aaamusic | On 11, Jun 2010

Supergrass played their last ever UK in London yesterday night (June 10).

The band, who announced they are splitting after this tour, played their penultimate date, and their last on home shores, at the O2 Academy Brixton in front of an emotional yet celebratory crowd.

Fitting the occasion, the group performed a set that spanned their career, though quirkily cycled backwards from their recent releases to their Britpop debut ‘I Should Coco’.

Having warmed the crowd up with the old public service films they co-opted on their tours in the late 1990s, including the infamous cartoon cat “Charlie” who was immortalised by The Prodigy single, they screened a video montage tracking the band’s recent recording, as they took to the stage to kick off with ‘Diamond Hoo Ha Man’.

“Well hello there, how you doing tonight, we’re so glad you could come tonight, it’s the last time Supergrass play in the UK,” frontman Gaz Coombes declared ahead of ‘Rebel In You’ to a chorus of joke boos. “This is for you guys, to say thanks. I hope we can go out on a high.”

The band then briefly left the stage, screening another video montage tracking their trip to Rouen for the recording of their penultimate album ‘Road To Rouen’ before they returned to play tracks from that era, confirming the reverse order pattern for the night.

‘Life On Other Planets’ followed next, again heralded by studio footage, as the band played the likes of ‘Brecon Beacons’ and ‘Funniest Thing’ representing that record.

Predictably though it was the band’s first three albums that drew the loudest response from the sold out crowd as the gig moved towards its climax.

‘Moving’ from the self-titled or “X-Ray” album triggered the first big sing-a-long, while ‘Pumping On Your Stereo’ had the London crowd bouncing around.

The selection from ‘In For The Money’ cranked things up yet another notch, as the band recreated the albums opening with the title track and ‘Richard III’ coming back to back.

With ‘Sun Hits The Sky’ following, the stage was set for the ultimate farewell and the ‘I Should Coco’ tracks did not disappoint the crowd.

‘She’s So Loose’ provided a calm opening to the segment, but with ‘Mansized Rooster’, ‘Strange Ones’ and ‘Lenny’ – played by the original trio, having been joined by the Coombes brothers for the rest of the gig on keys and guitars – things quickly got heated.

Leaving the stage briefly, Supergrass were soon back for an encore.

“It’s been a pretty fucking mental 17 years, or so, thanks for coming tonight,” declared Gaz Coombes ahead of the now rarely played ‘Alright’ before ending the show on the band’s first ever single ‘Caught By The Fuzz’, again as just the trio.

They played:

‘Diamond Hoo Ha Man’
‘Bad Blood’
‘Outside’
‘Rebel In You’
‘Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4,5 & 6)’
‘St Petersburg’
‘Fin’
‘Kiss Of Life’
‘Brecon Beacons
‘Rush Hour Soul’
‘Funniest Thing’
‘Grace’
‘Moving’
‘Mary’
‘Eon’
‘Pumping On Your Stereo’
‘In It For The Money’
‘Richard III’
‘Late In The Day’
‘Sun Hits The Sky’
‘She’s So Loose’
‘Mansized Rooster’
‘Strange Ones’
‘Lenny’
‘Alright’
‘Caught By The Fuzz’

The band’s final ever show is now set to take place tomorrow night (June 11) at Paris‘ La Cigalle.

Drummer Danny Goffey is then going to join Babyshambles for their forthcoming live dates to fill in for Adam Ficek who recently left Pete Doherty’s band.