Thursday, November 20, 1997
Recently reunited, The Verve give Los Angeles concert
MUSIC: Hot English band reconciles after surviving long two-year
separation
By Michael Nazarinia
Daily Bruin Contributor
What makes music interesting? Well it depends on who you are,
and in this case, what’s interesting are bands that stay ahead of
the mainstream without remaining inaccessible to a broader
audience.
After reuniting earlier this past year, The Verve, one of the
hottest English bands around, got intimate with their Los Angeles
fan-base by playing two sold-out shows at the beautiful Mayan
Theatre on Monday and Tuesday.
With the heavy airplay of both the video and single for their
hit, "Bitter Sweet Symphony," The Verve have reestablished
themselves as a force in the modern rock scene after breaking up
two years ago due to personality conflicts between the main
songwriter/singer Richard Ashcroft and guitarist Simon Tong.
Playing a tightly wound set of new material from their current
release, "Urban Hymns," and a few songs from their first two
albums, "Storm in Heaven" and "A Northern Soul," The Verve gave the
local audience an earful on Monday with a sound that was seemingly
turned all the way up.
The Verve’s brand of English rock incorporates spacey keyboard
overlays on top of sprawling guitar lines backed with an undulating
undercurrent of bass and drums that keep you going with Ashcroft’s
hauntingly soulful vocals. Songs like "History" and "Catching the
Butterflies" were absolutely elegant in their arrangement, but were
marred by a sound system that was loud beyond reason. It gave new
meaning to Ashcroft’s famous quote that "The Verve have to be the
biggest band in the world in order for rock music to become
dangerous again." Dangerous, indeed, to the eardrums.
Tuesday night found The Verve more relaxed and with much
improved sound as well as a longer set that included more tracks
from "Urban Hymns." The mixed crowd of twenty-somethings were and
entranced by the performance, seemingly choreographed to
perfection. Each song had its own life with the synchronized
lighting system ebbing and flowing with every note. The different
color filters added a missing element from most of today’s live
music performances without overload, definitely bringing the fans
closer to the personality of their music.
When The Verve last played Los Angeles, in the summer of 1995,
the band was more dynamic yet more chaotic as well. Seemingly
tortured by his soul, Ashcroft screamed and bellowed like a child
throwing a tantrum and at other times was withdrawn and
distant.
This was in stark contrast to the recent shows, performed with
the professionalism of a band that knows how good they are. This
became apparent when The Verve nonchalantly walked on stage both
nights just after 9 p.m. to a mellow crowd bedazzled by their
presence. From the opening moments it was clear that this was a
band that had somehow found themselves again.
The Mayan Theater is, beyond a doubt, the most perfect place to
see a live performance, from the intricately carved stone pillars
that adorn the stage to the huge ornamental ceiling fixture that
encompasses your view when you look up. This added to the feeling
that something special was transpiring when the band would play the
acoustic, quieter songs like "History" and "The Drugs Don’t
Work."
A barefoot Ashcroft, with close-cropped hair, would start the
songs playing the acoustic guitar and the rest of band would come
in perfectly on cue. The cohesiveness was apparent when The Verve
did not respond to technical difficulties but rather played through
them, maintaining the energy and vibe of each song.
To compare the two nights would do no justice to The Verve,
thanks to the less-than-desirable sound level Monday night,
especially with the shrill high end of Tong’s guitars, made even
worse by the feedback. In the past, The Verve would have walked off
in a rage. Now it seems they have found the peace to let their
music speak for itself.