Pop Break Live Manic Street Preachers & London Suede at The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA on November 10, 2022
The ‘90s were alive and well at the Hollywood Palladium last week, and two bands were the catalysts to reawaken that not-so-forgotten decade: Manic Street Preachers and London Suede. Based upon audience reaction alone, there’s a fair argument that Britpop ought to make a comeback to the music scene ASAP – or, perhaps it never actually left.
Making up a double bill and co-headlining tour that makes so much sense that you can’t believe no one had thought of it before, the Manics – who originally hail from Wales and first came onto the music scene in the early 90s – took the stage first. Their set spanned more than an hour and covered a little bit of most albums they’ve released, though gave the most attention to 1992 and 1998’s Generation Terrorists and This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, respectively. “Everything Must Go” livened up the crowd early on, and helped maintain an atmosphere of joy in the nostalgia of it all.
Singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield sounded better than ever, especially on classic songs like “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next” (a song that somehow always feels evergreen) and “You Stole The Sun From My Heart.” Bassist Nicky Wire, donning a sparkly jacket with own name on the back, was spry and springy all night, jumping high on stage during key moments. Drummer Sean Moore was likewise in top form, especially during “La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh).”
Speaking of the aforementioned nostalgia, the Manics found time to throw in two different but delightful covers that they’ve performed before – the first was the theme song from MASH (“Suicide Is Painless”). The dark subject matter but light melodies of the track fit surprisingly well alongside the Manics’ own discography. Later in the set, someone outside might’ve wondered if Slash accidentally wandered onstage as the band jumped into a fun version of Guns n’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” Overall, it was a solid set from a band that has been notoriously underrated in the U.S.
Manic Street Preachers Setlist (via setlist.fm):
Motorcycle Emptiness
Everything Must Go
La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Suicide Is Painless (Theme From MASH — Johnny Mandel cover)
Autumnsong
Slash ‘n’ Burn
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Walk Me to the Bridge
Ocean Spray
Sweet Child o’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses cover)
The Everlasting
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
You Love Us
A Design for Life
If there were any lingering doubts in the Hollywood Palladium that Britpop wasn’t the true highlight of the 90s, those doubts were definitely silenced the moment (London) Suede took the stage. Led by singer Brett Anderson, the band tore through over an hour of high-energy pop hits, starting with “This Hollywood Life.” By the time the band played the classic hit “The Drowners” only a few songs into the set, Anderson had leapt into the crowd, grabbed people’s hands and faces, crawled across the stage, and put on a real show for both the audience and the photographers working in the pit. Of course a frontman that had always found inspiration in flashy artists like David Bowie and Morrissey knew how to use a bit of swagger to keep energy high. And Anderson’s dedication to the performance made a great argument for him being one of the greatest frontmen of the last 30 years.
Differing a bit from Manic Street Preachers, Suede favored playing a good chunk of newer material, focusing on their newest record Autofiction, which came out earlier this year. A casual spectator in the audience might not even know which songs were brand new and which were classics from over two decades ago because most of the crowd seemed to know every word of each song that was played. “Personality Disorder” and “She Leads Me On” both stood out as memorable performances despite being released decades apart; Anderson’s passionate vocals and unbridled physicality made every moment meaningful and weighty. And even when he sang “The Wild Ones,” which featured him alone on acoustic guitar, the stripped-back approach felt beautiful and poignant; you could hear every voice in the venue join him for a sweet singalong.
Despite the nice attention given to their most recent release, Suede were certainly favorable to the fan-favorite album we all know and love: Dog Man Star. “We Are The Pigs,” which started with a unique new intro, and “Killing of a Flash Boy” were instant teleporters, bringing the crowd back to the mid-90s in the best way possible while proving that the band has definitely still got it. Closing the show with instant earworm classic “Beautiful Ones” was the picture-perfect finish to an unforgettable night.
After the show, the air at the Palladium was buzzing with joy and elation, and it seemed impossible not to think about all the bands from this era of music that are still out there making great songs. With news that Pulp are touring next year, and the Gallagher brothers of Oasis still making music (albeit quite separately), it really makes you wonder if Britpop can ever find its revival in the 2020’s of music. If it does, I hope I’m first in line to witness it.
(London) Suede Setlist (via setlist.fm)
This Hollywood Life
Personality Disorder
The Drowners
Animal Nitrate
Trash
It Starts and Ends With You
The 2 of Us
She Still Leads Me On
Shadow Self
We Are the Pigs
Turn Off Your Brain and Yell
Killing of a Flashboy
The Wild Ones
Can’t Get Enough
Metal Mickey
Beautiful Ones
 Suede at The Palladium in Los Angeles on November 10, 2022.){kind=link}
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