Day 2 - Velvet Morning
The Verve’s tale of being munted in the twilight hours and coming up with great ideas only to discover at 6am they are horseshit, is one we all familiar with. So, the moment the gorgeous slide guitar starts, its impossible not to reminisce about said douched nights.
Even after 20 years, the goosebumps still flourish when the big key change and Ashcroft’s incredible vocal hook chime. A feeling of triumph swirls around Brixton Academy as personal memories of the half-life come to the surface far outweigh the songs message of coming down in the second verse.
Despite all the fame and accolades, Ashcroft is still able to paint a picture of loneliness during ‘Velvet Morning’. Like a young William Blake, Ashcroft cuts a figure of the poet wandering the streets of Soho alone. Where Blake was intrigued and excited by it all, Ashcroft was chasing something that was never there.
Perhaps it’s the realisation that this was futile is where the real beauty of ‘Velvet Morning’ lies. Yet again, he shines a light on how to move forwards despite being inherently flawed.