How long have we been waiting for Richard Ashcroft to be this fit?
Rumors whisper of ongoing evaluations between him and the other band members for one Verve reunion to be done next year, to celebrate the thirty years of “Urban hymns”the album of that “Bitter Sweet Symphony” which experienced a second youth last summer, after Oasis chose to bring it with them as the opening act of their reunion tour. But Richard Ashcroft, in true Richard Ashcroft style, one might say, gives those rumors no weight. He works with his head down, like the great craftsman he is. A midfielder who has never needed to pose to leave his mark, but who has always preferred to let the songs speak, one after the other, building a career made of resistance, vision and obstinacy. Around his figure, after the tour with Oasisnew attention has been rekindled. Which now the former Verve is capitalizing with a tour that will land in Italy on June 21stfor athe only evening hosted by the La Prima Estate festival, at Parco BussolaDomani at Lido di Camaiore (on the same evening there will be the Libertines and the Wombats). An appointment that has the flavor of opportunities not to be missed. Not only to listen to a catalog that marked an era, but to experience Richard Ashcroft again, here and now, in his most vivid form – here are the tickets.
As if time hadn’t really had an impact
On stage Ashcroft, as those who have already seen him in action on this tour write and as the videos online also show, continues to move as if time hadn’t really had an impact. The voice is still there, full, capable of opening up and involving. Time, however, seems to expand. The Verve’s songs, from “Bitter sweet Symphony” to “The drugs don’t work”, passing through “Velvet morning”, coexist with those of his solo career (the latest album, “Lovin’ you”, was released last October). Each piece finds a new dimension. It’s not nostalgia, but transformation. Which also passes for one new connection with the publicthe true heart of his way of being on stage.
A collective ritual
“Bitter sweet symphony” and “The drugs don’t work” are not simply hits: they have become common language, crossing generations and contexts. Yet, the most surprising thing is that that repertoire has never stood still. In recent concerts, Ashcroft reshapes it, lengthens it, loads it with new nuances: dilated versions, emotional crescendos, cathartic endings in which the audience becomes part of the song. Sort of collective ritual, where the past and the present meet without sterile nostalgia but with a renewed vitality.
A show that will be an experience
Today it seems clear how crucial his contribution was: Ashcroft was not simply the frontman of a great band, but one of the last authors capable of combining rock tension and almost mystical impetus, road and transcendence. And the show on June 21st – you can bet on it – more than a simple concert it will be a real experience.
