Gaz Coombes is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the UK’s foremost songwriters. Criminally overlooked in the early days of Britpop, his work with Supergrass has recently found new acclaim, particularly on the back of a succession of superb solo albums. Tonight’s all too short set cherry-picks from across the three most recent, leaning most heavily on 2023’s Turn The Car Around. It’s a soulful, bluesy, somewhat psychedelic collection of songs which showcases both Coombes’  songwriting and the superb musicianship of his band. It’s not long into the set before it becomes obvious that there might be a show-stealing about to occur. 

Whereas Coombes has recently eschewed his old band’s material, in favour of showing off his more mature output, Johnny Marr leans heavily into The Smiths’ back catalogue. Over a third of tonight’s set was co-penned with Morrissey, and whilst songs such as Panic, This Charming Man and How Soon Is Now are predictably superb, they just highlight that Marr has really written nothing of that quality since parting ways with the band in which he made his name. The massed singalongs are punctuated by somewhat bored chatter during his more recent work, and with the exception of New Town Velocity and Hi Hello, there’s little to write home about. 

As long as Smiths fans keep buying tickets, then it’s completely understandable that Marr will continue to service that market, but Gaz Coombes has shown what can be done if your aim is to make a name as a solo artist, rather than just a tribute act to your former band. 

Words and photos: Thomas Jackson