Suede, Roundhouse, London gig review: Still ahead of the curve

Brett Anderson of Suede during their 15th November gig at the London Roundhouse

(Rex)

Beneath the circus dome of Camden’s Roundhouse, Suede frontman Brett Anderson, circus master, cracks his mic cable like a whip.

Using a gig format that feels utterly original, the entire first half of this scintillating performance debuts the band’s new album Night Thoughts, accompanied by a feature film from music photographer Roger Sargent.

Nightclubs, the man on the bed from 1994 album Dog Man Star’s cover art, a fish tank, the streets of what looks like a typically downcast Swansea; these scenes loom huge and menacing over the band and obscure them altogether as Anderson howls.

Putting the show in showmanship, he drops to his knees for Night Thoughts’ “I Don’t Know How To Reach You” in the first set, then clambers down into the audience to cling to the hands of ecstatic fans during the eternal “Beautiful Ones” and “Trash” in the second: over-the-top behaviour that would appear ridiculous from a less-experienced performer.

Reminding the crowd of just quite how many hits this band have, they bring the night to a close in cyclical fashion with three tracks from their debut album: in with the new, out with the old. After a quarter of a century, Suede are still ahead of the curve.