suedehist

So if you're in a band and you think you look like goons, then have strength in knowing that this bunch of manky fools now drive around in expensive cars, wear prada suits and have played umpteen festivals to thousands of adoring fans. Not with that line-up, mind....

Way back in the mists of time (1985), four men from Haywards Heath formed a band named Geoff. Though this band soon dissolved, when guitarist Brett Anderson (formerly of a "dodgy goth band" called paint it black) and bassist Mat Osman decided to back out and concentrate on their studies. And can you blame them? Though whilst at college, they found themselves forming yet another band, consisting of Brett on vocals, Mat on bass and Brett's then girlfriend Justine Frischmann on guitar. Suede Mk11, under the name of Suave and Elegant. This was, of course, the stage where drummers were purely optional, yet for a band modelling themselves on the Smiths they had one piece of the band missing, this being their Johnny Marr equivelant on guitar. They advertised in the NME, with a message reading "Guitarist needed, smiths, bowie, psb. NO MUSOS PLEASE." Not long after, classically-trained guitarist Bernard Butler, who'd just been kicked out of college, turned up and gave them the Marr-alike they were looking for. Dumping the drum machine in favour of former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, then dumping him in favour of the younger and debatably more attractive drummer Simon Gilbert and having Justine leave in early 1992 to form Elastica ("There isn't a great deal of room playing second guitar next to Bernard. I just felt like a twat.") their line-up was complete, and after leaping over various insulting reviews from the Melody Maker, fame seemed to be drawing closer.
It started to happen when they played a pub gig, with quite a hefty crowd, one of whom was none other than Brett's original hero, Morrissey. Later in the year, Morrissey covered "My insatiable one" on his american tour.
The melody maker dubbed them britain's best new band, their 1992 tour grabbed a huge following, and before they knew it they were on top of the pops scaring the presenters half to death with the use of only a microphone and a backside. Suede were finally as big as they deserved to be.

Sadly, this success was short-lived, and the band's failed American tour caused everything to go wrong. During the making of the second album "Dog Man Star", their guitarist and half the writing team walked out. Hmmm...the word "fool" springs to mind.
Though in good spirits (could you tell by looking at them? i think not) the band put another ad in the melody maker advertising for a guitarist. Hundreds applied, yet the job went to 17 year old Richard Oakes. The pint sized, streamlined (boy, that didn't last) guitarist who Select have desribed as "a boy-hero with the mind of a 40 year old and the face of a raffish accountant" fitted in perfectly, as he'd been in a band covering suede songs previously. The pivotal moment in his recruitment came when simon gilbert overheard his audition tape and thought it was some early suede material.
The line up almost complete, they played the phoenix festival in 1995, and people began to lose their hope in a band playing mostly old songs. Though later that year, suede held a fanclub gig and introduced a new member. Neil Codling, Simon Gilbert's cousin, the keyboard player, desribed as "a man sat on stage looking like he was considering what he wanted for his tea". Half the fans couldn't tell what gender he was. Things were looking up.
In terms of chart positions, suede stormed back in 1996 with a number one album, and every single from that album was a top ten hit. The next album, 1999's head music, was slightly misunderstood and despite its reaching number one, the music press doubted that suede would ever reach that grandeur of old.
Until last year that is, when the band held a no-recording-equipment-allowed-bugger-off-please-papparazi gig in iceland.
That gig, as it goes, turned out to be the last with Neil Codling in the band, as recently this year he left due to suffering from M.E. He was swiftly replaced by the former Strangelove guitarist Alex Lee, who has apparently written some of the material for the next album.
As a band who, over 12 years, have now had a total of 10 members, suede may not be consistent in their line up. But they're consistent in their brilliance.