Suede - Brighton Centre - 22/10/99
4/5
By: Toby L
Set-List: 'Can't Get Enough', 'Trash', 'She', 'Metal Mickey', 'Everything Will Flow', 'Down', 'Wild Ones', 'Beautiful Ones', 'Elephant Man', 'He's Gone', 'Lazy', 'Filmstar', 'Animal Nitrate', 'Electricity', 'She's in Fashion', ENCORE, 'Starcrazy', 'Savoir-faire', 'Saturday Night'.
With changing times, there are always acts that aren't allowed to tag along with the lucid music-scene. In the past year, Pulp and Reef are two such bands that come to mind. Despite producing their best ever album, and probably 1998's most impressive record, Pulp were blunted despite strong effort in the way that the public took to 'This is Hardcore'; sure, the press adored it, as they also enthused over 'Rides' by Reef, but the figures didn't add up. Suede aren't quite as bad, meanwhile, but they're currently moving in that position. Even after head-turning and dazzling greatest hits sets at V99, Suede haven't been able to make the numbers on this tour, forced into playing smaller venues, when just two years back they'd be filling the Brixton Academies of the UK without a problem. Incidentally, tonight is the largest venue of the current UK-jaunt, with a 4,500 possible capacity. However, by the looks of things, that number didn't seem met by the time it was Suede's turn to take to the stage.
Well, who cares anyway? Suede are and always have been a quintessential alt-force, and they show it tonight. Lead-singer Brett Anderson may not spank his arse quite like he did back in the early nineties, but when the impressive illuminations cast a twenty foot shadow of him against the wall as he shakes his way through 'Can't Get Enough', 'Elephant Man' and 'Savoir-faire', you can't complain. However, 'Head Music' tracks aside, the band hammer their way into the hits: 'Trash', 'Beautiful Ones', 'Wild Ones', 'Animal Nitrate', whoa! The power and brash confidence the band exert during these crowd-pleasers is phenomenal, with respect to the whole band well and truly due, though mainly to keyboardist and guitarist, Neil, who, despite suffering from ME, puts in a striking effort.
Anderson, unshockingly clinging in black clothing, by this point, is keeping ad-lib to a minimum, letting their 90 minutes of collective sound do the work for him. Unsurprisingly, the reputably keen fan-base laps it all up and the first set-closer, 'She's in Fashion' sounds divine from its summery synth-opening right until its sublime a cappella finish. 'Starcrazy', still in the set-list since the release of 'Coming Up' in 1996, seems unnecessary, though, especially as a number to open the encores with; maybe the earlier-unveiled 'Lazy' or 'Filmstar' would have sufficed? However, reserving criticism as the above is also unnecessary because you forget your very point as the set ends on an ever-rousing rendition of 'Saturday Night', threatened to be left out from tonight's set by that cheeky teaser Brett ('But we can't play that! It's Friday night tonight; it won't be right!'). Arms waving, mouths singing, blaring Suede logos etching their way on to the backdrop, changing colours, swirling in all directions. Suede may have lost that original store-bought quality in their name's fabric, but they remain as fresh as ever in their live performance. It won't be long until they're back on top with the best of them. But if they don't quite make it, there's always the chance of rigging the charts... (Hey, it worked for their arch-rivals Blur during the Oasis chart-battle.)
Artists in this article: Suede
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