Photo Credit: Charlotte Ramsay
After the success of his supporting slots with the returning Oasis in the summer, Richard Ashcroft, now on his own terms, packed out the UK’s biggest arena, Manchester’s Co-Op Live for a night filled with Ashcroft classics, Verve hits and even tracks from his new record ‘Lovin’ You’.
Hailing from Ashcroft’s hometown of Wigan were openers The Lathums, who are no strangers to performing infront of huge crowds. With just thirty minutes to play with, the quartet made sure to pack everything they have got into six songs. Kicking off with ‘Stellar Cast’, an already packed arena was drawn to the intensity from the Lancashire lads. ‘Say My Name’ drew out the bands’ fans as they were scattered around the venue, and the finale of ‘Sad Face Baby’ continues to be a crowd pleaser no matter the occasion.
Warmed up by the new breed of Wigan, it was time for the legendary Richard Ashcroft to take the stage. As he and his band made their way across, the whole venue erupted in cheers. Ashcroft relished the energy from the crowd and channelled that into his set. Opening the show with ‘Hold On’ to ease into the set, an early Verve addition followed in the form of ‘Space and Time’. As ‘Music Is Power‘ energised not only the crowd but Richard himself, the live debut of ‘Lovin’ You‘ came next, an exclusive and special moment for everyone involved.
Dipping in and out of solo tracks and The Verve singles, ‘Velvet Morning‘ served as the final Verve song for sometime. The arena erupted as ‘A Song for the Lovers‘ began, and once again Ashcroft was ignited. ‘C’mon People (We’re Making It Now)‘ saw the Wigan man punching the air in between belting out the lyrics with sheer passion. It was time for another debut, this one was for ‘Oh L’amour‘, and while not being known to many in the room, the crowd were still fully engaged regardless. The more familiar ‘They Don’t Own Me‘ followed by ‘Lover‘ concluded Ashcroft’s solo material on a huge high, but there was still plenty to get through yet.
‘History‘, the blissful ‘Sonnet‘ and ‘Lucky Man‘ equally had the whole arena off of their feet, singing along at the loudest it had been on the night, before Ashcroft and the bang exited the stage, building up the excitement of the inevitable encore. A swift return to the stage saw ‘The Drugs Don’t Work‘ performed by just Richard before the band reappeared to conclude the night in style. Of course, it was ‘Bittersweet Symphony‘. Dedicated to the late great Ricky Hatton, which was met with a roaring applause, Richard used all his remaining energy for the grand finale. Kicking over guitar amps and throwing his microphone stand to the ground, it was the adrenaline from such an iconic performance from him and his band that will go down in history.
Taped Magazine 