MUSIC.
SUEDE - THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER.
Suede - The Albert Hall, Manchester, 09.02.16
Suede’s latest neurotic, nightmarish effort was brought to life as the band took on their biggest, most ambitious task yet. Anderson and co. light up as ghostly silhouettes behind Roger Sargent’s beautiful accompanying film to the bands latest record ‘Night Thoughts’ to get things started.
The set up was so alien to everyone in the room – you as a member of the audience, don’t really know how to behave. Do you behave as if you were at the cinema or as if you were at a gig? Because the two are such different disciplines. The first half of Suede’s show stopping performance was a true cinematic experience. Every member of the audience’s eyes was glued to the screen as the boys amplify the thoughts that keep you up at 4am, but seem so trivial as the sun begins to rise at 7 – all of which was executed with the trademark Euphoric Suede chorus after chorus of course; From debut single ‘Outsiders’ to the majesty of ‘The Fur and the Feathers’.
As the screen drops and the sound of The Sex Pistols’ ‘Bodies’ fades away, we see Suede turn back the clock with a show that shows just why The Melody Maker hailed them as ‘The Best New Band in Britain’. This is a performance that proves that this isn’t just a comeback, Suede are here to stay.
We’re lured into the show through the kaleidoscope of terror that is ‘Introducing the Band’ and the tremors of violence that echo from ‘Dog Man Star’ fill the room. Brett tears through a string of crowd favourites – Trash, Animal Nitrate, Filmstar, So Young, Beautiful Ones and an always phenomenal Metal Mickey – that leave his shirt in tatters.
Anderson unwinds from his energetic, exhilarating performance for a second, as he introduces ‘Obsessions’ as a “good song from a crap album”. He perches elegantly on top of the monitor and delivers a beautiful acoustic rendition, with the help of Richard Oakes of course, of the ‘A New Morning’ classic. Brett manages to effortlessly hold every eye in the house despite the clear disapproval from the crowd beforehand.
But Suede aren’t quite finished with us yet; Anderson launches himself back into the crowd (literally) for another dose of glam rock euphoria – loaded with crunching guitar riffs and soaring vocals as the front rows claw at his bare chest; before drawing the night to a close with a crowd stomping ‘New Generation’ as the crowd lose themselves to Suede just once more, until the next time.