Shepherd's Bush is our Playground

I saw Brett Anderson play Bush Hall yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Brett was excellent, but then I would say that. I'd probably be impressed if he played a set of Kraftwerk covers on a banjo. Luckily for everyone, apart from banjo/Kraftwerk fans, he played his forthcoming album, along with seven Suede songs which were rapturously received. Brett still looks good. He dresses quite soberly now, but always stylishly, and looks less a pop star than he used to but he would still exude more stage prescence than most of the idiots that pass as front men these days if he were dressed in a smock. He's also realised that it's not a good idea to be too precious about his new material. He knows most people are there because of Suede and so Suede songs he shall play.

My recollection of the evening is tempered by my having been quite drunk. I was in a foul mood when I arrived in Shepherd's Bush as the journey that should have taken me 30 minutes actually took 3 times that since there was a problem with the trains. So I decided, as one does, that drinking quickly was a good idea.

It turns out that I was right, as usual. The pub we (me, Kerri, Alex) were in is one of the few in the country that sells Brother's Pear Cider and so we had a few of those in order to affect some Glastonbury nostalgia. And it worked, even at £3.90 a bottle. Add to that a few pints of Amstel and I was in a very happy mood come gig-time. Consequently, I don't have a very good recollection of Brett's new songs but the old ones are crystal clear.

The journey home was far easier than the journey out but getting home drunk at 12.30 on a school night is never fun. It could be far worse though. I, for example, could have had to wait until 1am at Kings Cross for my train home and then fallen asleep on it and woken up in Peterborough then had a get another train back to my right stop, finally getting home just past 5am. Like Alex did.