saw119 wrote:

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Ian wrote:

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So have I. Which show are you going to?

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 Sheffield, bien sûr. And you?

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Sheffield too. I am not sure exactly what time I will be there at the moment but hopefully we can arrange some sort of meet-up nearer the time 

Ste wrote:

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I've really enjoyed their music since Bloodsports, but Autofiction didn't do much for me and I wasn't too keen on Antidepressants on the first listen; it all seemed a blob, but I was tired! This morning Somewhere Between An Atom And A Star, June Rain, and The Sound And The Summer have caught my attention more, enough to give it a proper listen without being cranky! Still prefer their more atmospheric tracks - Night Thoughts and The Blue Hour are probably my favourites since their comeback.

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They have now released the same number of albums in both periods of their existence. I don't think any of the last 5 albums reach quite the same heights as "Dog Man Star" but let's face it, very few things do.

For saying that their future looked uncertain from around 2003-2010, they have certainly nailed it since and Brett has described "Antidepressants" as the second album in a trilogy so hopefully there will be another one in a couple of years. 

It would be impossible for me to pick a favourite post-comeback album but I can say one thing for certain: if they took the best 2 or 3 tracks from each and combined them into one album, then that would rival "Dog Man Star". 

Like this one? Even before now, Suede have always had a habit of playing album tracks, B-sides and lesser known singles; "Can't Get Enough" absolutely rocked the last time I saw them. Unfortunately, I have never been fortunate enough to see them play "The Asphalt World". 

I'm the same with Pulp. I find myself getting a lot less excited about "Sorted For E's and Wizz", "Babies" and "Do You Remember the First Time?" than I used to. They don't have enough recent material for a full show (even the whole "More" album plus "After You" would be less than an hour) but there are certainly some great tracks that barely get a look-in. For example, "Party Hard" always goes down well, "Have You Seen Her Lately?" and "Live Bed Show" would be a nice change, "The Professional" would work alongside "My Sex" and the jewel in the crown for me would be "Deep Fried In Kelvin". 

Ian wrote:

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Unfortunately, I have never been fortunate enough to see them play "The Asphalt World"

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Ste wrote:

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Ian wrote:

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Unfortunately, I have never been fortunate enough to see them play "The Asphalt World"

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I've only seen them play once, and felt really lucky - the setlist was incredible. I had an idea of the songs they were rotating on that tour, and went hoping to hear one of The Asphalt World/Still Life/The 2 Of Us

-- Edited by Ste on Tuesday 9th of September 2025 06:49:50 PM

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That really is a great setlist. The B-side "He's Dead" as well which I have seen them play before and it's brilliant. 

Ste wrote:

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Off topic in an off topic thread, but the B-side talk has me itching to ask: what are your favourite Suede B sides? And it's hardly that the board is being flooded... Has this been discussed before? The ones that spring to mind are Europe Is Our Playground/Simon/The Big Time, and This Time - the latter having what I regard as a really nice Pulpy sounding guitar outro. Are there any "modern era" ones I should check out?

I did try to think if I could add any more about Antidepressants, but all I could muster was Dancing With The Europeans has grown on me, but that'd be a tissue-thin excuse to ask, so bugger it!

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When I'd heard 'To the Birds' and 'My Insatiable One' at Camden, it was really impressive.  From memory Brett said something along the lines of 'You didn't expect that did you'.  No, I didn't!

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/suede/2015/roundhouse-london-england-4bf50fae.html

It was also great to hear 'Together' at Brixton.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/suede/2011/o2-academy-brixton-london-england-73d3d6bd.html

^ this Brixton gig and their come back at the Albert Hall are certainly up there with some of my favourite gigs of all time.  The energy and positivity of the Albert Hall gig can't be beaten.  I was at the front for Brixton and Albert Hall (and in the footage of that gig too) so I'll always remember them for that too.

I'm seeing them in Portsmouth in January, so hoping for a great gig and the new album is waiting for me to give it a listen.

Second to Pulp, Suede have always been one of my favourites.

My favourite Suede B-sides? These immediately spring to mind:

• To The Birds
• Killing of a Flash Boy (could have been a huge hit)
• Whipsnade
• Europe is Our Playground (I prefer the "Sci-Fi Lullabies" version but both are great)
• WSD
• This Time
• Let Go
• Crackhead (would have worked well on the album)
• Killer (see above)
• Instant Sunshine

I haven't listened to the more recent ones enough to make a fair judgement. I think I have just set myself a to-do.

I'd say that Suede dipped slightly with "Coming Up", it sounds like they took the easy option of obvious hits over the quality that ran through their previous two albums. "Head Music" was something of a recovery but a couple of the songs could have been swapped out. Unfortunately, whilst I think that "A New Morning" has some very nice moments, it just doesn't succeed as an album. I'm sure we can forgive them as they have made up for that 5 times in the past 12 years or so. 

I agree with the comments about Blur, it's as if they knew when to take a break and come back stronger. But that said, I think that their first four albums are too long and their B-sides are a very mixed bag ranging from pointless 1 minute instrumentals to some of their greatest songs ever. They did seem to release a lot more B-sides than Pulp and possibly even Suede. 

Mark throws a hand-grenade at the Suede love-in like a boss 

saw119 wrote:

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Typical Brett but I'm with Mark. More is at least equal to Antidepressants and, in many ways, better. I'd hope there's room in this world for all kinds of excellence to happen.

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I havent heard the new album yet, but I think overall the suede comeback has been very impressive.  Hyperbole is essential to sell records, and suede have done it from the outset.  Aside from pulp, there are other bands from that generation still cutting the mustard.  Saw Ash last night with Graham Coxon turning up for the extended encore.  I may be wrong, but I believe they are the only band of that generation with the same original members who have never taken a hiatus

and probably the only band of that generation to have released 60 singles.

ArrGee wrote:

Saw Ash last night with Graham Coxon turning up for the extended encore.  I may be wrong, but I believe they are the only band of that generation with the same original members who have never taken a hiatus and probably the only band of that generation to have released 60 singles.

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Manics too

saw119 wrote:

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The British tour is like that as well. Lots of 'off the tour grid' towns being visited. The Sheffield gig is at the Octagon, capacity 1800, where I saw Pulp in 1994!

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Sheffield Academy is closed because of RAAC concrete, so Octagon is the biggest venue in the city at the moment after the Arena.  It's a much better venue than the Academy too. 

Pulp played there in 2001 too (which I was at!)

HoltbyCity wrote:

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ArrGee wrote:

Saw Ash last night with Graham Coxon turning up for the extended encore.  I may be wrong, but I believe they are the only band of that generation with the same original members who have never taken a hiatus and probably the only band of that generation to have released 60 singles.

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Manics too

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I guess Richey Edwards joined later.  Easier with a three piece, I guess.

saw119 wrote:

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The British tour is like that as well. Lots of 'off the tour grid' towns being visited. The Sheffield gig is at the Octagon, capacity 1800, where I saw Pulp in 1994!

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 Yes, no London dates, but bit greedy of us wanting more with the Southbank take over.  I am doing Saturday night (when else) and next Friday.

Eamonn wrote:

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Jarv has done the Octagon in recent years hasn't he ?

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 Yes he has in 2021 after covid. Was a great show with Hawley on guitar for C***s and MLG for encore.

ArrGee wrote:

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saw119 wrote:

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Typical Brett but I'm with Mark. More is at least equal to Antidepressants and, in many ways, better. I'd hope there's room in this world for all kinds of excellence to happen.

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I havent heard the new album yet, but I think overall the suede comeback has been very impressive.  Hyperbole is essential to sell records, and suede have done it from the outset.  Aside from pulp, there are other bands from that generation still cutting the mustard.  Saw Ash last night with Graham Coxon turning up for the extended encore.  I may be wrong, but I believe they are the only band of that generation with the same original members who have never taken a hiatus

and probably the only band of that generation to have released 60 singles.

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Not sure if this counts but didn't Ash have a female guitar player that joined and left in the late 1990s. I have seen them live before and they were great. I'm not sure about the new material just yet but hopefully everything will work better on the album. I liked the idea of releasing 26 singles one after the other, essentially 2 albums worth of material and most of them were great. 

Anyway, the Suede album has entered the charts at number 2.

Ian wrote:

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ArrGee wrote:

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saw119 wrote:

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Typical Brett but I'm with Mark. More is at least equal to Antidepressants and, in many ways, better. I'd hope there's room in this world for all kinds of excellence to happen.

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I havent heard the new album yet, but I think overall the suede comeback has been very impressive.  Hyperbole is essential to sell records, and suede have done it from the outset.  Aside from pulp, there are other bands from that generation still cutting the mustard.  Saw Ash last night with Graham Coxon turning up for the extended encore.  I may be wrong, but I believe they are the only band of that generation with the same original members who have never taken a hiatus

and probably the only band of that generation to have released 60 singles.

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 Not sure if this counts but didn't Ash have a female guitar player that joined and left in the late 1990s. I have seen them live before and they were great. I'm not sure about the new material just yet but hopefully everything will work better on the album. I liked the idea of releasing 26 singles one after the other, essentially 2 albums worth of material and most of them were great. 

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Yes, Charlotte Hatherley, played with Ash for a decade, but the rationale was to enhance their live performances as Tim Wheeler was putting multiple guitar tracks on recordings that couldnt be replicated live.  No idea why she left, but there was no animosity as she has played with Ash live in recent years.

I think releasing single after single is a great idea. And there are some gems.  I just wish I had bought them.

It certainly looks like an interesting setlist. "Crackhead" is a great B-side which I think would work well live. "Killing of a Flashboy" is from the "Dog Man Star" era as it was a B-side to "We Are the Pigs" but it wasn't on the album itself. "Personality Disorder" and "Shadow Self" are fantastic live songs from their previous album. 

I didn't buy the 26 Ash singles individually but I did buy the 2 compilations that followed, it looks like some of the singles and the compilations are still for sale on the Ash website. 

Ian wrote:

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It certainly looks like an interesting setlist. "Crackhead" is a great B-side which I think would work well live. "Killing of a Flashboy" is from the "Dog Man Star" era as it was a B-side to "We Are the Pigs" but it wasn't on the album itself. "Personality Disorder" and "Shadow Self" are fantastic live songs from their previous album. 

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The second night started and ended much the same as the first, but it was all shuffled around in the middle.  Asphalt World a real high point tonight, I dont think I have heard that live since 1995.   Now maybe pulp might consider a Southbank take over in 2026.  Unfortunately, I have to sell my tickets for next Friday, but they were the two best gigs I have seen this year. (May be blasphemy in these parts, but better than pulp at O2).  Sssh, dont tell Mark.

Last night's set looks very interesting:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/suede/2025/purcell-room-london-england-7b47d684.html

Mostly album tracks and B-sides with a few later singles thrown in then "Trash" as an encore. I would have paid good money to see that set. It would be nice if Pulp did something similar. 

Control yourself. It was off-mic and that's the cringier parts of Brett's shtick when he over-does the vox naturalis.  Don't think Simon patted his drums to a lot of the campfire-stylee so although there were rarities galore performed, it weren't full-bodied, full-blooded.