Here they come, the not so beautiful ones . . . Suede are looking a little older and a lot less pretty, but they've grown up to become a killer pop machine, stomping all over the stage with glam-rock grace and crushing eyeliner riffs. Guitarist Richard Oakes and keyboardist Neil Codling have gone from sexy boy-wonders to ordinary talented blokes, but singer Brett Anderson still retains his decadent charm.
But Suede are not just about empty posing and preening; Brett's boys stay in fashion because they write tunes for every season; older songs such as Metal Mickey, The Wild Ones and Animal Nitrate still shine, while recent anthems such as Everything Will Flow and Electricity have a spark of timelessness running through their veins.
Suede's star may well burn out soon, but right now it's a blinding chemical supernova.
