Ah, Suede, 2022’s other Comeback Kings (along with Editors)…!
Their last
“big gig” (ironically here, back in April 2019, gig 1,134), was a slightly
disappointing affair, with substandard (then) new material leading me to consider
90’s glam pop auteurs and Bowie acolytes Suede somewhat past their recorded
best (a few dickheads in the audience also pissing me off a tad). However their
stunning 2022 release “Autofiction” seriously put paid to any thoughts that
they might be a spent force, roaring back with a swaggering, punkish vim and
vigour largely absent since that irresistibly vital first 2 album salvo back in
the early 90s. A roaring, in-your-face CD release show at Bristol Fleece (gig
1,242; and yes, that does say The Fleece!) last September put them
securely back on our “Dance Card” – in fact, at the end of the first Fleece number
“She Still Leads Me On” (a track that ultimately proved my favourite of 2022),
I turned to Rachel and said, “so we’re booking tix for the main tour, right?”, her
immediate response being, “hell YEAH!”
More
chat took us up to (and just past!) 9, a white noise soundtrack heralding the
entrance of Suede, vocalist Brett Anderson on last, already exhorting the crowd
to clap along to the metronomic backbeat of glam sleaze opener “Turn Off Your
Brain And Yell”. By the soaring hook of a strident “15 Again” Brett was atop
his monitor, offering the crowd his mic, and by 4th number,
Bowie-esque debut “The Drowners”, he was in the photo pit (not for the last
time!), getting right in the faces of the front rows, ourselves included. “You’ve
had a couple of gin and tonics; it’s time to release the animal!” he announced
by way of intro to the anthemic “Animal Nitrate”, the devoted replying in kind
to the soaring hook. The man’s up for it tonight, no messing!
This
was a considerably better showing than their last gig here, 4 years ago;
“Trash”, their manifesto number, was all inclusive and soaring, the hook
practically raising the roof. Brett was everywhere, prowling from side to side
onstage like a caged wolverine, constantly beckoning for more noise from the
crowd, sweating profusely and really putting in a shift. That said, the set
mid-section lulled a little for me, a stately slow-burn “Invisibles” and a
“communal moment” plaintive voice/ piano only “Everything Will Flow”
notwithstanding, and I was hoping for something to really kick the gig on. We
got it – and how! – with an incendiary “She Still Leads Me On”, coupled with
the creepy proto-goth atmospherics and tense, echoey hook of “Shadow Self”. Brilliant!
Back in the room then, with Brett commenting their 1992 Joiners gig, “felt like
something was happening,” (I was at the Old Trout the night before, me! Gig
211…) before a fiery end to the set, featuring an impassioned, “Sweet
Thing”-like “Wild Ones” and the angular slashing riffery of “Metal Mickey”.
“New Generation” capped the set, before a lengthy encore of “Beautiful Ones”,
Brett leading us in the “la la la-la la-la-la” refrain, rounded off an overall
refreshing and redemptive 1 ½ hour performance.
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