Blame it on the almost music hall-cheeriness of Alright or the Muppets-inspired music video for Pumping On Your Stereo but it often felt like Supergrass were never afforded the same level of respect as many of their Britpop peers.
One thing’s for certain: if there were anyone still doubting the Oxford band’s pedigree, they would have faced a rude awakening last night at their first London gig in more than a decade.
Still clearly buzzing from Saturday’s surprise show at Glastonbury’s Pilton Party and the prospect of their 2020 reunion tour, Gaz Coombes and pals strode onstage to the strains of Jackson Sisters’s I Believe In Miracles.
It quickly transpired that it is not only Supergrass’s playful sense of humour that remains intact either; creative chemistry within the band seems as strong as ever, as proven by their pin-sharp musicianship and taut interplay.
Kicking off with the killer triple header of debut single Caught By The Fuzz and I Should Coco classics Mansize Rooster and Lose It, Coombes and co treated fans to a celebratory romp through their still surprisingly diverse back catalogue.
The impact of Moving on a live audience proved to be undiminished as its plaintive verses and epic chorus shift resulted in venue-wide moshing. Sun Hits The Sky received a similarly rabid response, as did big single Alright, which Coombes jokingly introduced as “an obscure album track”.
The evening’s only lull came during a performance of St Petersburg from 2005’s Road To Rouen but it was soon forgotten thanks to the killer version of Richard III that followed, complete with serrated howls and a theremin-style keyboard solo.
Concluding with the warped fairground organs of Going Out, Coombes cried, “See you next year”. If the rest of their comeback tour is of a similar standard, Supergrass might finally get their dues.
