From: John Sakamoto
| Just got back from the show at the Phoenix. Great show.
Basically a reshuffled version of the set lists posted for New York, Boston,
and Detroit. Highlights: a solo acoustic version of "On Your Own", without the band, even though Richard didn't attempt the falsetto part at the end; "Slide Away"; and a slow, mournful take on "The Drugs Don't Work". Here's the set list: A New Decade Catching The Butterfly This Is Music Weeping Willow Slide Away Sonnet The Drugs Don't Work The Rolling People Life's An Ocean Bitter Sweet Symphony Stormy Clouds (Reprise) ----------------------------- On Your Own Lucky Man History Come On |
From: Brian Alexander
| "We're going to be the biggest band in the world"
paraphrasing of course Richard Ashcroft's statements as they began a "New
Decade" blue lighting streaming from all different angles from behind the
band as well as the audience. Maybe they began this gig with this tune to let the people know they'll be around for awhile?? Who knows...... They performed an excellent rendition of "Catching A Butterfly" for their second tune...from here they take you on a trip and I was there leaving with them. Simon Jones and Nicke McCabe in sync and RA pulling you in with his stage presence for the next while. Sixteen songs from ASIH,ANS and UH including "This Is Music","Weeping Willow" (four strings...Ashcroft,McCabe,Jones and Tong), "Slide Away","Sonnet","The Drugs Don't Work"....."Rolling People" was phenomenal, followed by "Lifes An Ocean" (wooooooww!!), "BSS (which sounded pretty good considering hearing it get overkill on the radio...and "Stormy Clouds" just blew me away. Three more from ANS including "History" and "Lucky Man" from UH. They finished the show with "Come On" which was so loud and soooooo good it was and still is giving me this amazing feeling. Yes Verve were good and hopefully will always be as good as they were tonight. If there was a message the band was sending out it was through songs like "Lifes An Ocean","Lucky Man","History" for the not so obvious songs about where we were,where we are and where we are heading. This is just my take on the show and these are the feelings it evoked from me. They'll be back in T.O. next year, maybe even as soon as the Oasis show (ohhh the the irony of it...the next biggest band opening for the self proclaimed biggest band in the world...oh well the debate goes on. Unite with one another DON'T fight with one another!! The last thing this world needs is more negative vibes floating around.... |
From: Andrew Isherwood
| well I'm back from a wicked night of verve and thought I'd post a little review of the show and other stuff...I got to Toronto around 2:00pm, I won't tell you about my afternoon record shopping etc. so I'll start by saying I got to Mickey Finns around 6:00pm to meet some listees, Jason, Aaron and Eric were there but where was everyone else? We screamed "COME ON!!" and several other verve quotes but no one else in the bar acknowledged so I'm guessing you weren't there...anyways on to the verve, I got to the Phoenix just after 8:00pm and was inside 15min later...the DJ was on at that point spinning some wicked tunes, not that I could recognize any being an ignorant child of the 90's but my friends assure me there was lotsa Can, good shit...anyways the band didn't take the stage until almost 11:00pm, I thought they'd come on at 9:30 and by 11:00 I was pretty tired, but then came A New Decade and I was up for, Catching the Butterfly was next and this song really does sound very good live, other highlights were This is Music, Stormy Clouds/Reprise (Praise Nick!!), Slide Away (yeah we got this too!), Life's An Ocean, Lucky Man (surprisingly good), and the end of Come On (again, praise Nick!!)...lowlight included Bittersweet Symphony, this song just didn't work live, couldn't hear the strings, I hope they either fix it up or drop it from their set for future tours. Overall a really good show, same petty complaints as everyone else, too loud, sound wasn't bad but it wasn't great either...not as good as when they were here in 95 but I have such amazing memories of the 95 show I don't think anything will ever be better than that. |
From: andrea
| Well vervies last night was the long-awaited in my mind
and for so many of us Torontonians the return of the "best band in the
world" (RA quote). I have never ever left a concert feeling so at peace, so
filled with this spirtual well being. I could hear the mumbles of so many
others saying it was the best show ever. I had not been having a good day, I
had a sleepless night, I was stressed out for school and other matters, it
was cold, and last night was the first of flurries. We also had to wait two
hours for the show to start, but I wanted to be early so I could be upfront.
All of it was soon forgotten. There were two screens showing slides of the
band, of quotes, and of other micellaneous pictures that must mean something
to the band. Finally the house lights when down, and as if I were in a dream
the band walked on the stage, Richard in some parka with fur, strutting like
he knew that he would affect us like never before. With his opening words "A
new decade, the radio plays the songs we made", the band in a wild
enthusiasm began to play, and I knew this night would be unforgettable. I
wish to post the whole set list, but I don't remember what order the songs
went. I can list them though: this is music, catching the butterfly,
(replacing man called sun I suppose), slide away(!!), rolling people,
sonnet, weeping willow, life's an ocean, the drugs don't work, stormy
clouds, reprise, on your own (I cried during this) bittersweet symphony,
lucky man, history, come on. *Richard at one point thanked all the people who came to see them the last, then he thanked all his new friends...see he exepts new fans, we should do the same. *Richard pointed to Nick several times during songs, it really showed an unselfishness on his part. *Richard quoted the verve as the "best band in the world", this made me think of oasis and their claim to this...hmm am I sensing future tension? ;) *I yelled out history about 5 times and then the next song was history, I would like to believe I influenced them cos it didn't look like they were going to...no? ok well just humour me :) *the sound was extremely loud, and some security guy took pity on us and gave my friend and I ear plugs. *Richard yelled out "see you next year Toronto!" wooo I am so there. Well that's all I can think of as far as highlights go, truthfully I was happier to hear them play their older stuff since it dawned on me that I might not be able to hear them again, but I was happy with their selections of the album (although I wish they had played space and time rather than weeping willow). The audience were not so called bittersweet heads, it was a good mixture of fans. It was come on that made me shake and really got me going at the end, I could not get over how hard Richard goes to that song. I had to hold on to the speaker after the song, cos I thought my legs would fail me if I walked. I left that show as if it were almost a spirtual experience I took part in, and I just didn't want to look at anything as negative. Despite my bad day, and bad week was worth it for that hour and half of the verve, since I forgot everything. The best show of my life (and I have been to dozens), I can't wait until they come back. |
From: Christian Wilson
| Last night i saw Verve play at the Phoenix in Toronto,
and let me tell you, that show was freakin wicked!!. I saw the Verve in 1994
at Lolla in Barrie, but back then I wasn't as much into them. Since then
Verve have been my favorite band, even after frustrated attemps to see them
in Summer '95. Okay, last night's show had the following line up, though i can't remmeber the order that well. Opened with A New Decade, played Slide away, Catching the Butterfly, This is Music, Lucky Man, BSS,Life' an Ocean, DDW, Sonnet. Ummm.. Then they played the Rolling people, and a wicked instrumental and went off. After a short break, Richard came out and played On Your Own by himself. Then they went into Stormy Clouds, immediately followed by Reprise, and ending finally with Come On. This show was totally sold out, and people were outside selling tickets for $150 CDN. Verve cam on at 10:45 and played until quarter after 12. I saw Kate Radley there for sure, filming the set from a balcony at the side of the stage.The sound and acoustics in Phoenix are great. Richard's voice was in top form and Nick McCabe didn't make any mistakes. I was especially impressed by the lights!! They made the stage look all fucked up between songs. For the 2 hrs I was waitinng for them to come on i chatted with a bunch of strangers about our fave B-sides from 1991- .Vereve have a strong, old following in Toronto area, and the Atmosphere was great, everybody smilling. From begining to the end of the Show, Richard seemed to get more crazy. He talked to himself for much of the performance, and at one point durning an instrumental a kept hittin himself with his hands mouthing the words "Me! me!". And during Reprise played at tambourine. Richard taunted the audience and seemed in his own world, as did Nick, Simon was having a great old time, Simon T never looked up and Pete had a look of extreme concentartion the whole show. The show ended with Richard saying "Fuck You Toronto, see ya next year!". While Kate filmed the exhausted crowd. Possibly I saw the greatest show i've ever been to and i've seen alot, everything was perfect except they didn't play Gravity Grave, but i didn't really expect that.. |
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