Paperjam

Super Furry Animals at Birmingham Acadamy 20/09/2005

Gigs // Jim // 24th September 2005

Is it me? Support bands always seem to do this:

1. Finish a song to a smattering of vaguely appreciative applause.
2. Say “Thank you very much, we are [insert name here] hope you enjoy [insert main act here], this is our last song and its called [insert name of some drawn out overblown eight-minute muso-fest here] and it goes like this"
3. Play a drawn out overblown eight-minute muso-fest

El Goodo do precisely this, scattering the goodwill they had built up with a quirky song about some geezer called Pete and the enthusiastic dancing of the keyboard player.
I have been joined at the Carling Academy by a couple of friends who have asked to only be named as “Mr P” and “Mr W” (due to society’s ongoing refusal to accept their brave lifestyle choices), we all agree that at least the song about Pete was Ok and then work out the lager:piss ratio that should enable us to be in place for the majority of the main event.

A short while later a film starts showing the SFA one by one climbing aboard some sort of customised golf buggy and careering around in a crazy manner. Then the theme tune to the A Team kicks in and the band take to the stage in the afore-mentioned buggy, clambering out to launch into an enthusiastic opening of The International Language of Screaming.

Then its time to blast off into a tour of the new album Love Kraft, starting with an ecstatic Zoom and allowing for a few vocal changes as they work through the likes of Atomik Lust, The Horn and a helpfully explained Ohio Heat.
At this point things are incredibly chilled out, all that is missing is a sofa and alcoholic accoutrements, the laid back vibe is enhanced by an airing of my current favourite Frequency and the slow burning charms of Run Christian Run and Hello Sunshine.
I am absolutely loving it but the same cannot be said for all of the audience, a bunch of stern looking blokes with trendy t-shirts and soon to be extinct haircuts are looking distinctly miffed. “Mr W” later reports that there was some angry punter moaning in the gents after about half an hour to the effect “Has anyone seen the Super Furry Animals? Because THEY HAVEN’T TURNED UP!”.

After about 45 minutes the band troop off, only to triumphantly return to the opening techno strains of Slow Life, this signals the start of the second half of the show, which in a yin/yang-esque turn about is a lively affair where the world class SFA back catalogue is plundered to give the crowd something to jump around to. A whole bundle of hits/favourites are belted through, including (as I recall):
Something for the weekend
Receptacle for the respectable
Ice Hockey Hair
Do or Die
Juxtaposed with U
Rings around the world

SFA: World class, buggy

All of which totally fails to get the stern area of the crowd we are stood in going at all. Disgusted glares meet any attempt to look like you are having a good time, which is a shame, but at least the people down the front are going crazy and throwing each other about. The band seem to be up for it too, displaying a showmanship and sense of humour which I have been previously led to believe was absent from the SFA live experience.

As things draw to a close the voice of Bill Hicks fills the Carling academy, denouncing all governments as liars and murderers while the faces of Bush and Blair are projected above the cheering crowd. This is of course the signal for the ultimate encore/set closer; the epic, full strength, version of The Man Don’t Give A Fuck. Fantastic. Even the stern looking geezers manage to get into things a bit. Being in the middle of a bunch of people repeatedly shouting “You know they don’t give a fuck about anybody else” over and over is a strangely up-lifting experience.

As TMDGAF segues into a big techno workout some extremely dubious dancing breaks out, the band leave and the big screen starts to show 70s style closing credits which is a nice touch. We leg it to get the train and my post gig "wasn't that ace?" ranting, but there is always time to buy a dodgy £5 t-shirt off some scally outside.

Despite being a big fan I’d never got round to seeing SFA previously, I am now fairly ashamed and would whole-heartedly recommend going along if you get the chance on their current tour.

Super Furry links...

SuperFurry.com

The main SFA site, with all that you would expect

Gigs at the Carling Academy

Listing of what is coming up at the academy in Brum

El Goodo album review

From the BBC Wales web site