verve live dec 20th 07 review

[Jikan Myshkin]

The verve live g-mex thurs 20th dec 07

Firstly the venue- a soulless aircraft hanger of a room, houses x amount of people with no real atmosphere. After being kept out in the cold for longer than advertised the rush into the venue was for the heaters and toilets, still I managed to get front stage barrier view. The room was still really cold, ice drinks on sale, the girls stood behind me found it enjoyable to practice screaming for when the verve came on stage, but to my delight the support band came on and it was non other than the mightily fun coral. What joy!

At about 9 pm the verve came on to a ballistic crowd. The biggest shock was ashcroft’s appearance- gone were the long locks, now he was cropped and blonde- in shades- tight leather jacket. If I was cynical I’d swear he was trying to be rock n roll animal era lou reed- mid career crisis. Over the gig it was revealed that he was dick by name and dick by nature.

The actual gig started brilliantly- new decade, this is music, space and time and finished brilliantly- history and come on, (with Ashcroft on guitar for all of 2 minutes, bit pointless really), but the middle section seemed to be a band going through the motions. Drugs… was achingly dull, leaving me in places embarrassed for the band, the new song, sit and wonder, was a bore, complete with earth shattering lyrics-‘’ I sit and wonder, I sit and wonder about her’’.

As far as set list goes it was the best of urban hymns and key songs from northern soul- not one song from storm… over zealous bouncers continuingly ruined the view and ashcroft’s ‘rebellious’ stance of smoking on stage sparked a few cigs in the crowd. But the sound was awful. Due to the size of the venue there was a lot of emphasis on the drums and bluster, very little craft, a band embracing stadium mediocrity.

Well I never thought I’d see the verve but I have, I’m very grateful for that. The gig wasn’t amazing, dull in places but worry not if you missed if for it is coming out on dvd, complete with fan’s views of how great the verve are, (they came around with a camera and mic before the gig where we were waiting and everyone refused to speak to them…was a rare amusing moment)

[Scouser]

I saw The Verve at Haigh Hall in Wigan a good few years back (Beck was supporting) and it was one of the best afternoons / evenings of my life.

Maybe they should never have reformed?

[Dr Cheese]

I'd be afraid to see The Verve because Richard Ashcroft is such an uncompromisingly ugly bastard.

[Jikan Myshkin]

I saw The Verve at Haigh Hall in Wigan a good few years back (Beck was supporting) and it was one of the best afternoons / evenings of my life.

Maybe they should never have reformed?

i have that bootleg, i love it

[withahip]

With the exception of Bittersweet, the Verve doesn't blip on the radar in the States.

This is GREAT news they are back . . . I hope the new cd goes Rolling People and/or Storm rather than The Drugs Don't Work vein. But chances are they will go where the money is.. . . ballads.

[Dave Smith]

erm The Verve.......bigged up by Noel Gallagher to the point of hysteria prompting the knobhead burberry/stone island football fan hoards to buy their cd's for the first time even though they'd been going for years.They forget their brilliant back catalogue progressive psych style and release an album of Beatles' chord progressions that shifts units by the £££££.Old Dickhead himself gets too big for his boots and releases one so-so solo album and a completely duff second.Lets££££ get ££££the £££band £££back £££together.Such talent remains untapped.About as interesting as a tin of spam.

And he nicked Jason Spacemans missus.Jesus.No wonder Jason is in a permanant depression.

[Dr Cheese]

And he nicked Jason Spacemans missus.

Is she partially sighted?

[withahip]

.No wonder Jason is in a permanant depression.

I thought that was because he booted Mike Mooney out of the band who now is making better music.

[Jikan Myshkin]

I thought that was because he booted Mike Mooney out of the band who now is making better music.

or partly 'cos he died twice? and that the drugs don't work?

[rusty]

Firstly the venue- a soulless aircraft hanger of a room, houses x amount of people with no real atmosphere.....Well I never thought I’d see the verve but I have, I’m very grateful for that.

I totally agree with you about the venue. I got a notice that The Verve were playing there because I had tickets to see Ian Brown there Dec 7. Being from the States didn't know what to expect but an airport hanger was kind of a shock. We decided afterwards they must have chose it for it's capacity.

I did check to see where and when The Verve were playing but didn't fit into the schedule. I think I would have enjoyed seeing them.

I enjoyed Ian's show even though his voice isn't full enough to do some songs justice "live". Never saw the Stone Roses and the day and place fit into Bunnymen schedule. I'm glad we went and have decided that I would like to visit Manchester again though I will probably stay away from G-MEX.

[Frank The Bunny]

The only reason The Verve were even ABLE to reunite: Chris "Starfucker" Martin's continual namedropping, after tiring of dropping the name of some singer from Liverpool.

Witness the starfucker in action:

Coldplay with Richard Ashcroft:
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yr4Ts5B78y0&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yr4Ts5B78y0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Coldplay with Noel Gallagher:
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cy6VG_dMoPc&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cy6VG_dMoPc&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>