Brit-pop legend Richard Ashcroft took over Leeds Arena last week (2nd of April), thoroughly impressing a packed-out crowd through the entire set.
As I entered Leeds Arena, tonight’s crowd was very cross-generational, with many people who were there for The Verve’s heydays, as well as younger generation indie music lovers.
In the supporting slot were one of the best emerging bands in the indie music scene, Wrexham’s The Royston Club.
One by one the band entered the stage, kicking off their set with ‘Shivers’, followed by ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows', which had the standing crowd in particular singing along and mounting each other’s shoulders. Vocally, this band are incredibly talented, sounding even better live than in recordings, and the guitar riffs are really something special in their music.
With the crowd thoroughly warmed up and the venue filled out, everyone was eagerly awaiting the entrance of Richard Ashcroft. Lights lowered and the stage lit up with ‘Panic’ by The Smiths booming out the speakers; he graced the stage as the fans roared and chanted.
He kicked off his set with a classic Verve tune, ‘Weeping Willow'; everyone was on their feet singing along. He has been in this industry for many years, and this is clearly demonstrated in his stage presence, with this air of confidence that commands this whole venue.
Moving through the setlist, Richard mixed solo stuff, such as Brit-Pop style tunes such as 'Music Is Power’ and ‘Break The Night With Colour’, as well as The Verve’s songs. His vocals never seemed to falter throughout the entire set, and his energy on the stage was infectious, with the fans beaming back at him.
In the second half of the set, it was heavily focused on The Verve’s most well-known songs, such as ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and ‘Lucky Man', with every single person in the room singing along to every line.
He closed the set on arguably one of the biggest Brit-Pop anthems ever, ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony', and it really felt bittersweet, having enjoyed a brilliant night of amazing music but never wanting it to end.
