Nothing else could have made Boston feel more like home to four lads from Oxford England, other than getting soaked coming from the tour bus to the stage, than a welcome wagon of cheering fans shuffle-stepping through the concert line of the Paradise Rock Club during a dreary English style rainfall, on the evening of Thursday September 30 in an 18 show.
Supergrass is definitely not your typical Brit-pop band performing what the UK refers to as, “Bubblegum music.” The capacity-crowd filled with overzealous fans got a taste of a mature Supergrass, performing their hits spanning a full decade, with an amazing assortment of musical styles ranging from original Brit-pop, punk rock, electronica, acoustic post-grunge, and classic rock, obviously influenced by their boyhood idols while coming of age in England.
Gaz Coombes, front-man on lead guitar and vocals, and bassist Mickey Quinn, both sporting wet black silk dress shirts, side burns, and Beatles style mop tops, established the band’s presence within a few seconds of their opening guitar riffs and bass walking grooves. Gaz’s bright sunburst guitar rocked while his vocals were definitely on top of his game. The extraordinary steady bass grooves and back-up vocals of Mickey Quinn, in conjunction with Danny Goffey’s enthusiastic drum beats, kept the crowd moving in a very uplifting performance, helping to showcase the band’s raw musical talent.
Older Supergrass hits like the “Strange One’s,” a popular punk rock anthem of the Oxford lads and “Pumping on your Stereo,” a similar song to that of David Bowie’s “Rebel, Rebel,” had the crowd smiling and jumping up and down. New hit, “Moving,” gave the crowd a more mature look at the band, leaving the people wanting more. The English chart-topping hit, “Caught by the Fuzz,” was one of the crowd’s biggest fan pleasers, sparking the audience to sing along, dance, and mosh as if the concert were taking place in a huge venue in Manchester, England. This set the mood for a most enjoyable buzz, which carried out the happy feelings of the crowd, even when Gaz slowed the pace down with a stellar acoustic set.
The songs, “Late in the Day,” was reminiscent of 80s legends Echo and the Bunnymen, which became an instant hit, especially among the female fans, who inched their way in front of lead man Gaz, trying to get a closer glimpse or make eye contact with him, hanging on every melancholy word filtering through the young Brit’s gob. A bluesy song called, “Time,” then “Seen the Light,” which sounded like it was inspired by Bob Dylan or even his son Jacob’s Wallflowers. The crowd could not contain themselves during the band’s little break shouting, “More, More,” while clapping and whistling. This wasn’t ignored by Gaz, as he constantly thanked the people of Boston for coming to the show and supporting them over their career. It was a nice touch and personalized the show for many as well as capturing new fans’ attention.
After the second break, Supergrass came out strong, lifting the crowd with “Sun Hits the Sky,” making way for some dance electronica, from their new hit, “Kiss of Life.” The song’s lyrics, “Don’t Stop, Don’t look back,” seemed to be a subliminal message that Supergrass has great plans for their band’s future and they are finally gaining American fan support.
Except for the air time on WFNX 101.7, Supergrass, for many years, hasn’t been well known in the United States and actually seemed to have gotten overlooked and ignored during the Oasis hype in the past. Nevertheless, this is not the case in England, or all of Europe for that matter, where the band made number 70 on the lists of the 100 Greatest English Bands. Americans should be aware and take notice of this particular band’s musical diversity. If you’re a fan of early David Bowie, The Verve, The Stone Roses, The Seahorses, The Happy Mondays, The Candy Skins, The Lightning Seeds, Echo and the Bunnymen, Oasis, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, or even The Monkees, then don’t deprive yourself from checking out Supergrass and giving them a solid listen. Anyone can compare songs that remind them of other songs, but to have an incredible ménage and range of musical talent is a gift. No matter what style of rock you’re into, Supergrass doesn’t disappoint. What it all boils down to is that the Supergrass sound is always fresh, exciting, and new because they constantly find ways to reinvent themselves and add to their repertoire. The new album in stores now is called Supergrass Is 10. The Best of 94-04 is what you actually get. This is a compilation from all twelve Supergrass albums, containing both old and current hits.