Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic and Radiator 20th Anniversary Tour – 2016

December 7th 2016 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth

A bit of a wet and cold night in Boscombe, to be expected in December! It’s been a while since SFA toured, in fact they split up/stopped working for five years, so there haven’t been many chances anyway.

Last time I caught up with them was at Reading Festival one year, but the last small gig for SFA was in 1999 at Rock City!

Not only was a looking forward to this gig just because, but SFA were also playing two classic albums cover to cover….”Fuzzy Logic” and “Radiator”. The was more exciting than understanding this was also a 20th anniversary tour….la la la la la, not listening to ageist comments!!

I recognise that there was a support band, but I’ve failed to remember who they were……but here is a picture of them. Feel free to let me know if you have the answer? 🙂 The fact I took a picture suggests I enjoyed them, the fact I am now writing up what I can remember of gigs, is down to the fact my memory is fading in exactly this sort of way!!!

Super furry Animals came onstage in their white boiler suits holding “Round 1” signs and amusingly, some more signs explaining they will start with the “A Side” and launched straight into their first album release “Fuzzy Logic” with “God! Show Me Magic”. This is a great opening track and the crown is rocking before they know it! So much guitar noise goes on this track and good to get a dance in as they aren’t the easiest band to dance to.

In fact the whole album is tricky to dance to, so this is a mainly watching the band concert early on with some nice video footage in the background. Great to hear all the songs, but not much to get involved in….but fun! It’s difficult to explain the Super Furry Animals sound, but I guess it’s a sort of cacophonic wall of sound, with melodies and harsh over sounds.

Lead singer, Gruff Rhys, was in chatty mood, but he speaks quite quietly so you couldn’t always hear him very well.

Back to the signs informing us that ROUND 1 is over, we’re asked to give…”A minute for Howard”

Cue “Round 2” sign.

The second album in full is “Radiator” and the introduction of Furryvision™ and then the more danceable “The Placid Casual”…..when I say danceable, I mean you can sway around a little bit to the rockier beat! It’s not until “Chupacabras” you get to move a bit more.

I was amusing when the band left the stage during “She’s Got Spies”, Gruff came back with his red Power Ranger helmet and held up the “PROLONGED APPLAUSE” and “APE SHIT!” signs – well, you’ve got to join in right? the audience do. The band pop back on stage to complete the song.

They finish the album and then a reasonably predictable encore of “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck” – which is more upbeat than most of what we’ve heard tonight, almost out of place, but we love it.

The band finish off with a mix of signs – “PROLONGED APPLAUSE” ; “APE SHIT!” ; “THE END”

Great show……..