SFA Ok? No, They Are Far Better Than That.
The Super Furry Animals have always been a band who cared about presentation as much as the music, and their latest tour intro deserves to be seen by a far bigger audience than it is likely to.
As the big screen showed the band in their space age glow-in-the-dark suits, cavorting around on a golf buggy to the strains of repetitive (yet infectious) dance music and the A-Team tune, the Barrowlands crowd was in raptures before the band had appeared. Their arrival quickly followed with the same golf buggy driving onto the stage and the scene was set for what was hoped to be a fantastic night. Of course, being the Super Furry Animals, there was a power cut within ten seconds of the opening track but once this was resolved, the set was of epic proportions.
The first half of the set focussed mainly on material from the recent 'Love Kraft' album. This can often be a cause for concern for fans and although the new material is slower and softer than some of the previous efforts, there are still enough gems for it to be highly enjoyable. 'Zoom' and 'Atomic Lust' came across extremely well and showcased a different side to what the Furries may be known for. Previous melodic songs like 'Hello Sunshine' join the new album tracks and round out the opening part very well.
One of the reasons the Furries have maintained a strong fanbase over their years is the varied output and genre crossing and this was to become apparent in the rest of their set.
When the band re-emerges, it's with 'Slowlife' and the mood of the night turns as the tempo goes up a few gears and the crowd can start dancing and jumping along. The sound quality was excellent with the varying instruments and effects sounding impressive. 'Juxtapozed With U' benefited greatly as its vocoder-like vocals filled the venue and made it near impossible to sing along with.
With songs like 'Ice Hockey Hair', 'Something For The Weekend', 'Do Or Die', and 'Receptacle For The Respectable', amongst others, there was barely time to draw breath as classic song followed classic song. Nostalgia may be an easy option in music but when a bands back catalogue is as impressive as The Furries, there can be no complaints about such a hit-laden evening.
The set-closer of 'The Man Don't Give A Fuck' follows its regular pattern of sing-along favourite merging into a techno floor filler but if it no longer holds any surprises for the audience, its impact is not lessened any. There are very few bands that could combine so many genres into the same set, let alone the way the Super Furry Animals manage it in one song. As the credits rolled on the big screen and the lights came up, the crowd were still dancing away and showed no indication of leaving soon.
For a band who appear to be getting less press and praise with every passing album, the Super Furry Animals still manage to turn in shows that are as close to gig perfection as anyone would wish, or hope, to see.