"Never go back," my (now ex) girlfriend once told me. I said: "Not even if you left your jumper behind?" "No," she said. "Never go back."
Her advice came to mind last night, watching the Tears, the band formed by Suede's core partners, Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler. It was all a bit like getting together with your ex.
I bounded into the tent, thinking their new band would be brilliant and encompass everything that was great about Suede. There was Bernard on guitar, throwing his hair around as he span out effortless solos. There was Brett, still skinny-hipped, gyrating gracefully and expressing every syllable with overtones of infinite longing. This, I thought, was what used to be so great. What fun we had - why did it have to end?
And yet ... and yet. The pair seem to have resolved their creative tension by both giving in. Bernard no longer swoops and noodles. Brett, in return, has had to keep his lyrics within safe suburban limits.
The chemistry between the two of them is undeniable - at points they looked on the verge of kissing. But it's not a good idea, and it's not healthy, and I woke up this morning feeling just a little bit dirty. Never go back. Never go back.
