29 December 2007
More album details
Labels:
forth
The song "Mover" has been re-done for the upcoming album. According to Q's February issue, the previously mentioned "Judas" may be the first single, and new song title "Why Can't I Cry" can be added to the list of song titles for the next album. Please click here for page one, and then page two of the article. Remember to use the 'back' button.
23 December 2007
Sessions coming up!
Labels:
forth
According to NME, Verve will now head into the studio to complete sessions for their forthcoming fourth album.
22 December 2007
NME - The Verve close UK tour by paying tribute to Manchester bands
Labels:
verve tour update
The Verve closed their UK Arena tour tonight (December 21) with a triumphant show in Manchester.
The Wigan four-piece, who were playing their second night in the city, blasted through a 14 song set featuring tracks from all three of their albums 'A Storm In Heaven', 'A Northern Soul' and 'Urban Hymns'.
Like their previous low key tour, the band took to the stage to David Axelrod's 'Holy Are You' before singer Richard Ashcroft declared to the crowd: "This is The Verve in Manchester on a Friday night. Let's have it. Come on."
Instead of kicking off with their trademark signature tune 'This Is Music', the band opted for 'A Northern Soul' opener 'A New Decade'.
Rounding off the show with 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', Ashcroft urged the crowd to help him along before he said: "Merry Christmas Manchester. I love you forever and The Smiths and The Stone Roses and Oasis."
The Verve played:
'A New Decade'
'This is Music'
'Space And Time
'Weeping Willow'
'Life's An Ocean'
'Sonnet'
'Sit And Wonder'
'Velvet Morning'
'Lucky Man'
'Stormy Clouds'
'On Your Own'
'The Drugs Don't Work'
'Come On'
'Bitter Sweet Symphony'
Earlier The Coral played a host of hits from their recent album 'Roots And Echoes' including 'Who's Gonna Find Me', 'Jacqueline' and 'In The Rain'. The band also threw in fans favourite 'Dreaming Of You'.
17 December 2007
Tour pictures
Labels:
pictures
Here are some excellent sets from the reunion tour. Thanks Jeff.
- Carling Academy in Glasgow, Scotland 2 & 3 November 2007
- Roundhouse in London, England 8 November 2007
- Roundhouse in London, England 9 November 2007
- O2 Arena in Greenwich, England 13 December 2007
16 December 2007
Album update
There has been a tentative release month for the upcoming album set for June 2008. Song titles floating about include: Judas, Sit and Wonder, Appalachian Springs, Rather Be, Mona Lisa, Mover, and a re-recorded version of Let The Damage Begin.
Richard Ashcroft (pictured above), with freshly blond hair, leads the Verve reunion at Glasgow's SECC Center, December 15.
Richard Ashcroft (pictured above), with freshly blond hair, leads the Verve reunion at Glasgow's SECC Center, December 15.
14 December 2007
From shaky start to smooth sailing
A lot of Northern Soul but The Verve's Stormy Clouds are gone
Article by Sarah Graham, Daily Mail
When your lead guitarist gets cramp in his hand and is forced to leave the stage, it could well spend the end of the show for some bands. But not The Verve. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft, sporting a shocking crop of blonde hair, simply picked up his guitar and began playing The Drugs Don't Work all on his own.
It was well over an hour into the show at this point and the crowd showed its rapturous appreciation for Ashcroft's true showmanship as Nick McCabe left the stage frantically shaking his hand. By the time he returned, the packed 02 Arena was more than ready for arguably the band's biggest hit, Bitter Sweet Symphony.
Only one new song - Sit and Wonder - was given an airing, signalling no great diversion from The Verve we already know and love. But it was true Verve fans that benefitted from the show that largely featured songs from early albums, particularly A Northern Soul. Songs like This Is Music, Stormy Clouds and Life's An Ocean reminded us just what a great guitarist McCabe is and what a massively influential band The Verve have always been. It's hard to believe that just a few years ago the prospect of ever seeing a Verve gig was virtually nil after McCabe and Ashcroft's famous falling out, leading to numerous break-ups. There was no sign of any acrimony last night, even when Ashcroft was left to fend for himself.
I left the arena wondering whether relations between the members could remain so buoyant, or whether this really would be the last time anyone would see The Verve play together again. Fingers crossed they stay on good terms.
Article by Sarah Graham, Daily Mail
It was well over an hour into the show at this point and the crowd showed its rapturous appreciation for Ashcroft's true showmanship as Nick McCabe left the stage frantically shaking his hand. By the time he returned, the packed 02 Arena was more than ready for arguably the band's biggest hit, Bitter Sweet Symphony.
Only one new song - Sit and Wonder - was given an airing, signalling no great diversion from The Verve we already know and love. But it was true Verve fans that benefitted from the show that largely featured songs from early albums, particularly A Northern Soul. Songs like This Is Music, Stormy Clouds and Life's An Ocean reminded us just what a great guitarist McCabe is and what a massively influential band The Verve have always been. It's hard to believe that just a few years ago the prospect of ever seeing a Verve gig was virtually nil after McCabe and Ashcroft's famous falling out, leading to numerous break-ups. There was no sign of any acrimony last night, even when Ashcroft was left to fend for himself.
I left the arena wondering whether relations between the members could remain so buoyant, or whether this really would be the last time anyone would see The Verve play together again. Fingers crossed they stay on good terms.
12 December 2007
Possible forecast, or just a bad night?
Labels:
live
The Verve Disappoints At Arena Tour Opener
Article by Steve Adams, Billboard
In a year of money-spinning reunions, The Verve --- singer Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones and drummer Pete Salisbury, back together after splitting in 1998 -- have been quick to point out they're doing it "for the music." The sentiment was given a degree of authenticity by the revelation that recording is well advanced on a new album, due in the spring.
But while last month's half dozen low-key U.K. gigs -- to sharpen the quartet's collective chops before returning to the studio -- gave further credence to the argument, the current schlep around U.K. arenas tells a different story. Indeed a glance at the merchandise stand, offering everything from t-shirts to mugs, tote bags and even underwear, suggested the lure of lucre also played a part in reuniting a genuinely original act who rocketed into orbit with a sublime combination of space rock and indie anthems.
Sadly, the opening show of the arena tour was rather more down to earth, as a newly-shorn and peroxide-blonde Ashcroft led his band (who seemed for all the world like a backing band rather than equals) through a lackluster performance littered with errors ("That's what you get with live music," claimed Ashcroft). It was further marred by dreadful sound quality and an audience apparently only interested in hearing the hits and whose idea of expressing themselves was tossing plastic cups of beer in the air.
McCabe suffered most from the former, as his guitar playing -- traditionally one of the act's greatest strengths -- got so lost in the mix as to be barely audible, even when it was supposed to be center stage during the band's much-lauded psychedelic workouts.
Not that the latter were much in evidence, as the size of venue and crowd -- by its nature containing rather more casual fans than obsessives -- had an undeniable impact on a shorter show and set list, which saw old classics (many aired at the smaller venues) jettisoned in favor of more radio-friendly material. The latter largely consisted of tunes from 1997's all-conquering "Urban Hymns," which contributed nine of the night's 15 numbers.
Despite being fairly pedestrian, the ballads/singles like "Sonnet," "The Drugs Don't Work" (awful), "Lucky Man" (better) and the ubiquitous "Bittersweet Symphony" were greeted with roars of approval. But it was the lesser-known numbers such as "Space and Time," "Velvet Morning" and "Come On" (demoted to main set closer from its usual encore position) that better demonstrated the originality of which the band is truly capable.
Earlier material, such as the sublime "Life's An Ocean," was few, far between and often spoiled by chatter throughout the auditorium, to the point that Ashcroft bizarrely felt the need to thank the masses for listening to "Let the Damage Begin" (with the caveat "we've been away so long, they're all old"). In reality they should have been thanking him, but on a night as disappointing as this, maybe he had a point.
Here's the Verve's set list:
"This Is Music," "Sonnet," "Life's An Ocean," "Space and Time," "Weeping Willow," "On Your Own," "Already There," "The Rolling People," "Velvet Morning," "Let the Damage Begin," "The Drugs Don't Work," "Come On," "History," "Lucky Man," "Bittersweet Symphony"
Article by Steve Adams, Billboard
In a year of money-spinning reunions, The Verve --- singer Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones and drummer Pete Salisbury, back together after splitting in 1998 -- have been quick to point out they're doing it "for the music." The sentiment was given a degree of authenticity by the revelation that recording is well advanced on a new album, due in the spring.
But while last month's half dozen low-key U.K. gigs -- to sharpen the quartet's collective chops before returning to the studio -- gave further credence to the argument, the current schlep around U.K. arenas tells a different story. Indeed a glance at the merchandise stand, offering everything from t-shirts to mugs, tote bags and even underwear, suggested the lure of lucre also played a part in reuniting a genuinely original act who rocketed into orbit with a sublime combination of space rock and indie anthems.
Sadly, the opening show of the arena tour was rather more down to earth, as a newly-shorn and peroxide-blonde Ashcroft led his band (who seemed for all the world like a backing band rather than equals) through a lackluster performance littered with errors ("That's what you get with live music," claimed Ashcroft). It was further marred by dreadful sound quality and an audience apparently only interested in hearing the hits and whose idea of expressing themselves was tossing plastic cups of beer in the air.
McCabe suffered most from the former, as his guitar playing -- traditionally one of the act's greatest strengths -- got so lost in the mix as to be barely audible, even when it was supposed to be center stage during the band's much-lauded psychedelic workouts.
Not that the latter were much in evidence, as the size of venue and crowd -- by its nature containing rather more casual fans than obsessives -- had an undeniable impact on a shorter show and set list, which saw old classics (many aired at the smaller venues) jettisoned in favor of more radio-friendly material. The latter largely consisted of tunes from 1997's all-conquering "Urban Hymns," which contributed nine of the night's 15 numbers.
Despite being fairly pedestrian, the ballads/singles like "Sonnet," "The Drugs Don't Work" (awful), "Lucky Man" (better) and the ubiquitous "Bittersweet Symphony" were greeted with roars of approval. But it was the lesser-known numbers such as "Space and Time," "Velvet Morning" and "Come On" (demoted to main set closer from its usual encore position) that better demonstrated the originality of which the band is truly capable.
Earlier material, such as the sublime "Life's An Ocean," was few, far between and often spoiled by chatter throughout the auditorium, to the point that Ashcroft bizarrely felt the need to thank the masses for listening to "Let the Damage Begin" (with the caveat "we've been away so long, they're all old"). In reality they should have been thanking him, but on a night as disappointing as this, maybe he had a point.
Here's the Verve's set list:
"This Is Music," "Sonnet," "Life's An Ocean," "Space and Time," "Weeping Willow," "On Your Own," "Already There," "The Rolling People," "Velvet Morning," "Let the Damage Begin," "The Drugs Don't Work," "Come On," "History," "Lucky Man," "Bittersweet Symphony"
11 December 2007
05 December 2007
Afterparty tickets
Labels:
forth,
miscellaneous,
verve tour update
Check the website below to find out about afterparty tickets for two upcoming Verve concerts at Manchester Central.
20/12/07: The Verve @ Manchester Central (Formerly GMEX)
20/12/07: The Verve Official Afterparty @ Manchester Aqua Bar
21/12/07: The Verve @ Manchester Central (Formerly GMEX)
21/12/07: The Verve Official Afterparty @ Manchester Aqua Bar
http://www.manchesterad.com/gigs/thismonth
20/12/07: The Verve @ Manchester Central (Formerly GMEX)
20/12/07: The Verve Official Afterparty @ Manchester Aqua Bar
21/12/07: The Verve @ Manchester Central (Formerly GMEX)
21/12/07: The Verve Official Afterparty @ Manchester Aqua Bar
http://www.manchesterad.com/gigs/thismonth
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