Music: Gaz Coombes

The former Supergrass frontman and Brighton resident is back in town

You all know ‘Alright’, the number two hit of 1995 that has remained a staple of radio and indie clubland ever since, a cheeky indie pop rush of youthful optimism that persuaded Stephen Spielberg to inquire as to whether the members of Supergrass would be up for creating a ‘90s version of The Monkees …
Thankfully, that terrible idea was turned down: “We were young, got a call, went over there, and it was very surreal. We were focused on our second album, and we just knew what we wanted to do,” says Gaz Coombes. “I don’t think any of us were ready to be teenage American TV stars. A bit f****d up, really.”

Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn and Danny Coffey formed Supergrass in 1993 in Oxford, and after one single were signed up by heavy-hitters Parlophone, who reaped the rewards quickly; their debut album I Should Coco made number one, and the hits kept coming: ‘Caught By The Fuzz’, ‘Mansize Rooster’, ‘Lenny’, ‘Going Out’, ‘Richard III’, ‘Moving’, ‘Grace’, and a host of others. They were pop stars – the likes of Italian Vogue and Calvin Klein made modelling offers to Gaz, whose distinctive sideburns and cheeky ruffian features seemed to embody Britpop.

Coombes grew those sideburns while still at school (because he could) and as far as I’m aware, has never taken them off: “As far as I know, they’re still clinging on! If I shaved them off they would be back within 10 or 15 seconds. I can’t get rid of them. I did think about growing a beard with it, but I reckon I would look like a f****d up Father Christmas…”

At the height of their fame in the late ‘90s, Coombes decided to move down to Brighton, ending up staying here for a number of years. It was a period he remembers with fondness: “I think it was about just getting away from Oxford at that time. The vibe around where we were living, it was random bits of violence, heroin was on the up and up … a few people where we were living were into that game.

Although the band was going well, me and my girlfriend were getting a bit disillusioned, and we thought we would get away from it. And Brighton was on the up. We lived all over; in Hove, Brighton and Kemptown. Loved it, man! We were there before we had kids, and it suited our lifestyle, lots of socialising, and making the most of all those wonderful pubs,” he laughs.

Supergrass called it a day in 2010. Since then Coombes has been carving out a solo career, and has just released his second album, Matador. Encompassing psychedelia, krautrock, ambient and the odd Radiohead-style soundscape, Matador demonstrates his often underrated knack for melody and song craft.

“There are a lot of first takes on the album, a lot of first vocal takes. I did most of it at home. What was cool about this record was writing songs on drums, or on the bass, or even starting on a loop. It feels really good, like it did when we were with Parlophone in ‘94 and ‘95.

Thurs 5 Feb, The Old Market, 7.30pm, SOLD OUT
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