Richard Ashcroft was quoted last year that he wanted people to experience his shows as if seeing Elvis, well wearing a white leather jacket and white flares to match it could be the king himself, and it is, present day style, back to claim the throne as the countries leading song writer performer of modern times.Kicking off with A Brave New World we are then taken back into Verve times an uplifting Lucky Man which turns the noise level up, as the final string reaches out Ashcroft stands guitar aloft, knowing that all the crowd Know what he meant and had wanted people to feel how he felt. After a shortened down Sonnet, Ashcroft introduces I Get My Beat " for those who Know it" it seems all the negative press recieved for his first solo efforts still wrangle within, but alass my dear media friends this only spurs this man to deliever a song, that as you watch Ashcroft move to every beat and change of sweeping strings, are ones that he believes deeply about and if you want to ignore the quite predictable ashcroft backlash you can too, this is love and its there if you want it.

A resounding Space and Time, which turns into a free for all jam, streching the songs feeling out to unatainable heights, Ashcroft takes time to thank the faithfull for"not beliving the bullshit about me and my music we've got a long way to go a whole lot of tunes so stick with us." Just to reassure us " On a Beach" stripped down is as deep and moving as the voice change as he repeats the chorus over and over again trancing the crowd into one groove. The next twenty minutes Ashcroft, alone with everybody, treats us to new and old classics and although the crowd seems subdued those who know are there.They are awoken with an awesome New York which climaxes into an almost techno drum and bass finale which leaves the crowd wanting more. The encore follows History pulls the heart strings, SYITNO reminds us how it was in the beginning and then BSS leaves the crowd in awe " i want to thank you, nowww, for letting me be myself tonite" and so do we Richard till the next time.

Nic Weir