For a band whose initially seemingly unstoppable force somewhat petered out in the early noughties, the reconvened Suede have defiantly re-energised themselves since 2010 with a series of well received performances and 2013’s acclaimed album ‘Bloodsports’.
In this concert of two halves, the first has the band virtually completely obscured behind a gigantic screen upon which the companion film to new album ‘Night Thoughts’ runs. Playing through the album in full, an intricate light show occasionally bathes the band in red, illuminating them through the moving pictures and creating an atmospheric and atypical gig experience. As to the music, ‘Outsiders’ is a sharp, new wave/new romantic stomp, ‘No Tomorrow’ swaggers rowdily like some lost Faces track, and Brett Anderson is in fine voice throughout the more typically Suede pomp, pretention and interludes of melancholy.
After a short interval, the screen is raised, the band are back, and immediately landing a flurry of sonic punches with five of the loudest, brashest Suede classics in a row: the sleazy ‘This Hollywood Life,’ the lurching ‘Killing of a Flash Boy,’ ‘Metal Mickey,’ and its woozy b-side ‘He’s Dead’ and the celebratory ‘Trash’.
Anderson, lithe and ebullient as in his 90s heyday, bounces on his toes side-on to the crowd like a sparring pugilist, and at times allows himself to be enveloped, descending from the stage to sing surrounded by fans grasping for him (and cheekily unbuttoning his shirt). The rest of the band, bar Neil Codling, whose stern-cum-bored scowl is part of the persona, are clearly enjoying themselves, enthused by an appreciatively noisy audience.
From the Anderson-described ‘disliked’ album ‘Head Music,’ ‘Everything Will Flow’ has the fans assuming singing duties during its chorus, while ‘Animal Nitrate,’ ‘So Young,’ and ‘Beautiful Ones’ see him as animated as ever, leaping from monitors, swinging his mic around his head and body and relentlessly rousing the crowd. After a brief spoken interlude to espouse the virtues of positivity, a marvellous performance concludes with a vigorous ‘New Generation’.
- Suede - 14 February 2016
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