The Verve, The WaMu Theater at MSG, NYC. April 28 & 29, 2008
Both Samantha Moore and I went to see The Verve perform at the WaMu Theater at MSG on two different nights. With ten years between us and two very different reference points, it seemed like a great opportunity for both of us to give our views on the Verve’s triumphant NYC comeback. The first in 10 years! Read on, after the jump to see our reviews:
Samantha’s Review:
When I heard that The Verve were going to be playing a few months ago, I basically flipped. “Bittersweet Symphony” has been one of my favorite songs since I was about ten. I had only just gotten into the rest of their discography, so I was eager to hear live the songs I had recently grown to love.
My friend Bennett and I took a cab up to MSG because it was raining and we were both having bad days. But we both foresaw it turning around after this concert. We got some drinks to take the edge off, and settled down in our seats to wait for the show to start. Looking around observing the crowd, I realized that we were only a few other (barely) teenagers there besides us. I guess that makes sense, since the band hadn’t performed in New York for almost ten years. In about three minutes, we had both finished our drinks (we had REALLY bad days, ok?), and decided to go for round two. Its a good thing we did because I ran into my favorite Mancunian, Paul Adams! He had the sad misfortune of going with a friend who had not yet recovered from ankle surgery and was forced to sit near the back of the theatre, despite having a general admission pass. He offered to switch tickets with us so we could get closer down into the action (we were in the seated section), and we trekked down to
the side of the stage to try to explain to the guards that we wanted to switch tickets but since Bennett and I didn’t have GA wristbands, they wouldn’t let us switch. So we grudgingly slogged back to our seats.
As we were about to sit down, the band took to the stage (there were no openers), and we jumped right back up because OH MY GOD, there they were in all their legendary glory with the amazing Richard Ashcroft right in center stage. I forget what song they opened with because I was too in awe of how Ashcroft does not appear to have aged a day since I watched a video of him walking down the street for five minutes in fourth grade. By the time they started their second song “This is Music” I had come back to reality and started dancing my pants of, because this song and pretty much every other Verve song makes me feel like my feet could just lift right off the ground. I guess the rest of the crowd didn’t share my feelings, or maybe they were tired, because we were almost the only ones standing up in our section, and probably literally the only ones dancing. I felt kind of bad for the poor sod who had his view of obscured by my shakin’ booty, but not that bad. You paid good money
for these tickets, sir! Get up and dance!
Despite Ashcroft’s handsome appearance, after the first few songs I spent very little time looking at the stage. The sound they made (especially with the crap MSG acoustics) was phenomenal and I was lost in my own little eyes-closed-arms-waving-hair-flying universe. Even though I knew almost every song they played, it sounded new, and I think that is the mark of a legendary band. Their sound is just so all-encompassing and huge sounding that its hard not to get caught up and find yourself in distortion and reverb heaven. They stormed through most of the favorites (except Slide Away, which is an amazing song) including “Drugs Don’t Work”, “Sonnet”, and “Lucky Man”, “Life’s an Ocean” and “Weeping Willow”. As the songs progressed, Ashcroft’s zip-up shirt kept getting more and more unzipped, and I made a bet with Bennett that he would take his shirt off. Crushingly (for both my wallet and my heart) he did not. They also played the epic ten-minuter “Gravity Grave”. I am telling
you, I used to hate long songs passionately but lately they are just my favorite part of gigs! Its like you are going into an underwater tunnel and lose all concept of space and time when they song is going on, until it stops and you come up gasping for breath on the other side, realizing that you were only in a temporary reality. Sorry if that was a little metaphysical, but it was seriously a spiritual experience. It was THAT good.
They kicked their encore off with the heart-wrenching and gorgeous “History” which , in a very cliche way, sent a wave of shivers all over me. But this was no match for my reaction to “Bittersweet Symphony”, which basically consisted of me melting into a puddle. . It sounded a hundred times better live, which is incredible considering how great it sounds recorded. Finally the whole crowd was standing up and waving their hands in the air, huge smiles of ecstasy plastered on their faces. They just kept playing it for what seemed like forever, the sound just kept getting bigger and bigger and I thought I would just combust with happiness. Thankfully I survived. They played a new song for their closer, which I found kind of lame. I mean, the song was good, but it was sort of an anti-climax after “Symphony”. But that didn’t make me any less ecstatic as I made my way out into the drizzly night . Our night (and the weather) had improved so much we didn’t even mind taking the subway
home.
My Review:
Ten years ago when I was interning for Spin.com as an 18 year old just out of high school, my boss asked me if I wanted to see the Verve with him. Everyone in the office was going and he knew I loved the band.
“Aaaaaah! I can’t!!!!” is told him, “I’m seeing Siouxie Siouxie at Life with my brother and a friend! And if there’s any show I’ll regret not seeing, its that one! The Verve will be back!”
Now I remember that Siouxie show as the show I went to instead of seeing the Verve weeks before they broke up. I really never thought they’d reunite again and was heartbroken. I love love loved singer Richard Ashcroft’s single “Song for Lovers” and the video was as good as any Radiohead video, but his solo work didn’t transcend me the same way the Verve did. Seeing his show at Bowery Ballroom was memorable and I will cherish that.
When I found out that the Verve were playing the WaMu theater I was like “HOLY SHIT OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!” When I found out it was during the yearly family vacation my entire extended family takes each year to Ft. Lauderdale my father wasn’t having any of my “I need to change my ticket date!” But I managed to change my flight and it only cost $250.
Despite blowing a quarter of my rent on a plane ticket to see a band that I worshipped as a teen, my spirits were sky high. I met up with my friends Rob and Ross at the Duane Reede across from MSG and was babbling something about my boyfriend and walking around in a dizzy gaze that they accused me of being drunk. Short of giving me a breathalizer, I think I was able to prove to them that I wasn’t by showing off the carefully applied make-up that I put on for my other boyfriend, Richard. Richard Ashcroft. A drunk girl could not apply liquid eyeliner with such stealth! No, my boyfriend shall have my non-mind-altered attention for the duration of our date…. or his performance, rather.
So, I spent $250 on top of the money I spent on the ticket to the show and every single penny was worth it. Apart from levitating or inviting me on stage to make out, the band did not disappoint. Richard Ashcroft, guitatist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury sounded completely spectacular.
The band played tracks off both Northern Soul and Urban Hymns, including the self reflecting “A New Decade,” while held an almost ironic air in the night. As we approach a decade since the band last performed together so much has changed, but yet nothing at all. Radiohead are still critical darlings, the Smiths is still dead, Richard still looks hot, and “Bittersweet Symphony” is still huge (it sells 8000 units a week on iTunes!). But now, the commercials play the sounds they make, and they’re not on the radio or any cardboard wall. The band hardly holds any cultural significance, which is unfortunate because they’re better than anything out there right now — for the most part. They’re playing songs from albums that are the same age as the median age of kids at a Fall Out Boy show (or even a Muse show), but their songs are timeless and the band plays them with displays of more emotional attachment than any pop punk band I’ve been forced to see in the past year.
I think the past ten years has given the band a chance to reflect on what’s important to them — apart from money — and in my innocent heart, I’m hoping that that just means playing together. They appeared to look truly happy up there, together on stage. Richard danced around like a man who still hasn’t gotten used to his long limbs, swinging them around like he was wearing his daddy’s suit.
Speaking briefly between songs, just to announce which tracks were next (including “Sonnet,” “The Drugs Don’t Work,” “Space and Time,” “Velvet Morning” and “The Rolling People”), Ashcroft never mentioned anything about being happy to be back or what took them so long or anything, but he definitely felt the joy the audience had to see the band together on stage. During “Bittersweet Symphony”, the initial song in the 2-song encore, Richard half-rushed through the song almost in an obligatory way and half-had the audience sing the words, but it never felt bad like we were putting them out by making the band play their hit song. Instead, it gave concert goers the opportunity to sing a song they love at the top of their lungs. It was a fantastic lead-in to the band’s new song called “Love Is Noise” which sounded like it could’ve either been produced by the Pet Shop Boys or possibly sampled a cocaine anthem from the ’70s a la Donna Summer. It was the second new song they played that night, the first being “Sit And Wonder,” which was a full on Verve psychedelic anthem that would’ve fit nicely on A Northern Soul. It was a song about needing to see the light.
I think the evening’s most powerful performance came with “Lucky Man,” which I definitely wasn’t expecting. I thought “Sonnet” — one of the best songs I’ve ever heard — would be the song that would blow my mind. And while it definitely reduced me to tears, “Lucky Man” gave me a punch in the chest of energy. Richard sang it as if he were telling the audience his tale.
Two songs before the end of the set I made a mad dash to the bathroom, running into people I had seen at shows 10 years ago. 1998 was back in full force. Everyone looked only a tiny bit older — just like the band. And we all looked extremely happy — just like the band.
After the show I managed to go backstage with Rob to meet the band’s manager and hopefully the band. Instead, I saw a bunch of people I used to know really well 10 years ago. I saw A&R people I used to see at shows when I was 18, stylists I met at shows 10 years ago, and just a random grouping of folks that I’ve known for ages, but haven’t seen in a long time. As I was leaving the backstage area to celebrate a wonderful evening (THANK YOU ROB!) I said goodnight to my buddy Jeffe who said “Oh, I want to introduce you to someone.” He tugged on his buddy’s jacket and the person who spun around was none other than Nick McCabe.
“This is Sarah, she’s a force to be reckoned with.” he told Nick.
“Are you?” he asked me/us, “You look quite tame to me.”
“Oh, Jeffe knew me in my heyday of party antics. I’ve calmed down somewhat since then… Or just give the outward appearance that I have.”
So while I may have changed/aged a lot in the 10 years since the band was last here…. nothing else has.
Check out the photos of the band from the 2nd night:
The Verve performing “Bittersweet Symphony”:
