From: Dayna
| HI ya'll, just got back here's the list, the order after
drugs don't work is not correct -a new decade -cathing the butterfly -this is music * -SLIDE AWAY -sonnet -drugs don't work -weeping willow -rolling people -life's an ocean -bitter sweet synphony -stormy clouds ---- -space and time -come on *there was a power failure during this song. But when they came back Richard smoked the giant, wahsington kind, spliff that I threw at him during Butterfly!!! Overall, I thougth it wasn't too loud (though some of my friends were comparing the volume level to old rock areana shows) and the sound was great in places but not good everywhre. They have their own sound man, but apparently they use the house system (The house guy was there) which might explain why they don't sound stellar all the time, or their sound guy sucks. The first time I saw them (4 years ago, here) the place was maybe 2/3 full this time it was sold out and packed! I will make no further comparisons... They were great. Richard did space and tiem solo accoustic which surprised me, and it was very good. Though, he aint shit without the rest of 'em; whom put on a cosmic sound collage that kicked ass. |
From: Ryan Scott
| Unfortunately, I don't have a set list. My roommate has
one though, and I can post it later. But it doesn't really matter, since
they skipped three songs in the encore. But, none-the-less it was one of the
best Verve shows I have ever seen. What I felt was so special about it was the vibe from the audience. Everyone knew that they were definitely seeing something special, and that this wouldn't happen again (The Showbox was the smallest venue on the tour). During Sonnet, the whole audience was singing the second vocal line - it was really cool. I thought the sound was good from where I was standing, but the guitar could of been a little more clearer. Every band member seemed in full form. Richard was going crazy as usual. And when he put that hooded sweatshirt on - you could of mistake him for a member of NWA. Everybody in the front was shouting COME ON! to Richard and Simon, and they were doing the same to the audience. All of the songs sounded brilliant. But one bad thing did happen that kind of put a damper on the evening, and probably resulted in them skipping those three songs. The power went out! I can't remember what song. Richard and Simon just turned right toward each other and walked off stage. A few minutes later, everything was back to normal, and the band came on to huge screams and cheers. And, amazingly to me, they picked up right where they left off, with out even skipping a note. |
From: princessrepunzel@hotmail.com
| Sorry to say, but I was quite disappointed with the Seattle show. Sure it was a bummer that the sound went out, but that's not their fault. Too bad the sound had to be as bad as it was. And I totally disagree with Ryan's take of how the audience reacted. First off, I had never seen such a group of 21+ teeny boopers! I assume this is due to the heavy radio play given in Seattle and the fact that the Seattle "alternative" radio station was all over the event. Secondly, the audience seemed really out of it, not getting into any of the songs except Bittersweet Symphony, of course the only song on the radio. Thirdly, if I were The Verve, I wouldn't have come out for an encore because the crowd expressed the most pitiful attempt at enthusiasm I had ever witnessed. |
From: Michael
| First, I have to admit my friends and I arrived well
after the doors opened, and after checking our coats and buying stickers, we
had to somewhat ungracefully push our way near to the stage front. No one
really seemed to mind, it was kind of obvious we had long standing interest.
The Showbox was a little awkward. There was a heap of wooden chairs stacked
in one corner of the dance floor that went nearly all the way to the
ceiling, and so a large proportion of the audience were arranged standing
more towards stage right. But the stage is relatively low, and standing
close is no problem. When we came in, the slide show was on. It flanked the
crowd with two screens on either side of the room, each with it's own
carousel. I recognized more than a few of the pictures from the Urban Hymns
album sleeve, and the rest seemed to be in the same vein: pictures of
Richard and the group recording and rehearsing and kicking back, British
urban architecture, etc. The dj, if there was one that night, because it seemed more like a sound tech idly following a prescribed list, played a lot of retro sounding soul. I wish I recognized some of it, but I really wasn't paying too much attention. Actually, the Kris Kristofferson which played before Spiritualized recently would have been reasonable here, too. At one point, the stage hands fogged the stage. Then, around 9pm, the house lights dimmed and the music which was playing on the floor sound-system moved to the stage speakers. It was a bass groove with a dangerous saxophone, and I really thought it was incredible. I'd love to know what it was and if they come on to it at other concerts. One by one they walked on, Nick, Pete, Richard, Simon Jones and Simon Tong. Richard gave a quick wave to the crowd, took off his hooded sweater, and began pacing the stage, psyching himself. Nick and the rest were already into the intro for A New Decade; they began immediately when they put their instruments on. You'll remember, this intro lasts maybe thirty seconds. It's Nick playing his gold Les Paul softly, Simon on his Fender, and Pete giving a lot of atmosphere due to the reverb on his snare hits, which are like eerie, forceful canon fire. Nick hits a distortion pedal. Then the lights all come on and Richard thrusts his arms over his head indicating that this should be recognized as a significant moment, his fingers gesturing "Fuck You" European style, and then everyone just goes insane. "A New Decade...The Radio Plays the Sounds We Make...And Everything Seems to Feel Alright...Coming Through Your Lonely Mind". I had no idea it was going to be so cool! Attitude pulsing out like prizefighter's. Nick played his Les Pauls and a Stratocaster through two Fender Twin Reverbs and a Mesa Boogie stack, volume and Wah pedals, and an effects rack that was turned away from the crowd, which he would periodically adjust by hand during songs, often for echo delay rates. I really wasn't in a position to see much even though I was 6ft away. After the second song, Catching the Butterfly, some people begin yelling for Gravity Grave. I was embarrassed by this, actually, because I feel they should play whatever they want. I'm just so glad they were there at all. I would have listened to it, yet I was kind of pleased these howls throughout the night were ignored, but they did have an effect, which I'll mention in a little while. The third song, This Is Music, was sounding a bit strange. Throughout the concert, the sound would become muddy at times, and there would be bursts of uncontrolled feedback ringing, but the sound was perfect for this song. Other things were happening. They played a little out of synch with one another, and Richard had to speed through lyrics to catch up a few times. They weren't quite in their space and were doing their best to rescue the groove. At "Jesus never saved me, he'll never save you, too, and you know the lord I know, I got a *", a fuse blew for the stage and the lighting and speakers cut right out, and Pete played a few beats in and stopped. When I heard Pete without the mics, I realized how really loud everything was. The unamplified hits sounded like they were coming off someone's walkman earphones. Richard looked out at the audience, and he and everyone else in the place went, "Aw!", and he just put his mic down and they all walked offstage. Didn't even wait a second. When the crew has everything turned on again, the band walks back out with their german import beers. Richard begins pacing the floor again. You know the part where he repeats "I've been on the shelf too loooong"? They began with that groove. And they worked it a few extra measures until it was obvious they really were in their space, and Nick looked happy. He really did. And Richard took a deep breath and the rest of the band registered it somehow, and he yells out "Jesus never saved me, "etc. And they played the song through knowing full well they were playing five times better than before. It sounded that terrific. I saw something fly onto the stage during Catching the Butterfly, but soon it was obvious what it was. It was a massive spliff. When they finished This is Music, Richard pulled out a zippo and began working it. He told the crowd how the last place they played, they didn't have anything, and now first thing they're in Seattle, without asking they're throwing it onstage. He thought this was very cool. But then he went on to say how we're all just drinking coffee for our lives and that the most important moment was probably watching them right now, the greatest band ever. It's about time radio figured that out. It was very boisterous, and the audience didn't like being stereotyped for coffee drinkers. I guess they hear that alot. In the songs that followed, Simon Jones was obviously having a great time. The audience kept calling out his name, "Simon!". There was great response for Slide Away and The Drugs Don't Work. I really loved the way they completely loved playing Life's an Ocean and Rolling People (which itself was incredible, and I think the lyics are definitly: But I would shake no hands, no / 'Cause death has no fans... I'm on a big jet plane / With a briefcase and crime in my veins I'll be the first to toast / To my rotton soul) But then the sound was getting muddier and muddier. First of all, before DDW, Sonnet didn't sound good at all. It was a mess. Richard sang out of key for most of this one by virtue of the fact Nick's amps were getting too cloudy. I love that, but Richard's accoustic got buried beneath this, and Nick was so abstract the chords became non existant, and this must have played tricks with Richard's ears. And he knew it. Even though Nick is clouding up the sound densely each night, I'm sure the accoustics of the venue were so ruinous for those volumes that their really was too much reverb ( I know, how can there be too much? I think Nick loved that alot, though, but it does eventually affect tone recognition) And, again, afterwards people kept yelling for A Man Called Sun and Gravity Grave. Eventually, there was a brief conference on stage, perhaps too because a lot of people were getting agitated by the poor sound, and when I thought it would have come in the encore, they launcehed into BSS just over half way through the set. A kind of pre-emptive attack to settle the audience. But Bitter Sweet Symphony's strings were also sounding strangely out of tune. I don't mean transposed, because it was obviously lower. I was glad they sunk below Nick, who was cloudier than ever, but then Richard lost the key once or twice. It was probably the low point of the set for the band, but lots of other people seemed pleased. More often that not, Simon Tong was all but impossible to hear. He was obviously there for Weeping Willow, but Nick drowned him out eventually there, too. When they began Stormy Clouds, it was too fast. Even the fresh take on Reprise only lasted just over three minutes. And they left the stage briskly. Nick really appreciated us though, and waved and smiled quite a bit on his way off. When he left, his last guitar phrase and some of the bass was in a loop that played on and on. Richard came back out quite soon, with his sweater on again, and without any ado began Space and Time on his accoustic guitar. It was much like it is on the demo, and it was so much more effective for everyone than DDW. The crowd actually filled in the echo of "it's alright" without any prompting every time. It seemed like everyone was into singing that. Richard plays and sings alot with his eyes closed, really listening to the music. In certain songs, when he provokes the audience, and strains every muscle in his neck, yelling out, my friend and I are sure he isn't screaming at all, but just mouthing incoherant rants, and that is still so understandably envigourating. The rest of the band came out when he finished and they began "Come On" and I panicked. It was obvious they weren't going to do History or Lucky Man! But they really tried to make the best of it. I think they all must have decided early on that that night's concert was below par of what they prefer. But still, Nick went places you can't imagine on the album, and Richard pulled off his clogs and began clapping them together to send Pete on to an amazing finish. Richard danced slouched over with the hood pulled up, keeping himself in his groove mentality. Pete put together a brillant proto-funk backbeat that took the song farther than on the album and then closed off the song. When he finished he tossed his sticks aside and stormed off, and the rest of the band followed. Except for Nick and Simon Jones, they guys were looking very annoyed. And everyone just stood there. I half expected them to come back out, but even though we were making lots of noise, the floor speakers began playing the MSG mix and then the crew started taking things apart. Still, with the fuse problem, they were on until 10:30pm. As we left, I noticed a lot of people were actually a lot older than me and my friends. Older than the band. They seemed to be clingy to a lot of early 90's aesthetics, which I found a little discomforting, more so than all the guys who looked identical to Simon circa' the ANS back cover picture--there were lots of them. If I were Richard and I had to look out at these people who seemed unconvinced over the new material, and who dislike all the new popularity, I'd be frustrated, too. It seemed the crowd was very loving and appreciative, but in a familiar way, like an old friend, not a new love. I've liked the Verve for a long while now, and it seems to me the Verve shouldn't be a scene. They can encompass so much more. So I really liked the concert. It had a lot to live up to, and though I felt a bit disappointed at first, it's so cool to look at the Urban Hymns' CD and know I've seen them with my own eyes, and they're just people like everyone else. I've finally been there. |
From: Jake Schimke
| This was my second time seeing The Verve so I had some
expectations from the get go. I saw them in San Fransisco shortly before
"the break" and was convinced it was one of the most powerful performances
I've seen. They seemed to be wanting it really bad. The Seattle show was loud, powerful, amazing...but different. The set seems to have been the same from previous shows listed (AHHH, Catching the Butterfly!!) and I was stunned to see a band go from a supersonic wall of beautiful noise down to the elegant aucoustics of Drugs Don't Work and Space and Time in a matter of minutes. But The Verve seem to feed off the crowds energy, of which there was absolutely none this evening. People stood there like deer in headlights almost the entire show! The diehards were an obvious, and appreciated lot. The band almost seemed tired or bored with the crowd. Yet with these nitpickings aside, the band simply rocks live! no question. The beginning of "The Rolling People" exploded in lights then carried away. The closer after the encore was "Come On" and it let the band cut loose while Ashcroft swayed and danced to the groove. Unlike S.F. where they took off on a jam like I've never seen in my life, this show ended like any other as the band mates ended the song and walked away. I wanted so much more, but hey, it's their band. But I can't really complain when the greatest band on earth plays five feet from my ears and leaves me pleasantly deaf and realizing that there is no band on earth that can do what was done that night. |
From: Gary Cutler
| I've been a fan of The Verve since 1992 when I first
heard the sounds of "A Man Called Sun" echoing in my ears. After waiting for
5 years to finally see them live, to no surprise, I was thoroughly
impressed. What most impressed me about the show beforehand was the
overwhelming feeling that everyone was really anxious to see The Verve. It
was a crowd definitely deemed worthy enough, at least in my eyes, of giving
these guys the genuine love and respect they so deserve. Richard Ashcroft
said it best during one of the few moments he spoke to the audience when he
stated that "We're the biggest band at the moment right now and you better
get with it!" The beginning of the show was wrought with technical problems such as the first few notes of "New Decade" with the lights and total sound blinking off in the middle of "This Is Music". After 10 minutes or so, The Verve proved that they don't take their music lightly by finishing the song from almost the exact same note they left off on. The rest of The Verve's blistering 1 hr and 45 min set was captured by this momentum with passionate renderings of "Catching The Butterfly", "Weeping Willow", and "Stormy Clouds" just to name a few. The Verve ended the show with Richard doing an acoustic version of "Space and Time" and the rest of the band joining in for "Come On". I have to say that, like many others who have witnessed this band for the first time, I was blown away by the sheer passion and energy they have for playing their music. Let's all hope that The Verve doesn't burn out from all of this good fortune because I for one would like to get another chance at seeing them live and continuing on for years to come. |
From: Jordan
| I just witnessed the Verve live tonight for the first
time, and hopefully it won't be the last. They were very good, and very
loud. So loud in fact they must have tripped a circuit or something because
halfway through the third song, "This Is Music", everything went dead in the
place so they had to stop. Ironicly right in the place when Richard disses
Jesus. Nick was so pissed during the black out that his guitar tech had to
grab him and stop him from throwing his guitar into the back wall as he
walked off stage. After things got going after five minutes of darkness
everything went fine. Richard blazed up a nice fat blount someone handed to
him as if to say "I really don't give a damn!" I guess the drugs do work
after all. The set list was made up mostly of Urban Hymns songs with a few from A Northern Soul and "Slide Away" from A Storm in Heaven. Mr. Jones seemed to have a good time interacting with the crowd pumping his fist in the air egging them on to yell louder. Ricard was bantering something about being the "best fucking band in rock and roll." I'd agree. He also used his shoes as a sort of percussion instrument during "Come On" slamming them together at the end of the song. Nick was pretty mello. I like how he raises his beer to the audience as a salute when he walks off stage with a little smile on his face. Straight up pimp, if thats not rock and roll I don't know what is. Peter played his ass off, it looked like he was sweating Niagra Falls. Simon Tong did his part as well, filling in nicely with guitar, keys and tambourine. I will long remember this night. I know it sounds cheesy to say this, but it's true. This was by far the best show I have ever seen and heard. |
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