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Super Furry Animals

Sheffield Octagon on 1st April 2004
Reviewed by Rall on 23rd April 2004

The Octagon was a bit empty when we first arrived.. which is never usually a good sign. But perhaps I just underestimated the popularity of the Super Furries. The hall had soon filled up by the end of Zabrinski's set and not just because people knew SFA were starting soon, but for once (and it doesn't happen often) the support band were actually quite good!

Zabrinski

This bunch is a bit of an odd looking lot, you could almost separate them into two completely different looking bands. I won't say what those might be. It might sound a bit offensive. I will instead concentrate on their sound, which on the face of it is very reminiscent of the Super Furry Animals themselves.

Zabrinski, like the Super Furry Animals, hail from Wales. Although south, not north Wales. I suppose this accounts for them being seemingly less.. 'weird' than SFA. But they certainly make up for that with innovation, or at least the potential for it. For instance, I don't think I've ever seen anyone use an electric drill to play a guitar like that before. But I most certainly would like to see it again!
They also have two drummers and a kind of... odd job man who seems to chip in with a little bit of guitar playing here and there and some keyboard playing. He was also the man wielding the drill.

Song-wise Zabrinski were better than good, but not quite excellent. They certainly have the potential to make lots of tuneful noise, but towards the middle of their half hour set, all the tracks seemed to meld into one. Luckily they finished on some great songs, and although I have no idea what they were called, they certainly got us in the mood for the main attraction!

Rating: 7/10
Website: www.zabrinski.com

Super Furry Animals

I was expecting SFA to be good. The times I've seen them before were short, but they used every second to great effect. When Gryff walked out with a giant Power Rangers mask on, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. It was quite amusing watching a 6ft+ power ranger with a giant head try and shove a microphone through his eye. This apparently was the only way Gryff could sing with it on.

The set started off with singles from the new album and a couple of old gems, before SFA began on some of the album tracks from Phantom Power. While the album is great an' all, some of the album tracks are a bit slow, bringing the mood down a bit. I'm sure that's only my view, I'm not all that familiar with the album tracks yet, but I'm always one for more lively gigs.

The new track Motherfucker (I don't know how they're actually spelling it), featuring Goldie Looking Chain, was supposedly debuted (I wouldn't know if they had played it before and were lying to us, in fact, I know nothing). During the little umm... interlude in the song (i.e. the bit GLC do) Gryff (complete with Power Ranger head) supplied the audience with some half time snacks. Well.. he threw some crisps at us. Which was handy, I was getting a bit peckish.

At the end of the night SFA rolled out the now classic Man Don't Give A Fuck, sending crisp crumbs and drinks flying, just the way we like it! That was until it broke down to a drum and bass.. thing for the best part of 10 minutes, which would have been OK if it were only 5 minutes.
Of course, 10minutes was needed, when low and behold!! The yeti suits appear! (We didn't see that coming did we! Oh no.).

Rating: 7/10
Website: www.superfurry.com

All in all, it was a great gig, nothing special, but certainly not disappointing. And we got the yeti suits!!

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