Brett Anderson, Shepherd's Bush Empire 09-05

I went to see Mr Anderson at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Wednesday.

Here's a fair review from the Independet paper.

It was a good show but I think it was better at Bush Hall in March because his vocals were strained this time around. It was the last show of the tour.

In a bizarre (as in Andreea standing me up at the last minute) twist of events I ended up spending the evening with Conn, Indie Gareth and his mate Andy.

Brett was his usual self. He danced around, sometimes badly, even to the slow song. He seems to have so much energy sometimes I think he will go up in flames. He had his sense of humour with him, too. "Don't think I don't get the irony of this song" he said before launching into the suede classic "So Young" (Brett will be 40 this year)

He did an empassioned "Song for My Father" that was exceptionally moving. I also enjoyed "The Infinite Kiss" ("A song about fucking" according to the man himself)and the strings for the haunting "To The Winter" have been stuck in my head since the show!

At some point I spotted my friend Ian just about jumping off the balcony like Tigger on crack. It was nearly as good a show as watching Brett!

Brett seemed most contented and genuine when he performed an accoustic "The Wild Ones", with a happy little smile on his face. The audience lapped it up.

The audience seemed to have a lot of love for him, and respect for his solo material but it was only when he launched into the suede classics that the place went truly haywire. I particularly enjoyed Can't Get Enough and Trash for dancing aroung to. Still, it was not as mental is it had been during the suede years...but, after all, it's not just Brett who isn't so young these days.

They recorded the show and I hope to be getting my CD in the post this week. Let's see how it sounds!

Set List:

to the winter
love is dead
one lazy morning
dust and rain
intimacy
back to you
by the sea
colour of the night
scorpio rising
infinite kiss
song for my father
ebony acoustic
big time acoustic
so young acoustic
wild ones acoustic

encores:
can't get enough
trash
beautiful ones