Suede Live at the Sheffield Octagon Review by Rob Johnson
Having just released their critically acclaimed tenth studio album, Antidepressants, Suede are riding high as they enter their 37th year as a band. A sold-out tour and a number 2 placing on the UK album charts suggests that the London band are as vital and relevant as ever.
Suede frontman Brett Anderson bounds onto the stage at the Sheffield Octagon full of energy. The band tears into three songs from their new album in the shape of ‘Disintegrate’, ‘Dancing with the Europeans’ and ‘Antidepressants’, and based on the rapturous reaction they receive, the Suede fandom has taken to this new album to their hearts. ‘Trash’ follows, a track that, along with Pulp’s ‘Mis-Shapes’, summed up the feeling during the ‘90s that the outsiders and lunatics had taken over the asylum – if only for a few years.
‘Animal Nitrate’, arguably Suede’s best song, bounces and reverberates through the venue with Richard Oakes attacking his guitar like this is the last gig they’ll ever play. It sounds incredible. The middle section of the gig sees the band embrace their inner sleaze with ‘Filmstar’ and while the middle section of the gig is perhaps too reliant on tracks from Antidepressants and Autofiction (their previous album), there is no denying the sheer power of tracks like ‘Shadow Self’ and ‘She Still Leads Me On’ – the latter of which has now become a live favourite.
They take things down a notch for a beautiful rendition of ‘My Dark Star’ (one of two tracks from the band’s compilation album Sci-Fi Lullabies) featuring only Brett on vocals and multi-instrumentalist Neil Codling on piano. It’s a reminder of how pretty Suede can be when they feel like it. The first part of the set ends with three classics from the ‘90s. ‘So Young’ takes on an extra prescience now, both band and audience are much older now, ‘Metal Mickey’ struts and frets throughout the venue, inspiring a mass singalong, and a triumphant rendition of ‘The Beautiful Ones’ caps things off nicely.
The band returns to the stage and closes things out with Autofiction favourite ‘The Only Way I Can Love You’. It’s a fitting end to a gig that clearly demonstrates that Suede have still got plenty to offer. The success of Antidepressants seems to have reenergised them. Here’s to another ten albums!
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