Supergrass happily exploded onto the Britpop scene back in the 90s as a bunch of carefree kids who just wanted to rock their little guts out. Almost a decade after their debut I Should Coco and four years since their last Sydney visit, the 'boys' are still just as carefree and - like true rock stars - louder, tighter and punchier than ever before. Lin Ma reports.

Cloud Control, a Shins-esque indie group from the Blue Mountains, was possibly one of the best supporting acts in a long time. Unlike most other indie bands cropping up these days that look better than they sound, Cloud Control enchanted the audience with clever melodies and catchy guitar riffs through tracks like 'Death Cloud' and 'Buffalo Country',  which provided a delightful start to the night. Still, it was a huge shame the audience was only just starting to trickle in.

By the time Panics frontman, Jae Laffer came on stage accompanied only by a keyboard and an acoustic guitar, the crowd was clearly restless and edgy. Whilst obviously a talented musician in his own right, Laffer didn't quite draw the kind of attention he was normally used to as he played a stripped-back version of classic track, 'Don't Fight It'. Things just weren't the same without the brass section.

Soon the retro beats from the Jackson Sister's 'I Believe In Miracles' filled through the room and the adored Supergrass stepped on stage amidst a thunderous crowd. It was like a scene out of a music video as the band rocked out their opening track 'Diamond Hoo Ha Man', whilst a giant fan on-stage blew gusts of wind into lead singer Gaz Coombes' short flowing hair. The crowd lapped it up. It was pure rock 'n' roll and Britpop heaven for those who were well and truly ready for a damn good party.

As expected, the boys were superbly tight from start till finish, with mystery fifth member Charlie Coombe adding an extra dimension to the set as the other guitarist (though he mostly spent his time playing the tambourine or on the side of the stage smoking a cigarette). 

Classic anthem 'Mary' saw the crowd chorusing and head-bopping along, while punchy and energetic numbers 'Brecon Beacons' and '345' really began to loosen up the crowd. But it definitely wasn't until 'Moving' that fans went completely mad with nostalgia, jumping and cheering each time the chorus came around. Catchy pop-rock track, 'Rebel In You' from their latest album sent the audience into happy-go-lucky frenzy, preparing them for the old time favourite, 'Alright'.

The 'finale' for the night was none other than the quintessential Supergrass hit, 'Pumping On our Stereo' which, of course, had the crowd moshing and bursting with delight.

Supergrass shortly returned onto the stage to play a tasteful encore that included 'Sun Hits The Sky', a Police cover 'Next To You' and 'Lenny.' Without being in any way gimmicky or over the top in their musicianship, Supergrass have again proved that they are truly Britpop at its finest!

by Lin Ma

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