NME – 17 January 1998 – The Verve / Richard Ashcroft – Pearl Jam – Insane Clown Posse

Original vintage NME (New Musical Express) British weekly music newspaper, dated 17 January 1998, featuring Richard Ashcroft of The Verve on the front cover.

This issue captures The Verve during their extraordinary period of success following the release of Urban Hymns, with a dramatic concert photograph of Ashcroft and the prominent cover headline "INTERPLANETARY THE ASHCROFT! THE VERVE BLAST OFF AT GLASGOW".

Also included in the photographed pages is an extensive illustrated feature about American hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse, complete with a large double-page photograph and substantial accompanying journalism.

An interesting original publication documenting the British alternative music scene and international popular culture at the beginning of 1998.

Front Cover – Richard Ashcroft / The Verve

The front cover is dominated by a large colour live-performance photograph of Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve.

Ashcroft is shown singing into a microphone on stage, his head tilted backwards as he performs.

He is wearing a dark blue hooded jacket with a distinctive Kangol logo patch on the chest, reflecting the casual late-1990s clothing style associated with the Britpop and alternative rock scenes.

The photograph is captured from a low angle, emphasising the microphone stand, Ashcroft's raised head and the dramatic lighting of the live performance.

Purple, blue and pink stage lighting creates a particularly atmospheric image.

The cover photograph is credited to Roger Sargent.

The principal cover headlines read:

"INTERPLANETARY THE ASHCROFT!"

"THE VERVE"

"BLAST OFF AT GLASGOW"

The band's name appears in enormous white lettering across the lower central portion of the cover, with contrasting yellow headlines.

The design is a strong example of NME's distinctive late-1990s music journalism and bold newspaper presentation.

The Verve – Glasgow Concert Coverage

The main cover story concerns The Verve's Glasgow performances, documenting the band during the enormous commercial success of their third studio album, Urban Hymns.

Released in September 1997, Urban Hymns became one of the defining British rock albums of the decade.

The album included several of The Verve's best-known recordings, including:

• Bitter Sweet Symphony

• The Drugs Don't Work

• Lucky Man

• Sonnet

By January 1998, The Verve had become one of Britain's most prominent rock bands, with Richard Ashcroft recognised for his distinctive voice, songwriting and charismatic stage presence.

The headline "Blast Off at Glasgow" reflects the band's growing popularity and the excitement surrounding their live performances.

The cover image is especially attractive for collectors because it presents Ashcroft performing live rather than in a conventional promotional portrait.

It captures the energy and atmosphere of The Verve's breakthrough period.

Interior Feature – Insane Clown Posse

The supplied interior photograph shows a substantial illustrated double-page feature about American hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse.

The feature is presented with the striking headline:

"COCO POP!"

Large Double-Page Photograph

The left-hand page contains an impressive black-and-white photograph of the two members of Insane Clown Posse, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope.

Both performers are wearing their distinctive theatrical black-and-white face paint.

The photograph shows the duo posing close together, with one performer sticking out his tongue and the other pointing towards the camera.

Their exaggerated expressions and elaborate face paint create a deliberately provocative and theatrical image.

The photograph extends across most of the left-hand page, with the enormous red-orange lettering "COCO" printed across the lower section.

The composition is particularly distinctive because of its combination of monochrome photography and brightly coloured typography.

Article and Editorial Content

The right-hand page contains the continuation of the headline, with the enormous word "POP!" printed in red-orange lettering.

Above and around the headline are several columns of editorial text discussing Insane Clown Posse and their American fanbase.

The article examines the group's unusual image, controversial reputation and the devoted following surrounding their music.

It discusses their elaborate clown-themed appearance, theatrical performances and the growing popularity of their distinctive style of hip-hop.

The feature also places the group within the wider American music scene of the period.

The photographed spread is an interesting example of NME covering musical acts beyond the traditional British indie and Britpop scenes.

Other Featured Artists and Subjects

The front cover advertises several additional features and subjects.

Pearl Jam – Eddie Vedder

A prominent cover headline reads:

"NICE VEDDER WE'RE HAVING"

Followed by:

"EXCLUSIVE! PEARL JAM'S RECLUSIVE GENIUS OPENS UP"

This advertises an exclusive feature involving Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, one of the most influential figures in American alternative rock.

Insane Clown Posse / Thom Yorke

The upper-right cover headline reads:

"FOOL'S GOLD – INSANE CLOWN POSSE HIT THE BIG TIME (AND THOM YORKE)"

This connects the issue's coverage of Insane Clown Posse with a reference to Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.

Additional Cover Subjects

The bottom cover banner advertises:

• Air

• Foo Fighters

• Quentin Tarantino

• Radiohead

• Reef

• The Deftones

• Travis

• Stoolrock

These subjects demonstrate the broad editorial range of NME during the late 1990s, covering alternative rock, Britpop, electronic music, American bands and contemporary film culture.

Historical and Collectable Interest

This original January 1998 issue is particularly interesting because it captures a significant period in British popular music.

The Verve were enjoying their greatest commercial success, while bands including Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Travis were helping shape the changing sound of alternative rock.

The cover also reflects the enormous influence of British music journalism during the period, when NME played an important role in documenting emerging artists, major tours and musical developments.

The illustrated Insane Clown Posse feature adds another dimension to the newspaper, documenting the growing international popularity of American alternative hip-hop.

Particularly suitable for collectors interested in:

• The Verve and Richard Ashcroft memorabilia.

• Original Urban Hymns-era music coverage.

• Britpop and British alternative rock.

• Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder.

• Insane Clown Posse.

• Vintage NME music newspapers.

• Original 1990s music photography.

• British and American alternative music journalism.

Publication Details

Publication: NME – New Musical Express

Full Publication Date: 17 January 1998

Main Cover Artist: The Verve

Featured Musician: Richard Ashcroft

Main Cover Headline: Interplanetary The Ashcroft! The Verve Blast Off at Glasgow

Cover Photography: Roger Sargent

Photographed Interior Feature: Insane Clown Posse – Coco Pop!

Other Featured Artists: Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Air, Reef, The Deftones and Travis

Additional Cover Subject: Quentin Tarantino

Original Cover Price: 95p

Country of Publication: United Kingdom

Language: English

Format: Large-format weekly music newspaper

Era: 1990s / Britpop / Alternative Rock

Condition: Pre-owned vintage condition

SKU: NP010

Condition – Important Information

This is an original vintage newspaper dating from January 1998 and shows visible signs of age, previous handling and storage.

The supplied photographs show the front cover and an interior double-page feature.

Front Cover: The main Richard Ashcroft photograph remains clear and colourful, with the NME masthead, headlines and cover details clearly visible. There is noticeable surface creasing, light rippling and general handling wear.

Paper Discolouration: The newspaper shows age-related yellowing and toning, particularly around the white outer margins and along the edges.

Top Edge: The upper edge has slight waviness and unevenness, with some light creasing towards the corners.

Left Edge / Spine: The left-hand side shows visible handling creases and wear, including slight unevenness along the folded edge.

Right Edge: The right-hand edge shows some minor waviness, age-related wear and slight irregularity along the paper edges.

Bottom Edge: The lower edge appears slightly uneven, with light handling wear and small bends visible.

Corners: The corners show some softening and minor bends consistent with the newspaper's age.

Surface Creases: Several light horizontal creases are visible across the cover, particularly through the central and lower portions of the photograph.

Interior Pages: The photographed Insane Clown Posse double-page spread remains visually attractive, with the large black-and-white photograph, bold red-orange typography and accompanying text clearly visible.

Centre Fold: The interior spread shows natural curvature and minor creasing around the central fold.

Surface Marks: Minor marks and general age-related imperfections are visible. No obvious handwritten annotations are apparent in the photographed areas.

Completeness: Only selected pages have been photographed, so the complete page count and presence of every original page have not been independently verified.

Overall Condition: A presentable original vintage music newspaper with visible age-related wear, yellowing, handling creases and slight edge wear. The main cover photograph and photographed interior feature remain clear and visually appealing.

This is a pre-owned vintage newspaper and should not be considered mint or pristine.

Please examine all supplied photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Packaging and Postage

The newspaper will be carefully folded and securely packaged inside a protective cardboard box for postage, with care taken to minimise further damage during transit.

An appealing original January 1998 NME newspaper featuring Richard Ashcroft and The Verve during their Urban Hymns success, together with Pearl Jam coverage and an illustrated Insane Clown Posse feature.

An interesting addition to collections of The Verve, Richard Ashcroft, Britpop, Pearl Jam, alternative rock and original 1990s NME music newspapers.

SKU: NP010