Nobody told the nearly 2,000 people at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater that Supergrass was never quite as big in North America as it was in the original UK After nearly a decade of separation and reform in 2019, pop/rock is being re-ignited The copious looks that are unique, and that never went away. The group was scheduled to perform in a few stops in the US in April 2020, which, for obvious reasons, had to be postponed. The upside to this has been the growing anticipation of Wiltern’s much-anticipated presentation.
Considering how many other shows were taking place in Los Angeles that evening, not the least of which was Paul McCartney’s “come back” tour at SoFi Stadium, the full turnout dedicated to Supergrass was even more impressive. And the group’s “not-so-secret” show at No Vacancy in Hollywood the night before didn’t take anything away from Wiltern’s official tour date, with one of only three scheduled stops, the other two being at Brooklyn Steel and Webster Hall.
Ironically, Supergrass referred to her entry with “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.” They started with the title song from their second album, The Slow Builder “In It for the Money”. The vocalist/guitarist Gas Combs has been clear and flawless, and there is no sign of atrophy since a quarter of a century ago this album was released. Fast-forward to 2008 with the powerful single “Diamond Hoo Ha Man,” then back to the late ’90s with the quirky nursery cadence of “Mary” and the multi-tempo “Moving” from the self-titled third album.
The song list was a career retrospective, covering Supergrass’ six albums, picking out their best of rich material. No matter how many birthdays they have, Supergrass is always associated with youth and vitality. Their songs haven’t lost any of their mystical excitement over time. And Supergrass’ association with a glut of Britpop bands from their birth, most of whom have not made an impact on the American consciousness, also has no bearing on their music, which boasts admirable immortality.
The way Combs, guitarist Mick Quinn, drummer Danny Joffe, and keyboardist Rob Combs (Jazz brother) approach each other is so tight, their music is so superior, and their vocals are more complex than they might seem on the surface, it’s a true artistic performance experience. At one point Jazz commented on the band, “You play so fast, silly because we’re so excited to see you,” and that at this point in musical time, he realized it was unusual to play all the live instruments on stage.” No hiccups At the receiving end, however, with the crowd, made up mainly of GenX men, albeit with generous sprays of women, waving, screaming and singing.
The simple stage setting with just colored lights sweeping the venue kept the focus on the group’s performance, which is really the one thing Supergrass needs to deliver. The banter of the songs between the songs was natural and luxurious. In contrast, Covey’s contribution was unnecessary as his banter fell steadily. Fortunately, there was plenty of music accessible from the rhythm of “Richard III” to the swing of “Out”.
When 50 minutes passed, they had a short break that was taped to their song “Coffee in the Pot,” allowing the audience to catch their breath. By the time Supergrass hit “Okay” from their 1995 debut album, “I Should Coco,” audiences were ready to answer the words in the band. And when he ordered a jazz “sing it!” At the beginning of “The Sun Hitting the Sky”, everyone was happy to oblige.
It’s a particularly special moment on any Supergrass show when the group performs “Lenny.” The underweight song has a lot of sting and improves the group as much as it does their audience, which is partly why they had to leave it at the end of the group. Quinn walked off the stage at the end of the song, not realizing that they weren’t finished yet. The rest of the group called him again for “Pumping on the Stereo”, which the audience heralded with the accompaniment of rhythmic applause.
After this was the real gap before the appearance, which was short-lived as the deafening noise of the audience immediately demanded more. Supergrass returned to the stage with racy Strange Ones and finished off with their beloved debut single, “Caught by the Fuzz,” a tale of grotesque teenage behaviors that still epitomizes energy and enthusiasm nearly three decades after its release—only matched by assembled believers backed by Their love for the band and two years of waiting away from the pandemic.
Make the list:
“It’s for the money”
“I want to know”
“Diamond Hoo Ha Man”
“Marie”
“Moving”
“It’s too loose.”
“Mansis Rooster”
“late in the day”
“Richard III”
“Out”
[“Coffee in the Pot”]
St. Petersburg
“I saw the light”
“Beauty”
“Fine”
“The sun hits the sky”
“Lenny”
Pump your stereo
Encore:
“strange”
“caught by fuzz”
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