The Verve

Formed in Wigan in 1990, The Verve became one of the defining British rock bands of the 1990s — a group whose blend of widescreen psychedelia, soaring guitar atmospherics and Richard Ashcroft's bruised, soul-baring vocals helped redraw the boundaries of Britpop and alternative rock. The original line-up of Richard Ashcroft (vocals), Nick McCabe (guitar), Simon Jones (bass) and Peter Salisbury (drums) emerged from the same northern indie circuit as Oasis and the Stone Roses, but pulled in a very different direction. Their early records — 'A Storm in Heaven' (1993) and 'A Northern Soul' (1995) — were sprawling, hypnotic and unfashionably uncool at the height of Cool Britannia, earning a devoted cult following and the respect of peers like Noel Gallagher and John Squire. Everything changed with 'Urban Hymns' in 1997. Led by the orchestral swell of 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', the era-defining 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Lucky Man', the album sold over ten million copies worldwide, won the BRIT Award for Best British Group and turned The Verve into one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their headline shows at Haigh Hall and V Festival became part of British rock folklore. Internal tensions, the long-running 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' royalties dispute with The Rolling Stones and the strain of sudden global fame fractured the band in 1999. They reunited in 2007 for 'Forth' and a triumphant run of arena shows before splitting again, with Ashcroft pursuing a successful solo career and McCabe, Jones and Salisbury continuing to collaborate on other projects. More than three decades on, The Verve's influence runs through generations of British guitar music — from Coldplay and Elbow to a new wave of indie bands raised on the cinematic ambition of 'Urban Hymns'. On BritRockHeaven you'll find the band's full story, key facts, classic-album retrospectives, Richard Ashcroft news and every piece of coverage we publish on one of the UK's most important rock groups.