#122 THE VERVE - Hultsfred Festival, Sweden, 1994 (Flac)

The Verve’s first three singles all released in 1992 reached #1 in the UK indie charts, a marker for greater future success. By the time of the debut album release ‘A Storm in Heaven’ in June 1993, the Verve already had enough tracks to compile an alternate album. Some were released by Hut on The Verve & No Come Down EP’s – now long out of print, these are well worth seeking out.

This show was their fourth last of the year and broadcast on Swedish radio at the height of the summer festival season.

After Kurt Cobain’s death earlier in the year, the domination of American alternate rock bands on the UK music scene ended and new English groups broke through to increasing mainstream success, the Verve’s music looked back to the pyschedelia of the 60’s and incorporated elements of the UK's shoe-gazing scene from 1988 to 1990 and also soul and funk influences. The Verve’s synthesis made for an inspiring and influential sound as the free form composition of their early singles and debut album was improvised and extended throughout their live shows. 

Along with Glastonbury and Chicago from 1993, this is amongst the best early shows sound-wise and for performance, it includes a guest appearance by Oasis and has early versions of This Is Music, Rolling People and the unrecorded (at the time) Mover.

The Verve
Live at Hultsfred Festival
Sweden
August 13, 1994
FM Radio Broadcast

01 Intro (Swedish)

02 The Sun the Sea                                 
03 Slide Away                                         
04 Blue                                                   
05 Been on the Shelf Too Long (early version of ‘This Is Music’)
06 A Man Called Sun                                          
07 Mover                                                 
08 Rolling People (early version later recorded for ‘Urban Hymns’)
09 Gravity Grave                                    

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