As musicians and artists find themselves adapting to the unconventional times we find ourselves in, it’s nice to see innovation around every corner. Frank Turner held live streams at his home, Ian Prowse held weekly lockdown shows, Jarvis Cocker held a concert in a cave, and now, Supergrass join this prestigious list of innovative musicians looking to bring cheer in stressful times. The Britpop troupe bring us a cosy set helmed by Goose Island. A fifty-minute set brings us the band in an intimate, VR setting. Perhaps this is the future of concert performances, and if it is, Supergrass have certainly set a benchmark for the success to be had.
Opening with Caught by the Fuzz, Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn, Danny Goffey and Rob Coombes set off the intimate evening with a bang. Energetic, well-performed and still holding onto the fast-paced fury of the original recording, Coombes and company present a tight set of their greatest hits. They adapt to the lack of audience instantaneously, poking fun at the lack of audience and the surrealness of it all with the charm you’d expect from such a venue. Outside of the bombastic opening, clear highlights are Mary, Moving, Pumping on the Stereo, and a rare, but much-needed outing of Alright. Slick guitar riffs, energetic outings that stick to the leniency of their impressive studio recordings.
The band don’t put a foot wrong in what I would argue is a superb example of adapting to new environments and offering up new presentations of live music. Bands often feed off of the energy presented by audiences, but with such a removal, it’s nice to see that Supergrass can still put on a superb show. This lack of energy also provides a lack of distraction, rattling off more songs than anyone streaming the show could have expected. Cramming the highlights of their entire discography into fifty minutes is no small feat, but they manage it with a passion they bring to all of their other live performances. Undeterred by the barriers of live streaming, they put on a great show on the whole. Short, sweet, a shot of adrenalin for everyone involved.
Visual trickery or intricacies aren’t necessary here, with Supergrass performing well above par, coming together to once more demonstrate the overwhelming reliability of their age-old classics. The ability to spin around the room in full 360 is a marvellous addition. A set in support of the Calm charity creates a set that does the world a bit of good, and also provides a riotous embrace of the quasi-gig environment.
