As if Dog Man Star wasn’t, without a doubt, one of the most definitive albums of the 1990’s already, their latest live album brings Suede’s seedy, drug-hazed nightmare to life. Andersons vocals exude passion, driving the immensely powerful machine that is Suede. ‘Introducing The Band’ is the kaleidoscope that is the mind of Brett Anderson circa 1994, it’s the start of the bands journey into superstardom and the dark underbelly of fame, sex and drugs. Then, without warning, we are thrown into the violent tremors of ‘We Are the Pigs’. And so the nightmare officially begins.

Now I want you to lay back, close your eyes and envision Brett Anderson frantically flicking his fringe to glam rock anthem ‘Heroine’. There’s something in the tone of Anderson’s vocals that evokes real passion, real emotion. When he says that he is “aching” to see his heroine, he bloody well means it. Now we plummet from the breath taking highs of this album, to some of the more simplistic, tender moments. Particularly in the first two bars of ‘The Wild Ones’ before the rest of the band kick in; it is hauntingly beautiful, something that a lot of bands lack – that chemistry that Suede seem to capture perfectly on Dog Man Star, and their debut is still alive and is there for everyone to hear it in all of its glory.

The beautiful whales of ‘The Wild Ones’ seem like a distant memory when we are dragged into the depths of the eerie mystique of Bowie inspired ‘Daddy’s Speeding’, coaxing us into “sweet dreams of gasoline” with its tempest of a bass-line, minimalistic piano, trance-like guitar and of course, the sinister growl of Anderson’s vocals. Poppy ballad ‘The Power’ is as close as we are ever going to get to Britpop on Suede’s anti-Britpop album. It’s as if Anderson’s youthful vigour has been restored; he’s ready to take on the world and nothing can stand in his way. He really does have an incredible talent for switching the mood of the live shows within seconds, whether it be a simple switch in his vocal tone or his on stage persona.

‘This Hollywood Life’ is packed with crunching riff after riff – no wonder Bernard Butler was hailed the Johnny Marr of the ’90s. It’s the guitar that gives the song a whole new dimension, and fair play to Richard Oakes for pulling it off as well as Bernie would’ve live. Dog Man Star is one of the most emotionally raw albums recorded – how can a band that were falling apart at the seams make such an incredible collection? ‘The 2 of Us’ is Anderson’s emotional peak, and he is left fully exposed with his raw, croaky vocals that float aimlessly over childlike piano. There really is something so, so beautiful about this song, and even more so live. It conveys such a strong sense of innocence which stands out against the dark nature of the rest of the record.

If there was one song that I would um and ah about if I were Brett, it would definitely be ‘Black Or Blue’, which reminds you of how great Brett’s range actually is. Better still, he can still actually pull it off with his constant flicker between delicate vocals and immense power. ‘The Asphalt World’ is the masterpiece within the masterpiece. What’s better than 9 minutes of glam-rock bliss? Yes, 9 minutes of glam-rock bliss live. Brett sounds so comfortable as his vocals float effortlessly over the drug-fulled twang of Oakes’ guitar, creating a sort of Q&A effect. Which is sort of imitative of the decay of Anderson and Butler’s relationship during the actual recording of the album, as the two battled it out right till the very end. Richard still plays the mammoth solo in ‘The Asphalt World’ as if it’s ‘Smoke On The Water’, but with his own noticeable twist. The carnage is drawn to a close as Brett returns for one last chorus; we come out through the eye of the storm as Brett snarls at the mic, just one last time before drawing the nightmare to a close.

The last Dog Man Star track was dedicated to Brett’s father who used to take him to the Royal Albert Hall as a kid. ‘Still Life’ is usually played as an acoustic track live, but the boys pulled out all of the stops for this performance. The gentle, timid, ring of an acoustic guitar immediately grabs your attention as the intimacy of the performance intrigues you, as woeful string arrangements creep in, intensifying the performance. You just know that something great is about to happen. Brett does sound stiff to start, as he is clearly emotional whilst introducing the song, but he begins to loosen up before the explosion of a string ensemble floods the Royal Albert Hall.

Suede wrap up their incredible performance with a greatest hits set including ‘Trash’, ‘Animal Nitrate’ and ‘The Beautiful Ones’ as well as various B-sides including ‘Killing Of A Flashboy’, which is packed with powerhouse guitar and sexually ambiguous lyrics as you just imagine Anderson stomping around the stage whilst intimidatingly clasping the mic in one hand.

Dog Man Star 20th Anniversary Live – Royal Albert Hall is out now via Demon Music Group Ltd.

Abbi Parcell