Suede at Nottingham Rock City REVIEW

Slinking coyly onto stage to the classical strains of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2, before launching straight into Barriers from their satisfyingly-fantastic and back on form top ten album Bloodsports, their first in over ten years, Suede's first visit to Rock City acted as a one-off warm up gig ahead of their Alexandra Palace date in London this Saturday.

With a well-documented back-history of monumental heavy drug use, including crack and heroin addiction, it's some act of God that Brett Anderson is alive and kicking at all, never mind a thoroughly drop dead knockout, whippet thin, snake-hipped swivelling, chiselled-cheek boned, fringe-flickin', foxy forty-something.

Performing nearly every song from their new album, from the sublime Sometimes I Feel I'll Float Away to storming new single It Starts And Ends With You, whilst dipping into that almighty back catalogue with Animal Nitrate, Metal Mickey and The Beautiful Ones, it was Trash that got the biggest jumping, arm pumping response, whilst Hit Me saw the first of many of Brett Anderson's leaps off stage and jumps over the barriers to lovingly fawn and fondle- and be lovingly fawned and fondled by- an adoring and roaring Rock City crowd.

But the iconic stay-with-you Suede moment of the night had to be Brett Anderson, dressed head to toe in black, drenched and dripping in sweat, shirt ripped open, pouting, posturing and casually swinging his microphone lead in huge languid circles to the steamy chorus of Filmstar like a filthy sexy beast- oh dad, he's driving us MAD! Catlike, enigmatic and slick, fronting his legendary band with provocative mesmeric glam, he still absolutely is as always was, the elegant sir rock star performer- and makes it look so easy.