Entering the Southampton Guildhall as support band Teleman were playing I thought I’d gone into a time warp. The keyboard player looked like a young Martin Fry (ABC) with a similarly young David Baddiel on bass. The drummer could have been the brother of AbFab Saffy’s geeky friend. The fact that their sound reminded me of Geneva just added to the sense of time travel. I missed the start of their set but what I heard was pretty good. And so to the main event...

 

The audience was a good mix of people old enough to be long-standing Suede fans like myself and others who wouldn’t even have been born when I first saw them at this venue in December 1994. Their set list tonight was rather unexpected. They started by playing their latest album Bloodsports in full. It is a sign of the confidence they have in their new material that they could devote so much of the night to it rather than filling the set with crowd-pleasing old stuff. I was lucky enough to be very near the front so I could see how chuffed Brett Anderson was with the reception it got, particularly as it only became apparent what they were doing after a few songs. He didn’t announce that they were playing the album in full until a couple songs from the end. It had become pretty obvious by then with not a single shout of “Play some old ones” to be heard. Having been to each of the three nights at the Brixton Academy a couple years ago when they played each of the first three albums in full, I have now seen them play four of their six studio albums in their entirety.

 

After a few minutes off stage they returned for another surprise. They started right back at the beginning with their first proper single The Drowners and proceeded to play all the singles from the first three albums in order. Yes, they even included Stay Together (not on an album but fitting in chronologically), albeit the short version. That song seemed to be the only one that some of the younger people in the audience did not recognise.

 

Some 21 1/2 years and about 45 gigs after I first saw them and fell in love with the band Suede continue to put on a fantastic show. Obviously I didn’t need it but, just in case I did, they delivered a reminder of why they are the best band ever in this, or any other, universe.

The younger people in the crowd didn't recognise Stay Together, the greatest song of all time? What are they teaching kids in schools these days?

 

It sounds like you might have just witnessed as close to a perfect Suede set as you're likely to get this year. When they played in Belfast, they didn't do "Hit Me", which is surprising as it's the most live-friendly track on the album. They're playing in Dublin on Monday - perhaps I might just head down and catch them again.

 

The support band Teleman also have another Suede connection - their recent singles, and their upcoming album, was produced by Bernard Butler. I've been meaning to check them out all year but never managed to get around to it, but now I have no excuse.

From what Brett said tonight's set may have been a one-off. It must still be worth a trip to Dublin though.

 

I didn't realise Bernard had produced Teleman. He's demonstrated good taste there.

The younger people in the crowd didn't recognise Stay Together, the greatest song of all time? What are they teaching kids in schools these days?

I blame Gove for that.

bernard butler has had number ones in my charts, as have suede, and I would have liked to have seen the gig had I not been somewhere warmer. She's In Fashion is my personal fave, but I'm not sure Joe Public (to coin a US phrase) could name many Suede tracks, barring some of those of a certain age (music enthusiasts mostly)...sadly.

Looking at subsequent setlists it looks like Suede have gone back to what they did in their earlier tours with a different set each night

 

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/suede/2013/c...d-7bc772d8.html

 

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/suede/2013/o...d-4bc76fc2.html

I might pop along on Monday - if you're coming down, BB, let me know.

I might pop along on Monday - if you're coming down, BB, let me know.

Did you go? I've just read a review that suggests it was rather good. Or, to be more accurate, bloody brilliant and including four of their excellent b-sides.