There’s nothing too flashy about Supergrass; they just get the job done and never fail to impress. While other bands that emerged in the mid-nineties explosion of Brit pop were caught up in media fuelled rivalries; veered off into experimental territory; or imploded under the weight of success; Supergrass simply continued to deliver. As far a media profile and hype goes they’ve been the quiet achievers of the Brit rock scene, but their live shows are anything but quiet.

Beneath a huge lit up banner simply announcing Supergrass, they hit the stage with Diamond Hoo Ha Man, the opening track of their latest album they rolled through a hit laden set that the packed house lapped up. In stark contrast to the previous week’s Black Francis show at the same venue, Supergrass have no qualms about playing a set that delivers crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser stretching back to their – œ95 debut album I Should Coco.

The youthful exuberance of Caught By the Fuzz sounds slightly odd coming from a band the punters have known for well over a decade, and certainly nostalgic, but the obligatory run through is dished off to rousing approval. The reflective Moving is embraced by the punters as mobs of fans throw their arms around each other to croon the chorus in memory of all the great nights the song has sound-tracked. Other highlights in the never less than thoroughly entertaining show included She’s So Loose, a crunchy brilliant performance of Richard III and a brace of new tracks 345, Rebel In You and Ghost Of a Friend. Leadman Gaz Coombes complained briefly about his amp failing and a random punter calls out that – œit sounds fine to us’ – and oddly for a heckling punter he was actually right. Calling on crowd participation for the closer Pumping on the Stereo the band simply revel in the vocal adoration.

They returned for the inevitable encore (after all, this was old school rock and roll entertainment) with Sun Hits the Sky hitting all the right peaks. There’s another tech glitch during the finale as Gaz’s amp finally fails, causing a scurry of roadies to the stage and a promise that they’ll soon reach the suitable climax. And as they have all night, and all through their career, they deliver on their promise.

While they’ve made some changes to their sound from the bratty rock of Coco to the smoother sounds of Road to Rouen they’ve never turned their back on the songs that fuelled their success. They’re the band that will seemingly always be there – always offering another great collection of tunes; always consistent. It may sound like a less than ideal description for a rock band – to be so reliable – but Supergrass have an old fashioned commitment to entertain. They genuinely love playing to their fans and giving the punters exactly what they’ve coughed up the hard earned to hear.