Live: Gaz Coombes @ The Forum

by | Oct 12, 2015

Gaz Coombes @ The Forum

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

In the mid 90’s it was hard to ignore Supergrass.  They were everywhere from TFI Friday to TV adverts, and constantly on Radio 1, and underpinning it all was Alright, their worldwide hit from their debut album which introduced their killer sideburns and cheeky chappy tunes.  But those who stuck with the band got to know a much more complex side to their music, especially on later albums like In It For The Money and Road To Rouen.  However, the radio stations steadfastly stuck with Alright as being their only noteworthy tune.  So when the band finally went their separate ways in 2010, it gave their frontman Gaz Coombes the ideal opportunity to plough a different and more interesting musical furrow.

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

So anyone who bought tickets expecting a bunch of old Supergrass hits at The Forum tonight would have been severely disappointed.  Instead we were treated to a set of tunes that not only showed Gaz as a talented and varied musician, but also as a composer of some of the most inventive tunes on the music scene, moving effortlessly from simple guitar based love songs to huge soaring multi-layered anthems.

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Although there’s a few numbers from his first album, tonight’s setlist is mostly comprised of songs from his second album Matador.  Coming on in complete darkness he opens with the mid-paced and moody Needles Eye which provides a sombre opening, before moving straight into Sub-Divider from his first album.  However, things start to really ramp up once he gets behind his trusty Waldorf piano which gives songs like Buffalo a real focus and a different dimension from the album’s version.  It’s this transposition from the album to the live version which is the revelation for me tonight; songs which passed me by on the albums have a different feeling live and take on a new poignancy and have new layers revealed.  One of These Days suddenly sounds like it was created by M83 at the start before moving to a complex interaction between drum rim patterns and percussion. Similarly, To The Wire becomes a huge soundscape that deserves to be a lot longer than it is, with a time signature that completely messes with your head.  Throughout all this, Gaz flits between piano, acoustic guitar and electric guitar with hardly a blink, all supported by a backing band and choir of 3 “angels” placed to give him the space to be the focus of attention and feed on the energy of the crowd.

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

“This is the song I can’t get out of my head” shouts the woman to my left as soon as the opening chords of Girl Who Fell to Earth chime out, and it’s certainly one of the crowds favourites, as is 20/20 with its quirky Beach Boys-esque introduction and haunting melodies.  This is easily my favourite track on Matador, and it would have been a great set closer, but instead this is reserved for Hot Fruit from his first album which gives an urgent, fast paced ending to events.

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

Gaz Coombes plays a set of his outstanding solo material to a packed house at The Forum in London (Andy Sampson)

So ended a fantastic evening of complex layered songs, none of them sounding like the other, and which proved there is still some music out there which can’t be pigeonholed into a category, or which follows a set formula of verse-chorus and middle 8 solo.  My only disappointment was the lack of banter between songs as Gaz seemed a modest and thoroughly endearing bloke, but this is a minor gripe.  If you’ve got a ticket for any of the dates on the rest of his tour you’re in for a treat.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G000043jVXIFDUmg” g_name=”Gaz-Coombes” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Review and Photography by Andy Sampson. And has his own great website right here: http://www.soundritualphotos.co.uk

Gaz Coombes at The Forum 9th October 2015.

 

 

 

Green Day @ Download Festival XXII - Friday (Sarah Louise Bennett)

Punk, Pop, and Pyro: Day One Of Download Festival XXII Ignites Donington Park

75,000 fans descend on Donington Park for Download Festival XXII, and as the sun drenches the hallowed grounds, we’re here to see what goes down. Let’s dive into it.

Megan Moroney (Cece Dawson)

Megan Moroney Delivers The Breakup Anthem Of The Summer With Fiery New Single ‘6 Months Later’

After weeks of building buzz across social media and on stage, country music powerhouse Megan Moroney has officially released her latest single, 6 Months Later. A fierce, tongue-in-cheek breakup anthem drenched in sass and soul, the track is poised to become the soundtrack of the summer — an unmissable moment from one of country’s most electrifying rising stars.

KillerStar @ 100 CLUB (Briony Graham-Rudd)

KillerStar Unleash Live Version Of Glam-Rock Classic ‘Children Of The Revolution’ From Sold-Out 100 Club

KillerStar, the critically acclaimed outfit led by vocalist and guitarist Robert Fleming, have released a storming live rendition of T-Rex’s glam-rock anthem Children Of The Revolution, recorded during their sold-out shows at London’s legendary 100 Club earlier this year. The release is accompanied by a video capturing the electric energy of those special nights, featuring a band packed with legendary collaborators of the late David Bowie.

Infinite Coles (Reveka Pasternak)

Infinite Coles Unleashes Fearless New Pride Anthem ‘Boots Ballroom C*nt Mix’ Featuring Maleigh Zan & Julz

NYC-born singer, performer, dancer and model Infinite Coles steps out unapologetically proud and powerful this Pride month with the release of the blistering new track Boots Ballroom C*nt Mix, out now via Don’t Sleep/PIAS.

Steve Hackett (David Clay)

Steve Hackett Brings ‘The Lamb’ Roaring Back To Life With Royal Albert Hall Live Release

Progressive rock icon and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has announced the release of The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall, a landmark live recording of his spectacular October 2024 performance at London’s world-famous concert hall. Set to be released on 11th July 2025 via InsideOutMusic, the multi-format audio-visual collection captures a night that paid electrifying homage to one of the most ambitious and influential albums in rock history — Genesis’ 1974 opus The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Blair Davie (Press)

Blair Davie Shares Uplifting New Single ‘Wouldn’t Be Right’

Rising Scottish singer-songwriter Blair Davie has unveiled their newest single Wouldn’t Be Right, an infectious yet tender anthem released today via Giant Music. Fusing upbeat melodies with introspective lyrics, the track builds on Davie’s growing reputation as one of the UK’s most emotionally honest and promising new voices.

Oasis (Simon Emmett)

Oasis Launch Official ‘Live ’25’ Fan Stores Ahead Of Sold-Out World Tour

As Oasis prepare to make their long-awaited return to the stage in 2025, the band has announced a major new addition to the fan experience: a series of official Oasis Live ‘25 Fan Stores set to open across the UK and Ireland, beginning with a flagship location in Manchester this Friday, 20th June.

Cam (Szilveszter Makó)

Cam Announces Intimate London Show & Bold New Album ‘All Things Light’

Following the recent release of her spellbinding single Alchemy, GRAMMY®-winning artist Cam has officially announced her third full-length studio album, All Things Light, due out Friday, 18th July via RCA Records. Alongside the album news, the Huntington Beach, California-hailing musician has also confirmed a special one-off intimate show in London at The Tabernacle on 10th July 2025 — marking her first UK performance since her 2023 Roundhouse appearance.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing