Review | Britpop survivors Suede at Portsmouth Guildhall: "Approaching national treasure status"

While it is indeed a strong entry it’s got some fierce competition to be named their “best”. However, more than a year on from its release it’s certainly done well for the band, as is demonstrated by the fact that they are still touring and selling out sizable venues behind it.

Given that they played in both Brighton and Southampton back in March it was a pleasant surprise to have more dates added for the end of the year – including Portsmouth.

Now, as then, they open with the same trio of Autofiction tracks – from the wall-of-noise intro of Turn Off Your Brain and Yell, into the lively rockers Personality Disorder and 15 Again – it’s an invigorating salvo. Although the set leans heavily on the new album the band aren’t precious about playing the songs which made them darlings of the music press in the early 1990s. Self-titled debut album singles The Drowners, Animal Nitrate, So Young and a particularly aggressive Metal Mickey courtesy of Richard Oakes’ blistering guitar are all present and correct.

But there is enough depth in the back catalogue for them to change things up every night. Suede dissolved in 2003 when they were in danger of becoming a burnt-out parody of themselves, but since 2013’s comeback album Bloodsports they have gone from strength to strength. That comeback is represented by It Starts and Ends With You, but it is the only post-reformation track, aside from Autofiction’s, to be played tonight.

Mid-set Anderson perches on the edge of the stage with an acoustic guitar for his regular solo spot. “Are you an ‘obscure’ or a ‘well-known’ crowd? I can’t decide...” he teases before wheeling out a delicate version of the rarely played Oceans from the much maligned pre-hiatus album A New Morning, segueing into the far better known The Wild Ones.

The real gem, however, for the diehards, is the inclusion of The Big Time, originally the B-side to Animal Nitrate. It is played here by just Anderson and Neil Codling on keys and anyone who dares speak is loudly – and rightly – shushed by their fellow audience members. By contrast, the glam-pop singles from prime Britpop-era album Coming Up –Trash, Filmstar and The Beautiful Ones – all evoke mass singalongs.

Music has an incredible power to evoke a time and place and a haunting The 2 of Us takes me right back to the lovelorn teenager who listened to its 1994 parent album Dog Man Star on repeat.

Throughout the show Anderson is a captivating ringleader. Rarely still, shimmying and leaping across the stage, falling to his knees or twirling his microphone, he’s soon soaked with sweat and constantly entreating the packed house to “Come on!” He’s done his homework too – referencing a show at The Pyramids back in 1993 and their 2022 set at Victorious Festival. Vocally he hardly misses a beat even when going walkabout in the crowd or being pawed by the front row. It’s impressive.

Suede’s continued existence is a marvel. It’s even more impressive that they’re fast approaching national treasure status.