GIG REVIEW: Suede & the Manic Street Preachers at Alexandra Park

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Thursday 18 July 2024, co-headline tour runs until 19 July 2024. Suede booking until 23 August 2024. Tickets Manics booking until 24 August 2024 Tickets

SETLIST: Manics: You Love Us; Everything Must Go; Motorcycle Emptiness; This Is Yesterday; You Stole The Sun From My Heart; To Repel Ghosts; Little Baby Nothing; Your Love Alone Is Not Enough; Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier; A Design For Life; La Tristessea Durera; Walk Me To the Bridge; Kevin Carter; Orwellian; From Despair To Where; No Surface All Feeling; If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Suede: Turn Off Your Brain And Yell; Trash; Animal Nitrate; The Drowners; We Are The Pigs; The Only Way I Can Love You; Still Life; New Generation; Film Star; Antidepressants; Saturday Night; She Still Leads Me On; Shadow Self; The Wild Ones; So Young; Metal Mickey; The Beautiful Ones

The concept of a two-for-one deal is well understood and tonight a couple of bands who rose to UK chart-topping fame in the 90s each complete 17-song sets.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was a winning combination in a beautiful location with a bargain gig to ease the cost of living
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for July starring Dame Imelda Staunton in Hello Dolly!

  1. Dame Imelda Staunton in Hello Dolly! at the Palladium

Staunton won our Best Theatre Actress monsta for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2017 and here stars at the London Palladium in the titular role in this classic 1964 musical about a matchmaker who travels to New York. The starry cast includes Jenna Russell (STEVE, Seven Dials Playhouse), Tyrone Huntley (The View UpStairs, Soho Theatre) and Harry Hepple (Boy Meets Girl Q&A, BFI). Runs 6 July through 14 September 2024. Tickets Our 1st preview review

  • Read on for reasons including Suede and Manic St Preachers at Ally Pally, Cherry Jones at the National & Madness on Blackheath
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AWARDS: Winners of the 2022 monstas are …

monstagigz readers have been voting throughout November and December for their favourite pop, theatre, TV, film and podcasts of 2022 from our shortlists. Read on for details of our 2022 monstas winners …

  • Read on for reasons including the winners of our 16 monstas for the best pop, theatre, film, TV and podcasts of 2022
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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Song of 2022

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2022? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our 8th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2022.

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AWARDS SHORTLIST: MONSTAS: Best Album of 2022

It’s been quite the year, it’s almost Christmas and what would the festive season be without some recognition of the best of 2022? Over the next month we’ll shortlist five nominees in each of 16 categories for our 8th annual Oscars, or monstas if you will, of 2022.

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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Autofiction by Suede (September 2022) and GIG REVIEW: Suede at PRYZM

WORTH A LOOK?: *****/****

WHEN?: Thursday 15 September 2022, touring until 25 March 2023

TRACKLIST: She Still Leads Me On; Personality Disorder; 15 Again; The Only Way I Can Love You; That Boy On The Stage; Drive Myself Home; Black Ice; Shadow Self; It’s Always The Quiet Ones; What Am I Without You?; Turn Off Your Brain And Yell

SETLIST: She Still Leads Me On; Personality Disorder; 15 Again; That Boy On The Stage; I Don’t Know How To Reach You; Black Ice; Shadow Self; What Am I Without You?; Sabotage; Outsiders; It Starts And Ends With You; Turn Off Your Brain And Yell; Life Is Golden

It’s the night before Suede release their 9th studio album Autofiction and the run-up to it could have not been more perfect if more than a little rough around the edges – although that, of course, is the point.

  • Read on for reasons including why Autofiction is exactly the sort of album Kate Bush would make if she was wanting to go punk
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SONG OF THE MONTH: That Boy On The Stage by Suede (September 2022)

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

Think How Soon Is Now guitars by The Smiths and a shuffling drumbeat like Sit Down by James topped by a high-pitched vocal that is very Brett Anderson and you’re halfway there.

  • Read on for reasons including why new Suede album Autofiction is shaping up to be 1 of 2022’s best
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GIG REVIEW: Victorious Festival at Southsea Common starring Katherine Ryan, Metronomy and Sophie Ellis Bextor (day 3)

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Sunday 28 August 2022

So this year, the line up wasn’t totally to my liking but the introduction of the huge names to the comedy tent really piqued my interest.

  • Read on for reasons including Metronomy, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Suede
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GIG REVIEW: Victorious Festival at Southsea Common starring Suede, Little Boots, Metronomy, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Sam Ryder & Example (day 3)

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN?: Sunday 28 August 2022

Lean, mean and urging the audience to join in, Suede frontman Brett Anderson seems absolutely on fire during this main Common Stage slot as the sun sinks on a gorgeous day on Southsea seafront.

  • Read on for reasons including how Little Boots apologised for her bangers on the Acoustic Stage
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9 reasons why we can’t wait for September 2022 starring Suede

  1. Suede live and new album Autofiction

Suede may have reformed in 2010 but they’ve never mattered to us in the same way as they did when we 1st saw them at Portsmouth Pyramids in 1993 – until now. Singles She Still Leads Me On and 15 Again show a flair and consistency we’ve not seen this century. New album Autofiction is released 16 September and we see them the night before at a special gig at PRYZM, Kingston. Tickets

  • Read on for reasons including The P Word, The Band’s Visit, Eureka Day and Self Esteem
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