REVIEW: The Tears at The Astoria on 16 Feb
It's easy to forgot that The Tears are still a very new band.
They really haven't had much time playing together; this is only their sixth gig and yet some fans and critics seem to be expecting Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler to pull a sequel to 'Dog Man Star' straight out of a hat. Suede were always a fantastic live band and much of this was due to Anderson's electrifying presence as a frontman. At the Tears second gig in December he was much more subdued, he seemed to be concentrating on simply playing the songs, but tonight he is more relaxed and his performance is much more physical. The interplay between him and Butler is fascinating to watch as they both compete for the audience's attention. Bernard wiggles his rear, shakes his thick mop of hair and continually sidles up to Brett in a surprisingly suggestive manner. And naturally Butler takes every opportunity to show boat outrageously with his guitar. Hearing Bernard's playing on 'The Primitive' and 'Brand New Century' tonight I realise how much I've missed his particularly visceral sounding guitar.
Anderson and Butler haven't lost the ability to write killer tunes; on second listen 'Apollo 13' is indelibly etched on my brain. Also impressive are the two ballads 'Love As Strong As
Death' and 'The Ghost of You' which top and tail the evening during which Brett's voice is as strong as ever. When Anderson announced that Suede were splitting up he said he needed to get his demon back. It looks as if he's found his demon, and quite possibly he's called Bernard. JW