Live Review : Soul Asylum + Everclear @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on November 11th 2022

I arrive just as Everclear have taken to the stage and start playing the vaguely familiar ‘So Much for the Afterglow’. In advance of this gig, I have been wracking my brains trying to name any of their songs, but I do recognise this. Evidently so do many of the crowd though I am surprised how quiet it is. The Ritz is not open upstairs and only about half full downstairs. A sign of the times perhaps? Or a sign of the levels of popularity for bands that have not released very much new music in the last decade? 

Tonight, is an education for me as despite being in the business for thirty years, Everclear really did pass me by. This is their first gig in Manchester in ten years. Although only songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis remains from the original line-up his enthusiasm is obvious and despite some muttering that I cannot decipher, he is instantly likeable. They seem to take a little time to warm up but after the first few songs they are in their stride and the small crowd of dedicated fans at the front know all the songs and are happily singing along. The band are in their element and the rapport between them is great to witness. Art introduces them all and mentions when they each joined the band. This is easy listening, radio friendly rock as their three platinum selling albums testify, and a far cry from Wednesday night when I saw Zeal and Ardor! I know which I prefer but this is entertaining, nonetheless. 

The crowd, not surprisingly, is mostly over forty, though it looks like a few people have brought their teenage kids too. Strangely and for the first time ever I see bar staff coming round cleaning up spills on the floor. That would not have happened on Wednesday. It is all rather civilised. There are men with beards and glasses everywhere I look and I momentarily feel quite old but then simultaneously I think back to my first night in The Ritz, age 15 (naughty I know) and although I got dumped that night (and quite a few times in this venue as a teenager), I am glad I grew up in the generation that brought us some of the best music that has ever existed. It seems I am not the only one feeling nostalgic as part way through the set Art tells us he is 60 and he no longer cares what people think of him, he does what he enjoys, and he enjoys playing guitar. He dedicates the song ‘Strawberry’ to the single people in the crowd and his words really resonate “Don’t fall down now, you will never get up”. Having just aged by another year I wholeheartedly subscribe to the mantra of - Be who you want, do what you want, enjoy life, and remember that what other people think of you is their business. 

Given the crowd’s response to the setlist tonight I am guessing these are their biggest hits and the song ‘Local God’ from the 1996 film version of “Romeo and Juliet” and their biggest hit ‘Wonderful’ do sound slightly familiar. They save ‘Santa Monica’ from 1995 album “Sparkle and Fade”, the song that brought them into the realms of mainstream success, until almost the end of the set. It is great to see the on-stage camaraderie during their final song, which is also my highlight of their performance. ‘Molly’s Lips’ by The Vaselines, is a great addition and as they depart, they promise they will be back, probably in the next two years. 

My introduction to tonight’s headliners, Soul Asylum, dates back even further that my first ever visit to The Ritz. I first heard them on a compilation album, on cassette(!) back in 1993. “Greetings from Uncle Sam” was mentioned in the reviews section, probably in NME, and with bands such as Alice In Chains, L7, Soundgarden and Faith No More I had to buy it (I still have it!). ‘Black Gold’ was their inclusion, and I was instantly hooked. Despite being a fan since the early 1990s, tonight is the first time I have ever seen Soul Asylum and I’m not sure what to expect, or how many songs I will know. 

The first song ‘Got it Pretty Good’ is from their 2020 album “Hurry Up and Wait” and I am feeling like perhaps I should have done my homework as I had no idea they had released anything in recent years. That said I would rather come to review gigs of bands where I do not know all the songs, as surely if I know all the songs, I probably like all the songs and the review is going to be quite predictable! This first song is quite upbeat but a bit bland and as they break into the instantly recognisable and rousing opening bars of ‘Somebody to Shove’ the crowd start cheering and are soon bobbing up and down on the infamous Ritz dance floor. It is radio friendly rock but even now 30 years later it is still a glorious song and I wonder to myself if I still have the cassette single and lol and behold, I find it when I get home.  

“I'm waiting by the phone
Waiting for you to call me up and tell me I'm not alone

'Cause I want somebody to shove
I need somebody to shove
I want somebody to shove me”

They charge through several tracks I do not recognise, which is hardly surprising given Soul Asylum formed in 1981. I had no idea they had been around that long. Front man Dave Pirner is the only original member but with 12 studio albums under their belt there is a lot of ground to cover tonight. We get a mixture of songs from 1986 onwards and despite the band putting effort behind their performance and sweating profusely (possibly the guitarists 90s style grunge striped sweater not helping), throughout the first six songs no one has said a word and I am starting to wonder if they are going to acknowledge the audience. It strikes me that perhaps I made the right choice in not interviewing them earlier and wonder how Johann fared? But then Dave speaks and dedicates the next song to the people of Ukraine and the familiar sound of the gentle acoustic guitar of ‘Black Gold’ captivates the crowd. A timeless classic. 

We stick with some of the older songs for a time before we get another song from the latest album “Hopped up Feelin”. It is what I imagine Nirvana would sound like in 2022. A nod to the grunge era that made Soul Asylum so popular but with an evolution of sound, showing they are not resting on their laurels, and accompanied by catchy lyrics “You never see me when I'm keeping it together
You only see me when I'm falling apart”. Before I know it the band launch into their hit “Runaway Train”. It cannot possibly be the end of the set? No but they obviously decided to get it out of the way early. It is an absolutely stunning song. Slow, melodic acoustic guitar, coupled with that soulful bassline and hauntingly beautiful lyrics (and I had quite forgotten about the heart-breaking lost people campaign that featured on the video).

“Can you help me remember how to smile?
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded?
Life's mystery seems so faded”

As we make our way through the playlist the crowd dissipates, and I wonder if 10pm is usually bedtime for this middle-aged crowd or they need to get home to their families. Or perhaps now they have heard their best-known song they have decided to call it a night or head to the pub? It’s nice to see the bandmates of Everclear are still here, with two of them appearing on the balcony and the bassist wandering among the crowd. I feel a bit embarrassed as he walks past after standing throughout their whole set arms crossed and probably looking unimpressed, but I was trying to concentrate and gather material for this review! 

The night marches on and the band disappear briefly before returning to do two more songs. Dave remains morose throughout the performance and barely says a word. As they head into the encore the rest of the band look to be enjoying themselves though. The last song picks up the tempo with ‘April Fool’ which is a rather funky, more bluesy number. It feels like they are almost relieved it is over and more relaxed but as the song ends, they just walk of stage with not a word… I cannot lie, bands not speaking to the audience is something I find really frustrating, we all have bad days at work, but it suggests a lack of gratitude. The performance was good, but I am not convinced I would see them again as it felt like their hearts were not truly in it. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos! Everclear, Soul Asylum