Suede

The queue outside Fabrique, not helped by Milan's now-customary Friday public transport strike, had already started forming before 5pm: the Suede show, their first in Italy in eight years, was sold-out after all. In recent times, Brett Anderson and co. have reinvigorated their status as a key band of britpop, thanks to a run of solid post-reunion albums that have confirmed – if not quite a full second youth – then at least a renewed artistic sturdiness.

In any case, it was worth arriving early both to secure a spot as close as possible to the stage and to catch the set from the interesting support act, hailing from Scotland: Swim School. After a series of EPs, the band led by Alice Johnson – a striking blonde with a voice both powerful and ethereal – released their self-titled debut album last year. A more than convincing blend of dream-pop, shoegaze and à-la Wolf Alice atmospheres (repeatedly cited by the frontwoman as a key influence), effectively replicated live too, despite a few minor mishaps: like when the singer's guitar strap snapped, though that didn't stop her from carrying on, precariously balancing the instrument on her thigh.

Beyond that amusing episode, among the standout moments were the vocal effort on the closing section of "On & On", the textbook post-punk intro of "Green Eyes (Want It All)" and the excellent "Always On My Mind", which had the crowd thoroughly hypnotised. A quality starter ahead of the main course.

Suede took the stage shortly after 8.30pm to the strains of "She", one of the many tracks from their third album "Coming Up", commercially the most successful of their career. Brett Anderson, as magnetic a presence as ever, occasionally vanished from the stage, leaned on the barriers, lay down on the floor: some feared at first that he was exhausted, but it was all part of the show. In truth, he wears his 58 years splendidly and still commands a stage like few others. That said, some vocal issues had emerged during the earlier Spanish leg of the tour, and indeed he was seen coughing more than once during the quieter moments here too. Perhaps partly for that reason the setlist was overhauled compared to expectations: a heavier presence of tracks from the latest record, the acclaimed "Antidepressants" (which reached fourth place in our ranking of the best albums of 2025), had been expected, whereas, surprisingly, only one song from it was performed.

Likely in order to better manage his voice, Brett opted for a tracklist centred on the great hits of the Nineties, a sort of greatest-hits set that shrewdly allowed him to catch his breath during the choruses, which were often left for the crowd to sing. Already with the lethal one-two-three of "Trash", "Animal Nitrate" and "The Drowners" it was clear the show would turn into a triumphant singalong. And, all things considered, that probably suited most of the audience just fine – made up mainly of forty- and fifty-somethings who grew up with those songs. Even this reviewer, who'd never before had the chance to see them live, can hardly complain: for anyone who idolised a certain Nineties sound as a teenager, it's impossible not to feel a shiver during "Animal Nitrate", one of those songs that truly defined a decade.

Ever since that memorable 1993 debut, Suede established themselves as the most worthy heirs to glam rock within that emerging movement that would later go down in history as britpop: for an entire generation, they represented a first encounter with dandyism, a certain sexual ambiguity and unsettling themes. Musically too, the Bowie-esque tradition lived on in Brett Anderson and co., thanks to that alternation between gritty yet sensual tracks and others far more melodramatic and theatrical. So the energy of "Filmstar" or "Can't Get Enough" sat alongside the romantic grandiosity of "The 2 Of Us" or the more recent "June Rain".

Dedicated to Milan ("the fashion capital par excellence"), "She's In Fashion" – which, thanks in part to a Festivalbar appearance, probably remains Suede's peak moment of popularity in Italy – was instead stripped bare of its trappings, in a previously unheard acoustic version.

The most intense moment came with "The Wild Ones", one of the high points of the emotional tour de force that is "Dog Man Star": here Brett Anderson gave everything, right up to closing the song singing without a microphone, delivering a genuine goosebumps moment to the crowd. The communal celebration then resumed with a crescendo finale, once again dominated by some of the most beloved tracks in Suede's catalogue, from the generational anthem "So Young" to the celebrated "Beautiful Ones", carried by Richard Oakes's guitar riff, interspersed with the martial "Metal Mickey". Songs during which the charismatic frontman finally let go completely, repeatedly coming down off the stage to embrace the crowd.

Closing things out in style, "Saturday Night" sealed an unforgettable... Friday night. For once, Suede seemed to indulge in nostalgia more than usual – even though Brett Anderson has often proudly claimed to be part of "the most vital band of his generation" – but when the result is at this level, it's hard to ask for more.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google