An eagerly-awaited Rocket Science seemed somewhat deflated after building a reputation on their ferocious live performances. The Arena had filled close to capacity by the time the Triple J darlings took the stage. Run Just Like a Gun, although winning brownie points with the crowd, just didn’t quite seem the same without frontman Roman Tucker’s maniacal dance moves. The corduroy-clad lead seemed to be still recovering from his recent hospital stint, presenting a much less animated collection of songs, with a large portion taken from the new album Eternal Holiday. Second off the rank was Sex Call, followed by One Robot. The songs from Eternal Holiday didn’t incite quite as much enthusiasm from the audience, but the Contact High hits Shadow Man and Burn In Hell hinted at the Rocket Science of old, sweat sliding from Tucker’s face as he frantically struck his trademark keyboards.

Without hesitation Supergrass took the darkened stage amid huge audience fanfare. An extended introduction of the bass-heavy Lenny kicked off the night’s collection of songs, winding the crowd into an absolute mess by the arrival of the chorus. Second was Funniest Thing, soon followed by Mary, which could have been improved only by slightly louder vocals for those fantastic harmonies. Rush Hour Soul sounded better live than on any recorded format, and is just one example of how enduring Supergrass’s sound has proven to be. To hear songs from I Should Coco, In It For The Money, the self titled album and the new singles for Supergrass is 10 mesh together really galvanised Supergrass as one of the few surviving hit machines from the ‘90s.

An acoustic rendition of Caught By The Fuzz was the most surprisingly successful number of the set. Seated intimately at the front of the stage and shrouded in cigarette smoke, Gaz Coombes and Mick Quinn delivered an emotive, earnest version of one of the most recognisable songs of the band’s career. Just as the crowd was becoming restless with the subdued mood, the chairs were thrown aside for the funk-flavoured new single Kiss Of Life. Carrying on with the foot-stomping vibe, the band then launched into Pumping On Your Stereo – which could earned the ‘crowd favourite’ title, but when you have as many favourites as contained in Supergrass’s back catalogue, such phrases becomes somewhat redundant. Throughout the set, the sound was crystal clear and the boys exuded a confidence only found in years of successful touring.

Supergrass may only be ten this year but they have a lifetime’s worth of fantastic tunes under their belts. Out of twenty odd songs, it’s unlikely there would be more than a handful of audience members unimpressed by the omission of their favourite tune. Although there was one audible grumble of “They didn’t play Alright!” as a perspiring crowd filed out into the night.

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