The Verve @ Ricoh Coliseum (May 1st, 2008)

I was temporarily deaf for several days this week. That's because I got to see one of my favourite bands ever play one of the best rock shows I have seen in a long time. The band is The Verve. And the show happened in Toronto at the Ricoh Coliseum. The Verve undoubtedly picked up where they left off. What an amazing return to Toronto after a ten year hiatus.

This was not my first time catching The Verve front man in concert. I was fortunate enough to see Ashcroft play some of his solo material when he opened for Coldplay a couple of years back. He played some Verve songs at that show and don't get me wrong it was great but it was simply amazing to see him play these songs with Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and drummer Pete Salisbury. Fresh from Coachella, the group's energy was high and they seemed genuinely happy to be back together.

The show consisted of a good mix of material from the three studio releases. Most seemed to be taken from Urban Hymns. The The Verve played a lot of their hits like 'Lucky Man,' 'Sonnet,' 'The Drugs Don't Work' and of course, 'Bittersweet Symphony,' a song that was taken back for the night from "...the lawyers and the managers...," as Ashcroft proclaimed. Fans were also treated to two new songs. “Sit and Wonder” and “Love Is Pain.” The latter has a very "dancey" feel to it, very different for The Verve but it was the song that was stuck in my head as I left the venue.

If this show was any indication fans have a lot to look forward to. Hopefully a new album is in the works sooner rather than later. The wait has been long enough.

The Thaw Sessions From The Verve

A very cool (free) download is being offered by NME.com. It's called 'The Thaw Sessions' and it is being described as the first jam session that took place between The Verve after the band decided to reunite. I just listened to it and all I can tell you is that it is 14 minutes of uninterrupted, raw musical goodness. The download will be available for a week starting today. Just click on the link below, follow the instructions and it's all yours.

The Verve - The Thaw Sessions

The Verve Announce More Tour Dates

My world became a little brighter when The Verve announced they were reuniting this past summer. They were, if you remember, one of the most creative and innovative bands to come from the contemporary British music scene back in the late 90's. I have a lot of love for this band. In fact, 'Lucky Man' from the spellbinding Urban Hymns, ranks as one of my all time favourite songs. The Verve, comprised of the brilliant Richard Ashcroft, bassist Simon Jones, guitarist Nick McCabe and drummer Pete Salisbury, are now set to play a second batch of dates in December. This is the response to the selling out of the first handful of shows that were initially announced.

The Verve are planning on releasing a new album this year, although details have not been made available as of yet. The band broke up eight years ago and have worked on some great side projects during that time. The most notable being Richard Ashcroft's solo albums. If you have never listened to any of Ashcroft's work since The Verve, you really should check out Alone With Everybody, Human Condition and Keys To The World. These are the works of a musical legend.

It is, of course, a little to early to speculate if and when The Verve will make the journey to North America. Keep your fingers crossed. The Verve UK tour dates are as follows:

11/2/07 Glasgow, Scotland @Glasgow Academy

11/3/07 Glasgow, Scotland @Glasgow Academy

11/5/07 Blackpool, England @Empress Ballroom

11/6/07 Blackpool, England @Empress Ballroom

11/8/07 London, England @Roundhouse

11/9/07 London, England @Roundhouse

12/13/07 London, England @02 Arena

12/15/07 Glasgow, Scotland @SECC Centre

12/17/07 Belfast, Ireland @Odyssey Arena

12/20 /07 Manchester, England @Central

Download [mp3]: The Verve - Lucky Man

MySpace: The Verve

The Verve: Official Webpage

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