Morning:
8°c
David Smyth's rating
, Verve undiminished
By
David Smyth
14 Dec 2007
As far as Richard Ashcroft is concerned, there was only one musical reunion of Zeppelin-sized import taking place in Greenwich this week. Never mind Monday night's hairy dinosaurs Plant, Page and Jones - if Ashcroft and his bandmates in the Verve never attained similar world-conquering status in their Nineties pomp, it was not for lack of self belief.
The Wigan quartet are experts at this splitting up and reforming to great acclaim thing, having done it once already between their second and third albums, A Northern Soul and 1997's landmark Urban Hymns.
In Nick McCabe they possess the classic temperamental genius guitarist, and it was his endless fallings out with the dominant Ashcroft that once caused the singer to remark about his former band: "You're more likely to get all four Beatles back on stage."
Yet here they were again, mellowed with age and child rearing, though Ashcroft was displaying his teenage streak with a freshly blond crop. They patted each other on the back at key moments, Ashcroft pointedly introducing McCabe so that he received his own piece of applause.
Cynics could look at the frontman's unspectacular solo career and suggest that looking backwards is now his only option, but he seemed fired up beside his familiar foils, singing with bite and vigour instead of the crooning of recent years.
A new Verve album planned for June, and surely a major summer festival headlining slot, should confirm that this is a comeback about more than fast bucks.
The one new song aired here, Sit And Wonder, was a rambling, bass-heavy jam that did not sound like a fresh hit to go with the old favourites. Yet it fitted well in concert, because unusually, the Verve's biggest songs are far from representative of their overall sound.
Those only here for Bittersweet Symphony and The Drugs Don't Work had to wade through plenty of McCabe-orchestrated washes of guitar effects first.
Mostly this was spectacular, as on a hypnotic Life's An Ocean and a colossal Stormy Clouds. The freeform approach worked less well on ancient single Gravity Grave, which ended with Ashcroft attempting improvised lyrics that rhymed with "O2".
The energy never flagged, though, and when the hits eventually came the crowd joined the band in taking off. Lucky Man concluded with Ashcroft smashing his guitar, and an epic Bittersweet Symphony saw noise piled upon noise until resistance was impossible. If their best moments have passed, it didn't feel like it.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (11)
The O2 sound system seems to be getting abit of a crap reputation, the Verve however made the most of it with Ashcroft and McCabe in fine form. I can see why those who were not around for the Verve's rise to prominence may have found the long guitar solos accompanied by mad Richard trancing out different from what they'd expected, but for me this is and always was what going to see the Verve live is about. Going and seeing a band in the hope they sound just like the album should be left to the Spice girls who were on later that week.
I also found them slow out the blocks, and felt the crowd could have done more to egg them on in the first few tracks, maybe they were getting used to the spanky new venue not famed for it's rock and roll gigs? But as the gig went on they grew in confidence and they sounded better and better, the highlight for me was Sonnet which was outstanding and my best live track this year, I'm still humming along to it on the way to work in the mornings. Come on finished it off in style, leaving my pals and I wishing we had tickets for the Manchester gig.
So all in all certainly not one of the best ever gigs I've been to, but it's great to have the Verve back and they performed admirably at the O2 for what must be one of the better large gigs of '07.
This Music.
This is Siesmic.
- Harry Gardner, Cambridge, 18/12/2007 09:07
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Poor sound, lack of atmosphere, audience constantly chatting and moving from one end to another, obscured big screens, a bleached blond caeser cut by the frontman and a smashed up guitar. Welcome to the Verve at the o2! Some tracks were great, others medicore at best. They need to sort the sound out first.
- Amit Sharma, London, 15/12/2007 17:06
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Verve 1 - O2 arena 0
The Verve played a cracking set and look as if they are back to stay, well at least until they start arguing again.
Weeping Willow was the stand out track for me, it sums The Verve up for me: driving bass, poignant lyrics and a real hook all wrapped up in a psychedelic guitar filo pastry.
The only downside (although considerable) was the venue, the O2 arena is awful for sound quality...awful.
They did the Verve no justice whatsover. I won't be rushing back there in a hurry.
- Emlyn Hall, Burgess Hill, Sussex, 15/12/2007 00:29
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Amateurs.
Still I suppose the Stones got their royalties!
- Al Stuart, Ealing, 14/12/2007 19:24
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First time at the O2 - still want to call it The Dome, actually. Decent views from my seat (top row, level one, halfway back), but very, very poor sound. Started off really muddy and cleaned up slightly but never approached anything acceptable. Was it the venue or the band's sound team - who knows? I've not got anything else at the O2 to compare it with. The only songs that approached a decent sound were those with fewer instruments and lower volumes - perhaps it was just too much echo on McCabe's guitar.
Lacklustre stagecraft and very poor projection by the band meant there wasn't much to look at, either. I've seen pub bands with more presence trying harder (or at least, that's how it came over to me...). I wasn't impressed by Ashcroft smashing his guitar, either - not the nice jumbo he played on all the other numbers, obviously, but one bought to be trashed. Nor very spontaneous and so, so dull.
I couldn't believe the audience! A constant undercurrent of background chitchat and a stream of people leaving and entering the arena all the way through the gig. Why were these people there? They continued chatting until the band played something off Urban Hymns that they recognised. How frustrating that must be for the musicians onstage?
Yet, although it wasn't great, I enjoyed myself and was pleased I'd bothered. They may not be essential these days, but the Verve still have something to offer. If only more people in the arena had taken the time to listen as well.
- Norman, London, UK, 14/12/2007 18:11
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In reality (FACT), the gig was at least an 8/10. For a big venue gig, it was a 9-10/10 for the Verve.
It was awesome. For sure, there were a lot of people there just for Bittersweet. I myself attended for the album urban hyms. Granted, that's over 10 songs rather than just the one, but if people want to attend for certain songs, so be it. No need to complain about it and reduce the gig rating.
It made the atmosphere for the last 6 songs amazing. Bittersweet, Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man, Sonnet, and the intro and outro to Rolling were amazing and the crowd were pumped. Most people in my area were screaming 'more' for 10 minutes after Bittersweet Symphony.
Don't let the others fool you.
They took a few songs to get going but they were on top after that.
To whomever complained about McCabe taking too many leads, what? Listen to the album.. It's not the Ashcroft show! There are many guitar riffs and leads, solos. It was what the opening act were missing!
If you didn't close your eyes and dance as the distortion, and other effects that he's known for, washed over you.. you were obviously just one that turned up for the odd song and then left!
Great gig. I took a friend (never heard of them before) and he loved it. He was suprised that their back catalogue was a lot different to their most known releases and he loved it. Well done lads!
- Jay, Worcs, 14/12/2007 18:02
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It sounded great where I was...as long as you could drown out the incessant chatter of the corporate lot only there to hear Bitter Sweet Symphony and Drugs Don't Work. Perhaps the Verve don't quite have the back catalogue to get everyone fully into the gig at a venue like 02. But what a rubbish venue. OK so it's nice to be able to get a bite to eat and have a decent drink but not if it means people wandering in and out all through the gig...can you not sit still and keep quiet for 90 minutes. You've paid 30 odd quid to see The Verve so you must be interested in hearing what they have to offer. Wish I'd seen the at the Roundhouse. Ashcroft's voice sounded great though and I felt the spine-tingling moments as the psychedelic guitar onslaught washed through me.
- Nigel, London, 14/12/2007 16:57
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I was disappointed overwhelmingly with the sound quality, which was terrible. You could barely make out Ashcroft's singing, let alone the lyrics.
Also, too many indulgent lengthy guitar solo moments. The band came across as a bit arrogant. Like doing us all a favour by turning up! Wandered on stage at nearly 9pm!
I won't be paying to see the Verve live again for sure. They need to take more interest in their sound system for a start. Or maybe the O2 venue is always that bad, as I haven't seen any other bands there before?
- Lu, London, 14/12/2007 15:50
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It's not easy to say but last night was one of the worst gigs I have been too. The sound was appalling, I like loud music but good quality loud music.
It did improve slightly but the majority was shocking. I love the Verve and have done since I brought Gravity Grave on a pink vinyl and still love them, but last night was a night to forget for me. I took some friends to have a nostalgic moment and felt like hiding in the toilets. I was embarrassed. They played some of my favourite songs including On your own but even that failed so send a shiver up my spine.
When a song manages to on CD but not live isn't there something wrong? I checked this morning and it still does on CD so what was so wrong with last night?
Come on lads, just turn the bass down a fraction, and get back to small venues where you belong.
This is the Verve after all.
- Mark Shepherd, London, 14/12/2007 14:37
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I felt it was a half hearted performance and it breaks my heart to say that I wasn’t impressed with The Verve or with the O2 as a venue last night.
From where I was sitting, it sounded terrible and there was a big lack of atmosphere. And judging by everyone else talking amongst themselves they must have thought the same, people were even leaving early and singing “never again” and “Ian Brown is better” on the way home.
I don’t know if it was The Verve or the O2 that was bad, but I won’t be seeing them play live at a big venue again.
- Julie Ford, Enfield, 14/12/2007 13:41
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A slow start but as it went on the band built up a creschendo to deliver a great performance. By the sounds of it, this date was an improvement on the Nottingham gig of a few days earlier. Hopefully by the time Manchester comes, the band will be red hot.
- David Lee, London, 14/12/2007 11:54
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