In rock `n' roll heaven, The Verve would be bigger than Oasis, and their two albums to date, A Storm In Heaven and A Northern Soul, would be the Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory of our times. But life isn't fair, and The Verve have been largely ignored in favour of the lumpen Britpop of Cast, Charlatans and other such pretenders to the crown.
The Verve broke up amid general apathy, but then they decided to get back together and make another bid for recognition. Bitter Sweet Symphony repaid all the sweet and near tears, becoming a massive worldwide hit and establishing itself as the indie anthem of summer 1997. But there's no justice in the world, and the band fell foul of a royalty row because they'd used an orchestral piece from a Rolling Stones song as the basis of Symphony. The Verve have had to hand over all the royalties from their biggest hit, even though the bulk of it had been written by the band itself.
The band came to the SFX last night, but this time the interest was high and the gig sold out in double-quick time. Few of the fans would have been familiar with The Verve's other songs, but tunes like A Northern Soul, History and Stormy Clouds pack their share of emotional punch.
The Verve is now ready to reap its just reward with the release of its third album, Urban Hymns, and the new single, Drugs Don't Work, but last night was a sort of re-introduction, a chance to reap on the songs we've missed out on these past couple of years.
When the familiar string-driven riff of Bitter Sweet Symphony began to pour from the sound system the SFX erupted in a spontaneous show of rock `n' roll solidarity. When we finally learn the rest of the band's repertoire, we'll see some real celebration. Let's hope they stay together long enough to lift us even higher.
