Gruenspan, Hamburg, Germany12th October 2022
Suede - “Autofiction” Tour 2022
This spring I was lucky enough to attend a SUEDE concert in Berlin as part of the “25th Anniversary Tour” of their most successful album ‘Coming Up’. I could not imagine that I would see them so soon, and even in Hamburg. This time the London band has divided their set into two parts: In the first block, they play the new album ‘Autofiction’ in the order of the CD. The second part consisted of old hits. Nothing complicated - the dilemma is simple and effective.
Music & Performance
So, all eleven tracks of ‘Autofiction’ were played first. From the first minute of the performance, which started exactly at 20.30 according to the schedule this time without a calliper, permanent vocalist Brett Anderson set such a heat that already on the third song ‘15 Again’ his white shirt was already soaked through. In this regard, nothing changes - Brett is always 20 on stage. Crazy dances on monitors and pirouettes with a microphone, screams and jumps into the hall. Everything is like in the distant 90s when Brett’s photo adorned almost all the covers of fashionable music publications. Here he is - a Brit-Pop idol right under your nose. Moreover, you can touch him too! Brett always has great contact with the audience and he is not afraid to go down into the hall into the crowd.
While bassist Mat Osman, drummer Simon Gilbert, guitarist Richard Oakes, and keyboardist / guitarist Neil Codling provide more support and rhythm to the background, and sound side of the show, all the attention of the audience is focused on Brett. Therefore, at the very beginning of the show, he always concentrates more on the audience - especially the fans in the front rows - there are many chances to get a handshake or a hug. Tell me that this handsome man is already 55 years old and I will not believe you. In the beautiful and large-scale ballad ‘What Am I Without You?’ Brett steps off the stage, briefly leans against the wall on the right, continues to sing and steps into the crowd of fans to give some of them a big hug and high five. I am just as nervous as ever and I am chasing Brett back and forth along the stage to catch the energetic bit pop idol in the frame.
Eleven “auto-fictitious” songs were performed in 45 minutes and were very well received by the audience, including ‘She Still Leads Me On’, ‘15 Again’, ‘The Only Way I Can Love You’, ‘It’s Always The Quiet Ones’, ‘What Am I Without You?’ and the powerful Pan-Rock ‘Turn Off You Brain And Yell’ have everything it takes to also become a classic of the band. Then the second part of the performance began, and the band moved on from the songs from the new album to old hits for older fans like ‘She’, the London street anthem of the mid-90s ‘Trash’, ‘Can’t Get Enough’, the beautiful ballad ‘The 2 Of Us’, which Brett sings with a strong voice, seated at the front of the stage, ‘Metal Mickey’ and ‘Animal Nitrate’ as uncompromising and exciting as ever, and of course ‘Beautiful Ones’, one of the most successful songs from the band’s commercial phase, during which Brett really blended into the crowd. That’s why SUEDE will never go out of style.
Setlist
01. She Still Leads Me On
02. Personality Disorder
03. 15 Again
04. The Only Way I Can Love You
05. That Boy on the Stage
06. Drive Myself Home
07. Black Ice
08. Shadow Self
09. It’s Always the Quiet Ones
10. What Am I Without You?
11. Turn Off Your Brain and Yell
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12. She
13. Trash
14. Can’t Get Enough
15. It Starts and Ends With You
16. The 2 of Us
17. He’s Dead
18. Metal Mickey
19. Animal Nitrate
20. Beautiful Ones
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Sound: 10
Light: 9
Total: 9.8 / 10
All Pictures by Iryna Kalenska
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