Ocean Colour Scene‘s Ray Meade has opened up about his multiple sclerosis diagnosis, saying he thought it meant he was “done” playing.
The guitarist joined the Britpop band – best known for their hit ’90s singles ‘The Riverboat Song’ and ‘The Day We Caught The Train’ – in 2016, and later this week will join them in kicking off their 2025 UK tour with Kula Shaker.
Before embarking on the run of dates, which include shows in Birmingham, Sheffield, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Dublin and more, Meade spoke to the BBC about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021, and how it affected him mentally.
“I’d started to get these really intense pins and needles in my hands. It was like throwing a snowball and then running your hands under hot water afterwards. It’s really painful and hot,” the bassist explained, adding that it also spread to his feet.
According to the NHS website, MS affects the brain and spinal cord, with symptoms including altered mobility, fatigue, pain and difficulty concentrating, and you can find further information and support here.
Meade said it was “almost a relief to have the diagnosis, because it allowed me to make the necessary adjustments and get on with my life.”
However, it was coupled with concerns that his career would end. “The day they told me I had MS, I thought I was done,” he said. “I wasn’t even 40 at that point, and I thought I’d have to sell my guitars and find some other way to make a living.”
After being assured by a neurologist to give it time, he started a new treatment and was ready to leave hospital. Around the same time, Ocean Colour Scene had announced their first tour in almost two years, which gave Meade a focus.
“My hands didn’t work. I couldn’t tie my laces. I couldn’t do a zip up – I was dropping everything,” he continued, saying he leant on other band members for support. “To have something to aim for was important.”
At a hometown gig in Birmingham, Meade performed with a stool hidden behind an amp. “In the end I didn’t need it,” he said. “And there was this outpouring of emotion. It was such a terrible time and it was a release to get back to playing live music.”
Having made his return to live music, he then focused on writing his own, but found his “head was just scrambled with too much information” about MS treatment to write. “The thing to remember is that no one – with my brain – has ever had this before so I needed to find out what’s right for me.”
He has since released his first new solo work since being diagnosed, ‘Holy Water’, which came out on Alan McGee‘s new label Creation Youth. You can stream the song here.
“I used to send him demo cassettes. It’s a full circle moment. And to be writing again and to have that music released by Alan McGee meant everything,” he said. “I want to be an example that it’s not the end if you get it. It’s manageable. Lean on the MS nurses. You can carry on with your life. You can still be you.”
Ocean Colour Scene are set to play the O2 Academy, Leeds this Thursday (March 28). For any remaining tickets, visit here.
