“30 years ago, we made this mad little record, I Should Coco,” Gaz Coombes told the Roundhouse, before promptly admitting that he didn’t think the band would last until its anniversary.
After originally splitting back in 2010 due to those dastardly old ‘creative differences’, everybody’s second favourite Britpop band drifted back together regardless for a handful of shows since 2019, with a goal of "bringing joy into a slightly disturbed world". After being on hiatus again since 2022, the group are now re-reunited once again to celebrate the thirtieth birthday of their number one-charting debut record. In announcing its victory lap tour, the band couldn’t help but take a jab at Oasis: "Dynamic pricing won't be included,” they said.
Though almost always cast as the underdogs compared with Blur, Oasis, and Pulp, Supergrass offered something a little different to the rest of the Britpop pack – and at Roundhouse, all of these qualities shone in abundance. Playful, energetic, and not too hung up on taking themselves too seriously, they were perhaps the most psychedelic of the lot, and heavily influenced by ‘80s Madchester bands such as Inspiral Carpets, Happy Mondays, and The Stone Roses. Out of the whole pack, they also had the best sense of humour: frequently opening shows with 1997’s tongue in cheek In It for the Money (though not last night)
Instead, much of last night’s set list ran through I Should Coco in order and from start to finish – racing from Caught By the Fuzz (the song Coombes wrote about being arrested for cannabis possession) to their biggest, most ubiquitous hit of all. “This is track number four,” Coombes said with a knowing smirk, before diving straight into their jaunty, feelgood pop-rock anthem Alright. “We are young, we run green, keep our teeth nice and clean,” sang Coombes, backed up by the entire, word-perfect room.
In place of shiny guest stars, Supergrass instead invited a variety of their mates to join in at points, introducing them casually by their first name only – Benny popped on to demonstrate his bongo prowess, and Alfie (who appeared to be one of the band’s sound techs) joined to play acoustic guitar for Sofa (Of My Lethargy). Historically, Supergrass haven’t performed the song live, but resurrecting it has proven a wise decision. At the Roundhouse it was easily one of the standouts of the night. A swooning Time to Go then wrapped up the I Should Coco portion of proceedings.
Last night, that song title – however fitting – turned out to be a false flag, and for the final segment of the show Supergrass had plenty of fun picking and choosing all of the highlights from the rest of their back catalogue. Along with a headbanging, snarling rendition of Richard III, the vaguely menacing groove of Mary, and the rousing ballad Moving, the encore was a strong-finish double-whammy of Sun Hits The Sky, and another of their biggest singles Pumping on the Stereo. The only notable absences were In It For The Money, and Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6).
“Well f**king ace, that,” commented Coombes, at one point during the show – to be fair, it's not a bad summary of the night.
Touring. Information at supergrass.com
