Eight years after their debut in the Brit rock scene, Supergrass proves that its music has gracefully evolved and its live shows are better than ever. The strapping young Oxford lads played a sold-out gig at the Paradise Tuesday night.
The band played tunes from all four of their albums, with a bit of an emphasis on their latest album, Life on Other Planets, which was just released last month. They opened the show with the first track, ‘Za.’ While their earlier music combines sounds of 60s psychedelic and punk-pop, their newest work flaunts a 70s glam influence think David Bowie and T. Rex.
If there’s one thing Supergrass has, it’s a whole lot of energy. Lead singer and guitarist Gaz Coombes possesses one of the most recognizable voices in the business it’s taunting, exuberant and quite loud. Coombes boasts the qualities of a true rock star along with his infectious voice, he’s got style and performs with intensity. Bass player Micky Quinn and drummer Danny Goffey never once let up their sped-up rhythms. In contrast, keyboardist Robert Coombes, Gaz’s older brother, just hung out in the back corner of the stage, in a space-land of his own.
Much to the delight of veteran fans, Supergrass did not forget to incorporate a generous number of songs from their high-powered, care-free first album, I Should Coco. ‘Lenny,’ from this album, closed the first set and the riotous rebel punk anthem, ‘Caught By the Fuzz,’ ended the show with a bang. They sprung into the joyous summer tune ‘Sun Hits the Sky,’ mellowed out with the tender and reflective ‘Late in the Day,’ and just plain rocked out with ‘Richard III,’ all from their second album, In It for the Money. The crowd also went wild for the band’s 2000 single, ‘Pumping on Your Stereo.’
Babyfaced six-piece band, The Coral opened for Supergrass. Although the guys of The Coral looked like they were about 16, they demonstrated they are an up-and-coming force in rock music. Their music mixes pop, surf and punk, and their performance was a strong introduction to a great night of hip British music.