Friday, 5/23/97 Persueded MUSIC: Suede
By Mike Prevatt Daily Bruin Staff Despite endless technical
glitches, (the London) Suede shined in a passionate rock ‘n’ roll
show Wednesday night at the El Rey Theater, thanks to energetic
lead singer Brett Anderson’s inspired musical performance. During
the 75-minute set, the band found ceaseless problems with borrowed
equipment (the real equipment was stolen in Boston), ranging from
keyboardist Neil Codling’s microphone to Anderson’s earphones. To
make matters worse, the feedback was deafening at times. However,
that didn’t stop the band from putting on a powerful performance,
nor did it dampen the spirits of the crowd. The sweat-drenched
audience went berserk from the minute Suede stepped on stage with
its new glam-rocker, "She," until the last note of the beautifully
synthesized "Two of Us," from the critically acclaimed album, "Dog
Man Star." The crowd bounced enthusiastically during the faster
songs, such as Suede’s new pop masterpieces, "Trash" and "Beautiful
Ones." But what really got pulses thumping was the high-spirited
Anderson, who jumped and danced frenetically around a stage far too
small to contain his energy – until his microphone was rendered
immobile. He often leaped onto the speakers in front of him and the
audience, reaching out to the piles of fans climbing over each
other with the hopes of touching their idol. Anderson began the
show flawlessly, with amazing vocal performances of the mellow "By
the Sea" (off the new album, "Coming Up") and "So Young," where
Anderson was joined by the sold-out crowd. Technical problems drove
the very frustrated Anderson off the stage a couple of times.
However, he always came back and sang his heart out despite
fumbling with his equipment and singing through what seemed a
painful standstill. Suede played seven songs off of "Coming Up,"
including the cigarette-lighter, "Saturday Night," and the
rollicking yet laid back, "Lazy." It even threw in the
pseudo-Gothic "Europe is Our Playground," a B-side from the single
for "Trash." Suede rewarded the devoted fans with the guitar-driven
"New Generation" and a flawless performance of the
Sinatra-meets-the Smiths ballad, "The Wild Ones," where Anderson
struck the typical Jesus Christ poses, with arms stretched out
wide, for some crowd adoration. Anderson, not much of a talker when
it comes to shows, informed a confused crowd during some technical
repair, "We’re just battling with our shoddy equipment." When the
lead singer later noticed the audience didn’t allow the
difficulties to rain down on its parade, he earnestly said, "You’ve
been a good crowd, as usual. You’re one of the best audiences in
the world and I mean that." After an ear-deafening scream that made
the feedback seem mute, the band kicked into "Beautiful Ones,"
which climaxed the show. The one-song encore of "Two of Us"
followed, leaving a still-hungry audience screaming and chanting
for five minutes after the show ended. The crowd also enjoyed the
new British band the Longpigs, which opened to an unusually huge
early-bird crowd in support of its debut, "The Sun is Often Out"
(Mother Records). The Longpigs played a respectable 45-minute set,
highlighted by the exciting "Jesus Christ" and "She Said" and by
the tender ballad "On and On," a suitable soundtrack to a John
Hughes film. Lead singer Crispin Hunt delighted the audience with
his passionate vocals, sounding almost identical to the Cure’s
Robert Smith. The Longpigs gave a consistent performance which, if
given the chance, could stand on its own in a similar setting. What
set apart the Suede show from other British pop shows and perhaps
even most American concerts was a heavy rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere.
The fog machine blanketed the stage and part of the crowd with a
cloud of light, which was a much better background than those
over-used screens with projected images upon them. The music was
pleasantly loud – the drums could be felt in any given part of the
body – and Brett’s voice was filled with both sincere, tender
emotion and no-frills swagger. Plus, the exuberance of the crowd
reflected the excitement of the music, which sometimes gets lost in
visual overload and soul-less pop. Columbia Records British pop
band Suede delighted fans at the El Rey on Wednesday in spite of
technical glitches. (l.-r.) Simon Gilbert, Brett Anderson, Neil
Codling, Mat Osman and Richard Oakes. Related Links: Suede Home
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