Review: Richard Ashcroft at Westonbirt Arboretum
Posted on: 30 Jun 2026On a quintessential English summer’s evening, Richard Ashcroft and support artists rolled back the decades.
As a child of the eighties (and more relevantly teenager of the nineties), The Verve’s Urban Hymns holds a special place for me. I think if anything, its sometimes downbeat tone was a little too weighty for innocent younger me at the time; but 30 years later, I appreciate its richness.
I found myself sitting in a field in Westonbirt Arboretum in part because when, at our New Year’s Eve party six months earlier, I played Bitter Sweet Symphony, my 16-year-old son told me how much HE liked it. So when the opportunity arose to see Richard Ashcroft in our own back yard so to speak, I thought: what a special first gig to take my son to.
The gig was part of Forest Live, a nationwide series of summer concerts organised by Forestry England – in 2026 in its 25th year. Westonbirt Arboretum provided a grand backdrop, and we were treated to a warm but fresh evening, clear skies… even a full moon made an appearance. Perfection!
On stage, Richard Ashcroft was everything I imagined. Presence, sincerity, that voice!
His band weren’t bad either. I must give a special mention to the extended electric guitar solos featured in several of the songs. They were magical, with Richard Ashcroft coaxing ever more from his guitarist like a matador; and close up camera work projecting the musician’s dexterity onto the huge screens for all to appreciate.
He performed for the best part of 90 minutes, with hits and songs lesser known to me linked with candid, witty and sometimes moving interludes from the star man. The encore before lights out at 10:30 was, of course, Bitter Sweet Symphony. We were treated to a nine-minute rendition replete with extended riffs and plenty of audience participation.
Richard Ashcroft’s performance was complemented by entertaining warm-up sets from Apollo Junction and Tom Meighan, formerly lead singer of Kasabian. Both brought their own special energy to a Cotswolds evening that will live long in the memory.
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Huw runs On Point Copywriting, a Bristol-based copywriting agency, helping businesses with their messaging, tone of voice and getting their marketing comms done; and sub brand Blogging Sherp-ai, AI blogging. Done right. He enjoys cooking, watching and playing sport, camping and spending time with his family.
