Supergrass star Gaz performing gig at Sunderland's Fire Station

Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes will be at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20 as part of a tour for his latest album.
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Coombes rose to fame with the band during the Britpop explosion of the 1990s. A string of hit singles included Alright, Richard III and Moving. They also scored five UK top 10 albums, including their 1995 debut album I Should Coco.

Supergrass split up in 2010 but reunited for a series of critically-acclaimed and sell-out reunions in 2019.

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However, the Fire Station show is very much a solo gig to support the singer-songwriter’s new album, Turn the Car Around. When a planned run of Supergrass dates were derailed by the pandemic in 2020, it gave Gaz the opportunity to work on the record.

Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.
Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.

The Sunderland show will be a little bit different to other tour dates as it will be a “more intimate, pared-back performance”.

He said: “This is a record that I’ve been building up to for the last seven years.

“There’s a lot of subject matter that I’ve played with and maybe not managed to see through in the past. I’ve evolved and I feel like I’ve got better at what I do.”

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“I feel most satisfied by creative growth, and the reunions clashed with that approach at times.”

Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.
Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes plays a solo gig at The Fire Station on Saturday, May 20.

“I knew that Supergrass was a case of live performances, and I’m so glad we ended up doing the reunion. Playing all those songs for the fans again was a special experience.

“But I knew that there would be a side of me that wasn’t necessarily fulfilled creatively, and so writing was always going to be a key part of keeping that balance. I wrote music throughout the whole reunion.”

Tamsin Austin, venue director at The Fire Station, said: “The shows feature Gaz’s full band, but he also wanted to do a few more stripped-back, solo shows and that’s what he will be performing at The Fire Station on May 20.

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“Since it was released Turn the Car Around has had amazing reviews. The Guardian, gave it five stars and said it’s his best album in 20 years. It’s dynamic, melodic and full of energy and I can’t wait to hear Gaz perform on The Fire Station stage.”

To book tickets, which start at £22, visit www.thefirestation.org.uk.

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