripped-back set to mark the start of this year’s Record Store Day celebrations, which will culminate in over 250 independent record stores around the UK stocking hundreds of exclusive releases as part of Record Store Day itself on 22nd April. 


Simon’s show will also act as a perfect occasion to toast the launch of Record Store Day’s official 2023 beer Meantime’s Double Groove, which will be available during the gig. As well as a £1 donation from every sale of a pint of Double Groove, all proceeds from ticket sales for the show will go to Record Store Day’s official charity partner War Child. 



Supporting Simon will be last year’s Record Store Day Unsigned winner Amy Fitz Doyley, with a very limited amount of tickets for this unique show going on sale from 9am on Monday 3rd April via Design My Night. 


Not only is Meantime’s Taproom an ideal gig venue, it’s also mere metres away from where Double Groove was crafted.


The full-bodied IPA, described by Meantime’s head brewer Joe Gardener as “the ultimate hop duo”, has a unique character – making it a fitting tribute to every single one of the knowledgeable, dedicated team members behind the counters at the hundreds of independent record shops taking part in Record Store Day. 


Double Groove will also be available on Meantime’s web shop https://shop.meantimebrewing.com/ from Mon 3rd of April, with 50p per bottle going to War child. As part of the celebrations of the teams that keep vital parts of local music scenes thriving, the beer will also be available in selected shops on the 22nd April where music-lovers will be able to get hold of limited edition Meantime t-shirts and tote bags at participating record stores (while stocks last). 


With only 60 tickets available for the show, anyone who misses out on the launch event will be able to get their fix of acoustic Ocean Colour Scene on Record Store Day itself with the band’s exclusive release B-Sides, Seasides and Freerides. 


The classic 1997 B-sides, demos and rarities compilation is re-issued on vinyl for the very first time exclusively for RSD, having only been previously available on a very limited pressing. Including fan favourites “Huckleberry Grove”, “Robin Hood”, plus an acoustic demo of "The Circle", a stripped-down version of "The Day We Caught the Train” and a live version of the Beatles classic “day Tripper” featuring Liam and Noel Gallagher. 


Like all the titles on this year’s list of releases, B-Sides, Seasides and Freerides will only be available in-store at one of the participating independent record shops on 22nd of April. You can find your local store here. 



Meantime’s continued collaboration with Record Store Day is a way of highlighting the independent record sector which consistently finds creative and inventive ways to keep physical music discovery exciting for communities all over the UK. Now in its 16th year, more than 250 independent record stores will be marking Record Store Day on April 22nd, with hundreds of exclusive and limited-edition releases available from the likes of Taylor Swift, Madonna, Bob Marley and this year’s Record Store Day UK ambassadors The 1975. 



share this article

other news

Related Articles

ROBERT PLANT HONOURED AS RECORD STORE LEGEND AHEAD OF RECORD STORE DAY 2026

April 8, 2026
Record Store Day is proud to announce Robert Plant as the latest recipient of its Record Store Legend award. This accolade recognises Robert Plant’s lasting impact on music around the world, and his ongoing dedication to supporting new artists and record shops, as well as the record store community’s deep admiration for his work. Speaking at Spillers Records, Robert Plant said: “Record stores have always been a part of my life. For me, once you get to the physical record it’s because you really want to know and be a part of what the artist was considering. And I know, as a guy who’s been making records since 1966, people want to take home something very special, to enjoy all the elements of what an artist has put together. We want a connection between the music and the art of the whole thing.” Plant has long been a familiar face in record shops across the UK and beyond, from regular visits to The Groove Records in Stourbridge and 1960s “Chart” shops to check if his first record, ‘You’d Better Run’, was on sale, to a 2020 Q&A with Matt Everitt at Rough Trade East, and now at Spillers Records in Cardiff. His connection to record stores stretches back decades, to his childhood in England and into his years on the road as a musician. Plant was famously photographed crate-digging at Bleecker Bob’s in New York with Jimmy Page in 1970. With countless other visits over the years, record shops remain central to Plant’s musical life, cementing his status as a true Record Store Legend. A special plaque has been unveiled at the world’s oldest record shop, Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, recognising Plant’s Legend status, his connection to the shop, its history, and a country that has inspired his songwriting. The installation also highlights his ongoing support for record stores as cultural hubs which champion music and community, inviting fans to visit and share in their own love of music.

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: HOLLY HUMBERSTONE - CRUEL WORLD

April 1, 2026
Holly Humberstone returns with Cruel World, out April 10th on indie exclusive pearl white vinyl, and selected as Record Store Day’s Album of the Month. It follows on from her 2023 debut with the same honest, close-up songwriting, but this time things feel a little more settled, and a little more sure of themselves. As Holly puts it, “My eleven-year-old self would be buzzing. I think she’d say, ‘You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.’” The album sits in that mid-20s in-between, moving on from people, places and past versions of yourself without everything fully making sense yet. Holly describes it as “shedding old skin,” and that sense of moving on runs through the record. It leans into that in-between stage without overthinking it. As she puts it, “In a world that feels hyperreal and harsh, we wanted to create something fun, detached, nostalgic and magical.” After the past couple of years out on the road, supporting Taylor Swift at Wembley and joining Sam Fender at St. James’ Park, Cruel World feels like the point where it all clicks into place. Written with her band in mind and built for live shows, it’s the sound of an artist settling in, and starting to get her flowers. Holly will also be part of Record Store Day with a limited-edition 7” of Beauty Pageant , featuring the exclusive B-side Annihilation . With the indie exclusive pearl white vinyl landing April 10th and the 7” following a week later on April 18th, it’s a good time to head down to your local indie record sho p - not that you needed a reason to.

JUBEL X RECORD STORE DAY: THE WARM UP

March 31, 2026
FOUR DAYS OF BEERS AND BEATS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ALL ARTICLES