Richard Ashcroft puts some verve into soggy Saturday

Heritage Live: Richard Ashcroft, Ocean Colour Scene and The Sherlocks at Englefield House on Saturday, July 22. Review by SARAH BOSELY

SATURDAY’S torrential rain didn’t stop the crowds heading back to the Englefield Estate for the second day of the Heritage Live concerts.

Headliner Richard Ashcroft finished the night in style in front of a crowd of nearly 10,000 fans.

South Yorkshire indie rock band The Sherlocks took the stage first, as the event kicked off at 5pm on a very soggy afternoon.

The band entertained the crowds ahead of the release of their latest album next week.

Next it was 90s rock band Ocean Colour Scene, who opened with a surprisingly slow number. But next up was hit The Riverboat Song, which really got the crowd going.

Frontman Simon Fowler’s voice was definitely not as powerful as it was at the band’s peak but they still entertained.

Hits such as Profit in Peace were among the 14 song setlist, which culminated in a rousing rendition of The Day We Caught The Train.

Then it was time for the main event.

Richard Ashcroft brought a renewed energy to the stage.

Chatting to the crowd throughout his 80-minute set, he gave everyone exactly what they wanted.

His strong voice belted out a mix of his own hits and those of his alt-rock 90s band The Verve, including Lucky Man and Song for the Lovers, which he dedicated to his wife of 28 years.

He also had vaguely political messages for the crowd before hits They Don’t Own Me and Music Is Power.

He rounded things off with crowd-pleaser The Verve’s number one hit The Drugs Don’t Work, before returning for a much-anticipated encore.

C’mon People – written with Noel Gallagher – was followed by the inevitable but none-the-less amazing finale of Bittersweet Symphony.

A soggy but thoroughly entertaining evening.