ARCHIVE GIG – Supergrass, 22-20’s @ Conference Centre, Llandudno

Supergrass-001
CRUDCREW: ANDY FATMAN, MRS. FATMAN & AGENT APPLE

I’m straight outta re-hab, trying to dry out, (massive weight gain, gotta take up smoking – Hey, apparently it’s better for you).

We were going to travel down on the (Supergrass fashion) Raleigh Chopper, (but as the warning says, the seat isn’t suitable for more than one passenger- especially one so fat!). So the Fatmobile, dually summoned, (picking up a vagrant/fragrant Danny Crud, on the way), pulls into the quaint Victorian seaside town.

With a Crudcrew Dublin Cruise on the cards tomorrow, (&, of course the new me” taking each day as it comes” regime), tonight starts with a shout to the bar to Carl Gintis…he hides…again.

The hall looks only 2 thirds full (sold out, my arse), the very V Festival looking crowd talk amongst themselves, while their mate orders 15 pints of Luke warm piss / Pimms (I’m not bitter…Who me?)…. Ha, Ha…they’ve just ran out of lager…

The Cathy Davey support ‘no show’ has Agent Apple reeling, and he wants to go home!

Onstage, 22-20’s quickly changed his mind… they open strong, with a mixture of N.Y.C. sleaze, & home-grown melodic dirge, drawing various reactions (&) comparisons to MC5, 80’s Matchbox & at times The Stooges, albeit a crisper sound (in this venue, THAT works wonders).
It’s suggested that, normally you have to ‘endure’ the support, whilst readying yourself for the main act…

I offer 2 exceptions, Medium 21, supporting T.C.T.C. in London & My Morning Jacket, supporting Doves in this here barn. But these people have no problem filling the space with a great sound…

Elise Lowri Fatman had begged to come with us tonight…

………She first heard Supergrass in the womb, when, Dawn (Mrs Fatman) was 8 months pregnant in Manchester Academy…”When you are older, Elise….”. Now aged four, she came right back with “I don’t want to get bigger, I have fun now”.

Summing up Supergrass, better than this review will ever do.

Yes, it’s a “hits tour”, so what… with a couple plum new tracks we’re invited into their world, when everyone/anyone in the music press wrote them off as “Britpop’s very own Monkees”, some of us were getting the point…

With a backdrop of altered images, cut with live footage, the humour shines… but this is no comedy act, 10 years on (I know, can you believe it?), they ply their trade well…

(andy fatman)