THE VERVE

Back when the Verve were causing a 'Storm in Heaven', Ready Steady Go! spoke to lead singer and visionary Richard Ashcroft. My memories of Richard back then were of a very down to earth, likeable guy. A best mate you were never lucky enough to have. At odds with the 'Mad Richard' tag the press had unfairly labelled on him at the time. Totally astute and with plenty of honest things to say. He was enthusiastic and passionate about music and his beliefs. An inspiration. Just the way I like my pop stars!

He oozed cool and when people started to write their Verve obituaries there was a deep sense of failed potential around these parts. The man just was a pop star, no doubt about it. So it didn't come as a shock when the Verve regrouped and came back in style with Bittersweet Symphony. It was like you expected it. It was destined to happen. Back then the confidence was brimming and the foresight was there but I bet Richard didn't expect things to turn out exactly like they did in the end! Unless, as the Americans think he is a prophet?

It was summer 1993, following a lengthy, the Verve were about to embark on a UK tour to prove they were worthy of the initial press hype of the previous year...

"We’re playing better than ever actually, we¹ve not played for 6 months live, so it’s the excitement of playing together again, since been in the studio. It’s good to be able to express yourself again. I can’t last for too long anyway. We’ve been going for four nights, really gunning it and having a good laugh. But now, physically I’m alright but now my throat’s gone a bit."

"At first we didn’t think we were gonna go through this situation where your playing twenty gigs in a month but er, you’ve got to do it I suppose. But I think people enjoy it. If you see a band play in a place like this (The Duchess of York pub, Leeds) and then in a years time they’re playing to three thousand people, its like yeah nice one, I was there in the beginning."

The art of song writing according to Verve...

"Some weeks we can be quite prolific, we’ll do a series of jams and then we’ll get more songs and then other times we’ll go four months before we get another song. When we went into the studio we had two songs that were finished, the rest we finished while we were in the studio, so I like to think it makes your music more… I dunno … I think we can work under that pressure a lot better than other bands can. A lot of bands, you know, that they went into the studio with the writing completely finished and they knew exactly what guitar was gonna be played, what was gonna be sang in a certain place. Everything was pre-planned but this band we just let it flow and see what comes out too. That’s what it’s all about".

The Verve early singles lasted more than the average perfect three minutes. The ideal record length according to Richard...

"I dunno, I do like the short records, the records that get you and you want to play them again, also I like the longer type. We’re not really anti anything in music unless, it’s played really well and if it sounds great, it’s cool. It doesn’t matter if it lasts three seconds long or three hours long."

The bad side of music...

"I hate mediocrity and people who are too afraid to play exactly what they want because this band doesn’t know what to play, so that gives us the freedom to put out whatever we want. The record company’s cool to let us do what we want, so why should we abuse that? So many bands abuse their right to be in a band, because there are so many people in the crowd who’d love to be in music and love to be in their position. And you think when you see a lot of bands, you think, fucking hell I could do that, they’re ripping me off here. I wanna see something that blows me away, something that makes me think, yeah I wanna form a band but am I ever gonna be as good as them?"

"Cos it’s inspiring, ‘cos I get a lot of tapes from bands when we are on tour, people have started bands after seeing us."

Is the sound of Verve un-commercial?

‘I think its bollocks, I just hear pop music different to the way other people view commercial music. I happen to think ‘Blue’ is a catchy pop song, it’s just that we’ve added a lot of effects to it, so it doesn’t sound like every other three or four minute pop song."

"I don’t care whether we don’t get a Top 40 in the next five years as long as the album does well you know, that’s all I’m bothered about."

So they say pop is dead…

"I don’t think music’s dead in the way that people aren’t creating. I still think people are creating in dance music and I think there’s a few guitar bands left that are still like, doing things that are pretty original. The only way we can stop the slide in England, is by putting on gigs that they really take care about. I know we are playing in this place tonight (the Duchess), it is a very good venue but I can promise you now that when we do get success we will put on gigs that people will remember in a long time and wanna go pay money again. Because if you’ve been let down by thirty bands coming into your town and being shit, your not gonna waste, because you’ve only got twenty quid in your pocket."

Favourite bands...

"I like a band called Francis... Spiritualized... not many really, not many I can think of."

The rivals...

"If a contemporary does something that’s very good I’m well pleased for them. But I just don’t see that many great records being made at the moment. I think it will be time for us in the next couple of years to change that and start making records the way you can sound."

Richard on performing...

"The greatest kick in the world, the greatest buzz in the world better than any drug. I could go on with a broken leg or whatever but the adrenaline would wash it out completely. It’s the highest of the highs it’s a good night and it can be the lowest of the lows if it’s a shit night. It’s the chance you take. I use them (crowds) to get me high, to get them high or whatever. You just rebound off each other, you see a face and it's like really enjoying the concert and you look at it and you feel good. It just rebounds of each other. We just react to how the crowd is. I mean we played in Glasgow two nights ago and it was a fucking amazing gig because everyone was out having a good time. Everyone went out wanting to hear some good music and talk about music, the more gigs we can do like that, the better it will be."

The inspiration to be in band...

"Just boredom and wanting to do something out of the ordinary. You just get sick of hanging around on the dole. You can be something if you want to do it. Just do it, if you get the luck that's great. When you do get the luck really blow people’s mind when you’re on stage. Because you are only here once, for a few of years and then you’re on the scrap heap, you’re a shit band or you get old and you write shit music. So whilst your in your prime, twenty-one, your in a band, go for it don’t waste your chance."

The Verve at their most productive…

"Probably about two or one in the morning, very stoned. Everyone feeling good, lights, smoke, jam. We tried a couple of times to get up early and try and create in the morning but we never actually on through."

Verve videos...

"The last three have just been for people who have just turned them on some super channel or something, three in the morning feeling, pretty wasted. There are a lot of things the director does; he does a lot of things that people understand if they’re stoned out of their minds. It’s not purely for the drug audience but I think there are some little secret messages in there that people understand you know."

Image...

"I just don’t want people to think we’re dickheads or assholes or wankers. I just want them to know Verve are just four guys into music, into having a good time and being honest about their stuff. I’d like our image to be just people who have got integrity, independent and they know exactly what they want to do and they’re trying to do it. I just don’t want to be seen as fly by nights. Okay we got hyped up last year but it doesn’t mean anything in the end. I mean, if you’ve been to the gigs or anyone who doubted us, I’d say you’d believe us now that we are a great band.’

Ambition…

"I'm very ambitious. I want us to be one of the biggest bands in the world, 'course we would. It's all up to the general public I suppose and the people writing the papers and the fanzines. It's whether we can turn them on or not. Maybe I'm living in a bubble, thinking we're a great band and we're not. Who knows? I never know or maybe I'll just get run over tomorrow morning in Wigan! The choice is yours!"

The Critics…

"Someone who says we're like hippy shit, 'cos there's a darker side to our music and our live gigs. We're not just into like, the classic thing of acid, flowers, peace and love. There's a lot more dark and mysterious things going on in there, in the music".

The Music Biz…

"I think the industry's dead. There's a big core in the middle of a lot of the major record companies, there's like a few bands at the bottom, no one in between and then just living off people like Simple Minds. All the big bands just prop it up, 'cos there's nothing in the middle. You know I am disappointed about independent labels going down. I see ourselves, where we're funded by Virgin, so why don't you just try and get in on from the inside, do you know what I mean? Like why don't you try and change things in the majors? The independents have tried to do it on the outside but they've been crushed by 'em, so it's time to do it from the inside. Try and get the records out and get the covers you want. We have exactly the cover we want, we get it done, the video we want, it'll happen. The more bands that can get that freedom, the better it's gonna be".

The indie/major debate…

"I think a lot of major deals are a load of bollocks. A lot of major deals are gonna rip you off, are gonna make you change your style, change your music, change the way you look at things, change the way you talk. And that is bullshit, but if you can get a major deal on a major label and you are allowed to be independent about your music, I don't see the problem. It only helps you to create better music. If you get a few bob when you sign to get better gear and you sound better, I don't see the problem in that".

"Once bands have been used and abused by the majors, I'd say in about 5 or 6 years time everything's gonna turn on its head, like 15 years ago".

Touring with Spiritualized & The Black Crowes...

"Spiritualized are more like we are really. They're not from like a major city. They're from a town of a similar sort of outlook, really good people. The Black Crowes are different completely. Really strange, really good people, I mean they're really into music but their stage shows are really big. Watching the Black Crown is like watching Michael Jackson. Apart from music, the Crowes music is obviously a thousand times better but the actual performance is so spot on it blows your mind. 'Cos we'd just wander on and play our set and then they'd come on and you'd see a spectacle. So that blows yer mind and it gets you thinking, yeah maybe we will start putting on a show. Not rigid but you can put lights in certain places to help everything. So you learn a few things off that. But it's just very strange how the American bands can put on an unbelievable show for 18 months solid".

Politics…

"Verve stand against the present government (Conservative at the time - Historian Ed), all of us together. I think it was one of the most shocking nights of my life when Labour didn't get in at the last election. It actually blew my fucking mind, I couldn't believe it. Not that I was totally for 'em but I'd say it was 80%, you know I just don't like a government that governs a lot of things then taxes them to ridiculous extents. Everyone's got to pay out of their nose to have a good time".

Dance Music…

"I wouldn't mind creating some kind of dance music, 'cos it seems like it's the only rebellious kind of music going at the moment. It's the only thing that's really original and the only thing that's getting up peoples' noses. That's why guitar music is lagging behind because it lacks that originality and drive".

England…

"I think there's some beautiful places in England and I think there's some disgusting places in England. It is inspiring because it's a country of people, atmospheres, it's where a lot of me friends come from. So it's had to inspire because it's all I've seen for the last 21 years".

Jim Morrison…

"Anyone can be in a band and get wasted every night and die of drug abuse or alcohol abuse. Anyone can do it, it's not original at all but it makes an exciting read, it makes the music that bit stranger. I don't wanna die until I'm ready to die".

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