April 30, 2002

Haven : London ULU

There's no defining moment...

Haven look tired. They're back in London for the second
time in just over a month, promoting the re-release of
their debut single, 'Til The End'. Just weeks ago, singer
Gary Briggs looked like a star waiting to be thrust into the
limelight. Tonight he's more a star that needs to be tucked
up in bed with a cup of Horlicks, the poor lamb.

Briggs' angelic voice just about carries Haven throughout,
pulling songs like 'Out Of Reach' out of mediocrity and into
something almost approximating the highs of their sporadically
charming 'Between The Senses' debut album.

On a good day Briggs could bring you to tears singing, say,
the theme from Dad's Army. Here, now, you get the feeling
that a strenuous summer of festival appearances could break his
band either way. There's no defining moment - it's all too
forgettable for a group who have lofty ambitions to be the
biggest in the world.

Hopefully it's just an off night. Maybe it's more serious than
that. But for whatever reason, Haven try with their music to
break our hearts, and fail. The irony being, in failing to do
so, it's the most heartbreaking thing of all.

Julian Marshall