Wolf Alice, Superfood, Gengahr – The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Good opportunity to catch two bands that I really wanted to see – Wolf Alice and Superfood, both of whom I interviewed for the radio. Wolf Alice were inside the pub, and Superfood on the roof. Yes, we found the Portland Arms’ hidden roof garden!
Just cut myself out of the picture there …
While I’ve got no complaints about Wolf Alice, I did find the guys from Superfood funny and engaging – but maybe because I love their music too. There’s an unspoken Britpop revival at the moment and they fit the bill perfectly. Great show from both bands and also from the support, Gengahr.
I left towards the end of Wolf Alice’s set to “get away early” (I love the hour-long drive home from Cambridge in the dark) but ended up chatting to Superfood’s guitarist Ryan, who was enjoying a cancer stick outside the venue’s front doors.
So what happened next? Wolf Alice released three albums, two no 2s and a number 1, and headline festivals left, right and centre. No more gigs at the Portland Arms – in 2022 they sold out three nights at the Hammersmith Odeon on their UK tour. Superfood’s two albums didn’t follow the same trajectory – the second one had a big change of direction musically too, and they played a farewell show in 2019. As of 2022 they’re officially on hiatus, but not likely to restart any time soon. I still catch Gengahr from time to time at the smaller festivals.
These are Superfood’s promotional pop rocks. No, me neither. Great use of the BBC Micro font though, they nailed it!
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Superfood setlist:
- Melting
- Bug
- Right On Satellite
- Bubbles
- Parking Lot
- TV
- Superfood
Wolf Alice setlist:
- Moaning Lisa Smile
- She
- Your Loves Whore
- You’re a Germ
- Baby Ain’t Made of China
- Storms
- Blush
- Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
- Giant Peach
- Bros
- Fluffy
Wednesday 14 May 2014, 599 views
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Gigs
- Gigantic Indie All Dayer – Marble Factory, Bristol
- HMS Morris, Pictish Trail – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- The Others – The 100 Club, Soho
- Stray Tracks: White Gates Band, Mystery Team, Basharan, SNM, Monumental – Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh
- Franz Ferdinand, Master Peace, Great Leslie – Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
- Melys, Yr Anghysur – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Ynys, Sybs, Lafant – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- Sultans of Ping FC – Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow
- Franz Ferdinand, Permanent (Joy) – Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
- Half Happy, em koko – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- My Life Story – The Quarry, Liverpool
- Melys, Osgled – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- They Might Be Giants – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
- Darling Buds, Simon Love and the Loves – 229, Great Portland Street, London
- Fightmilk, Tugboat Captain – Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney
- Bugeye, Lucky Number You – The Victoria, Birmingham
- Art Brut – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
- Sultans of Ping FC, Meryl Streek – The Ritz, Manchester
- Chroma, Baby Brave, Lila Zing – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- Melin Melyn, Ynys, Pys Melyn – Town Hall, Llangollen
- Antarctic Monkeys – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
- Bloc Party – The Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru: Achlysurol, HMS Morris, Llareggub Brass Band – Mathrafal Field, Meifod
- Echobelly, Camens – Live 45, Kidderminster
- Futureheads, Adult Play – Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury
- Adwaith – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
- Melys, Pys Melyn, Sophie Kilburn – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Sea Power, Callum Easter – Town Hall, Birmingham
- Dydd Miwsig Cymru: Morgan Elwy, Tew Tew Tennau, Mynadd – Y Institwt, Llanfair Caereinion
- Bikini Beach Band – The White Hart, Stoke Newington
- Pacifica, House of Women – Academy 2, Islington
- Fonda 500, Bugeye, Hurtling, Colossus – Amersham Arms, New Cross
- Snow Coats, Toodles and the Hectic Pity – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Snow Coats – Tunbridge Wells Forum
- Darling Buds, Keeley – The Thunderbolt, Bristol
- Fightmilk, Feeble Strength – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Thousand Yard Stare – The Lexington, Islington
- Thousand Yard Stare – Prince Albert, Brighton
- Be Your Own Pet – Rough Trade East, Whitechapel
- Brian Butterfield – Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush
- Pulp – Apollo, Hammersmith
- Blur, Self Esteem – Wembley Stadium, Wembley
- Blur, Wu Lu – City Hall, Newcastle
- Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London
- Salad – The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
- The Others – The Garage, Highbury
- Fightmilk – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Ynys, Gillie – The Victoria, Dalston
- Republica, Freya Beer – Powerhaus, Camden
- Pop Will Eat Itself, Sigue Sigue Sputnik – 229, Great Portland Street, London
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