Suede are back and the Union Jack is cracked (again) - Suede's 10th album and live in London

I haven’t written for Back In Black(heath) for an age.

I think the last time was May this year. That’s four months. Lazy? Stressed? Busy? Uninspired? All of those things and more. I love writing for the blog, but sometimes it can feel like a chore, so I needed something to kick me back into gear.

Three things have given me the kick up the arse I needed. First, a brilliant gig happening in parallel with a horrible march of people proclaiming patriotism, concern for women, children and homeless veterans, but most of them just using these concerns to mask hate, violence and racism.

Secondly, Mrs JO’B wrote an excellent post about this on LinkedIn that made me feel I needed to write something more here to (thanks for the encouragement Mrs JO’B).

And finally, Paul Simonon, bass player in The Clash, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Gorillaz, Galen & Paul, and probably Britain’s coolest man, appeared to me in a dream. He looked at my Back In Black(heath) tattoo and told me to write again, pointing at it, saying there is no point having this if I don’t keep the blog alive. Thanks Paul! He also complimented my new Fred Perry bomber jacket (it is rather cool) and told me to lose weight. I’ll start with the writing, but will look at getting back on a diet. If Paul Simonon is giving me advice (even if it's just in my dreams), I’d be a fool to ignore it…

So here we go, my first piece in several months…

Suede at the Royal festival Hall, 13th September 2025

I have now seen Suede ten times, and they have featured on Back In Black(heath) three times in their own right, plus I've referenced them in several pieces. I have seen over a thousand gigs and they are one of only ten bands I have seen ten times or more (along with Marillion, Morrissey, Manic Street Preachers, Elbow, James, New Order, The Blue Aeroplanes, The Wedding Present and Ride). And yes, you did read that correctly, Marillion. It's a long story - you can read it here...Love At First Sight - My First Marillion Gig.

Suede are also touring their tenth album and it’s GREAT. Antidepressants is their fifth since they came back in 2009, and it’s the second in a row ploughing a great, post-punk vibe rather than their previous grandeur and glam. Antidepressants kills again, with the feel and sound of Joy Division, Magazine, Killing Joke, The Chameleons and more – the Bowie / Smiths vibe is long departed. But it’s still resolutely Suede.

Standouts are Disintegrate, which really does sound like a slowed down Killing Joke, all pounding tribal drums and a riff that sets the tone for the rest of the tracks – 80s post punk at its finest. Dancing With The Europeans could almost be a less rockist version of The Cult, whilst title track Antidepressants is The Chameleons. It’s very much Richard Oakes’ album in terms of the music vibe, as was Autofiction, Antidepressants’ predecessor. Punk and post punk, the music that inspired him. Sweet Kid is lovely, inspired by Brett’s relationship with his son and how this changes. It’s the most Britpop sounding track here, a slight Shed Seven vibe.

Closer Life Is Endless, Life Is A Moment is your standard Suede epic, but again I can hear The Cure in its slow momentum and grand build up. As tenth albums go, it’s a cracker.

As I listened, I thought there can’t be many bands still knocking out brilliant albums, ten in to a 35+ year career (if you ignore their sabbatical). But, there are a few:

·      Music Complete by New Order

·      All That You Leave Behind by U2

·      Station To Station by David Bowie

·      The White Album by The Beatles

·      Exile On Main Street – The Rolling Stones

·      You Cross My Path – The Charlatans

·      New Adventures In Hi-Fi by R.E.M.

·      I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin

·     Yes by Pet Shop Boys

But there are plenty of bands that have never made it that far, such as Blur, Oasis, Pulp, even The Wedding Present (well technically…). And some have and probably never should have bothered. Take a bow Morrissey (World Peace Is None of Your Business), Prince (Lovesexy), Depeche Mode (Exciter), Duran Duran (Pop Trash) – all weak as piss efforts…

Then there is the Suede gig, the first of four events at the Southbank Centre, in the heart of Waterloo (of Sunset fame). We are in the main theatre in the Royal Festival Hall, a jam-packed event, sold out and full of excited Suede fans, along with the more casual observers. The gig is astonishing. Eight songs from the new album, four from 2022’s Autofiction, and four more from the releases since they reformed – 16 out of 23 tracks from post 2010, this is not a nostalgia gig.

There are hits for the casual fans, not so familiar with the new stuff – Trash, Beautiful Ones, Animal Nitrate, Metal Mickey, So Young, but also obscure b-sides, such as Crackhead making its live debut after release in the late 90s. This is a brave, punchy show. I get quite emotional as they play She Still Leads Me On from Autofiction, Brett's ode to his late mother.

Suede at the Royal festival Hall, 13th September 2025

As Brett sings “I wonder if her touch will ever fade?”, I realise I really cannot actually remember how it felt to be held by my mam. It’s been 12 years since she passed, so it’s probably natural. I can’t even remember the sound of her voice, but that’s largely as the poor thing had a tracheotomy and needed a voice box, so the last three years she sounded more like Darth Vader, bless her. The song hit home and got to me (and it takes a lot to get to me, these days). That says a lot about how powerful a band they are now.

But as all these emotions swirled around inside the lovely venue, surrounded by equally splendid people, I worried about venturing back out into the city we love. We had arrived in the afternoon to catch up with our friends, including one I rarely see as he is based in Belfast, his home town. They are splendid company and bring a long a friend who I have not met before and we swap notes and compare our New Order True Faith tattoos.

Suede at the Royal festival Hall, 13th September 2025

But the five of us are uncomfortable. The pub we are sat outside has a lot of people draped in St George flags, having taken part in the largest far right march in God knows how long – certainly in my life time. Does wearing a flag as a cape mean they think they are heroes? They are not.

The marchers make desperate claims that they are patriots, not racist but clearly this does not stand up to much scrutiny. They question an Asian member of staff at the bar about where he is from and why he came to this country. They are not threatening directly, even offering to buy him a pint. But it’s immediately obvious that our table, full of migrants or children of migrants goes unnoticed. We are all white, so they don’t bother us. Are we the “right migrants”? They speak of St George, ignorant that he was Greek, born to a Palestinian mother and a Syrian father. FFS….

As I read reports of the day, I see the marchers claim to be speaking up for women and children (86% of sex crimes in the UK are committed by white men, but they make no mention of this). They speak up for the homeless and in particular, homeless veterans. I do not recall these people ever mentioning them before – both groups deserve way more support, but putting illegal migrants in hotels is not the cause of their problems. And if we put veterans up in temporary hotels, these people would be the first to complain.

They are championing free speech, but worship Trump, who is currently threatening to close down television stations as I type because they have pointed out that whilst it’s awful that Charlie Kirk was assassinated, he was not a good man. He was a racist, homophobic white man, who championed the right for people to bear arms and said that if some people are killed that’s acceptable collateral damage for that freedom. I don’t agree with killing people for what they say, but I don’t agree with removing comedians the right to point out hypocrisy. Free speech is not what these marchers are protecting.

It's hate, racism and nothing more. Yes we have to do more for working class people here, but it seems easier for these idiots to blame migrants than blame weak politicians (left and right wing) and the big tech / big business who exploit them. It’s easier to blame people of colour than perhaps look at their own lives and how they could make this country better.

Suede on the cover of Select, 1993

I reflect that Brett and Suede came to my attention on the front of Select magazine, Brett superimposed over a Union Jack, as Stuart Maconie championed Britpop. Then the Union Jack felt associated with great music, not hate (though Moz gave it a good go in the early 90s). Noel’s Union Jack guitar was cool. Now I would find it alarming.

I can never see Suede championing the flags – “There's a great big crack in the union jack”, as Brett once sang, and the day of the gig, this has never been more true. I have never needed my antidepressants (and Antidepressants) more…

Stay safe, and if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (see link below), x