Super Fury Animals - The Roundhouse, London - 2/11/ 07
5/5
By: Chris O'Toole
The Scots may be trying to escape the chains of the United Kingdom, but the Welsh have decided to march on London. Hundreds of them gather, waiting for the arrival of their idols. The Brit Pop holdovers Super Fury Animals are in town. And they are on a hot streak. Continually innovative, exciting and engaging the band have expanded their reputation from eccentric journeymen to front tier pioneers in recent years and are now regarded as one of their homelands finest exports.
With their album 'Hey Venus!' receiving rapturous applause from all and sundry and front man Gruff Rhys returning from a solo sojourn, the group are in fine voice. This evening is a celebration of the band to date, taking in material from the majority of their psychedelic tinged back catalogue and giving the fans exactly what they paid their money for. All the finest work is on display, including 'Golden Retriever' and 'Northern Lights' early on, both of which are welcomed by the crowd like returning soldiers after a heroic victory. Each word is chanted by all present in a party atmosphere. There is barely a sober eye in the house as the carousing rabble rousers hit full speed virtually immediately.
The Roundhouse is an exquisite venue, filled with gravitas and exceptional sound and the Super Furry Animals really make the most of it. 'The Gift That Keeps Giving' is roundly applauded by the largely Welsh crowd, bouncing along furiously under the gaze of the lights. The band's blend of pop and rock is endearing to all but the most hardened cynics, and the groups heritage - not to mention accents - provide a welcome break from the London-centric navel gazing that has dominated the charts in recent months. This is a hedonistic band, sharing the rewards of their well earned reputation with those who adore them so much, repaying them for the years of support.
Towards the end of the main show Rhys pulls out a bunch of Bugs Bunny style carrots and starts munching on them and sharing his new found bounty with the crowd. It is surprising what a dedicated fan will do to get their hands on a half eaten carrot, but this is the sort of loyalty the band inspire in their followers. After disappearing, under a banner that states they will return in five minutes, the Super Furries return for an elated encore, running through 'Juxtaposed With U' and 'If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You' while some were still at the bar. Rhys has found a giant motorcycle helmet, replete with flashlights, and is shining questioning light into the wonderstruck eyes of his followers.
At just the right moment the group release the opening bars of -while not their signature song - the most rewarding live piece, 'The Man Don't Give a F**k'. The crowd literally goes wild. For a few minutes everything is forgotten in a moment of pure catharsis, it is what everybody has been waiting for. All too soon it is over and the smoke begins to clear. The Super Fury Animals are a band comfortable with themselves, revelling in their success and dedicated following, encouraged to push in unexpected directions, but also showmen enough to give the crowd exactly what they wants. Exceptional.
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