LOS ANGELES, CA- Britpop nostalgia was in full force this weekend in Los Angeles as Supergrass celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album I Should Coco before a sea of fans at the Hollywood Palladium… many of them expats… with a few even donning Oasis shirts. The band consisting of frontman Gaz Coombes, bassist Mick Quinn, and drummer Danny Goffey walked casually onto the stage at the Palladium Friday night to a fully charged audience and began a show that managed to be both raw and refined in all the right moments. They opened with the first 3 tracks off I Should Coco including the impish “Caught By the Fuzz”, a song about Coombes being arrested at 15 in possession of cannabis. Though nearly 50 years old now, he easily slid back into the reckless mindset of that time from three decades ago, and with a voice that seemed virtually unchanged – bright, biting, and even beautiful. In past gigs on this tour, Supergrass may have played I Should Coco from front to back but this time they decided to mix up the order.
Rather than going straight into their biggest hit “Alright” just yet, they punctuated the evening with different tracks over their catalog. “Late In the Day” from 1997’s In It For the Money and “Mary” from 1999’s self-titled amplified the celebratory atmosphere as fans screamed the “Ay ya ya’s” realizing they’d lucikly be hearing more than just one record. Quinn’s harmonies were tight straight out of the gate and with Rob Coombes on keyboard l, the band proved the passage of time hasn’t even slightly affected their pop punches and firm roots as cult heroes beyond the UK.
They went back into I Should Coco with the jangly “She’s So Loose” and the heavier “Lose it” while Coombes showed off his ever-elastic voice. The 90s party anthem “Alright” got everyone shouting along with a carefree energy reserved only for its jaunty pub-feel thanks to an intentionally out of tune piano. “Strange Ones” was also a crowd favorite, with a brief rhythm shift into an uneasy waltz and back into their rushed observations of weird people buzzing around Oxford.
There was certainly a difference between which songs people let loose to and to which ones they stood at attention for, singing along with every line. Coombes mentioned they’d never played “Sofa Of My Lethargy” on the original tour, so luckily we got to see it this time, also with their technician Toby on guitar. The crowd was asked to sing along and to put up their “lighters” just before they played “Time To Go” – the perfect closer with lyrics, “We’ve had some fun, But now the moment’s come, It’s time to go, Who could ask for more?”
Just when you thought it was the end, Supergrass surprised with “St. Petersburg” from Road To Rouen. With only a little bit of comfortable band banter, it seemed they were having a great time turning up the temperature in the Palladium little by little. After a couple strokes to the guitar, fans could already be heard anticipating the manic, riffy “Richard III” from In It For The Money.
Mutton-chopped and sweaty under his Newsboy cap, Coombes instructed, “Alright LA. Let’s get fuckin’ nutssssssss”. The main set started coming to a close with “Moving” – a song about touring that goes from a subtle acoustic to a completely anthemic chorus, showing off the dynamism of their songwriting as well as Coombe’s vocals. Then, “Grace”, the only track from Life On Other Planets, was arguably one of their most catchy, clappy songs to finish up before the encore.
They returned for the psychedelic “Sun Hits The Sky” and then encouraged the audience to start off “Pumping On Your Stereo” by chanting the cheeky repeat hook before finishing to unhinged applause and then a bow.
Suppergrass were supported by London’s catchy alt-indie-rock six-piece Sports Team.
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LIVE CLIPS
Supergrass Celebrate 30 Years of I Should Coco at the Hollywood Palladium
