“I should coco” is Cockney rhyming slang for “I should say so”. I didn’t know that. I only knew that phrase as the debut album title from Britpop pioneers, Supergrass. Night one of a three-show run at Camden’s Roundhouse tonight, and Supergrass kick things off in style. All three nights are sold out. No surprise, because this is the 35th anniversary of the debut record. A record that not only soundtracked the ‘90s but shot Supergrass into legendary status. Also, a fun fact: it’s almost 35 years to the DAY of the album’s release (well I thought that was a fun fact…)
Down the road, an official launch party is in full swing at the pub, featuring exclusive merch, a limited-edition ‘Weisse Should Coco’ beer (great name by the way), and even an appearance from the band the following night to pour pints themselves for fans.
Inside Roundhouse, things are nostalgic. The band fly through I Should Coco in full, adding hits like ‘Moving’ and ‘Pumping on Your Stereo’ to the mix. Earlier in the set comes ‘Lose It’. Frontman, Gaz Coombes yells “Don’t lose it… Don’t lose it,” and, in a moment of irony, three guys near me do exactly that and start scrapping. It’s the only real blip in a night otherwise marked by warmth and beer. Also, if the guy who got punched is reading this, how’s your face? You took an absolute shiner.
Coombes continues the night and his cheeky humour shines through as he introduces the tracks that we all love so much: “This song is about underage sex with an older woman… we probably wouldn’t have written this song in 2025. This is called ‘She’s So Loose.’” It’s a candid nod to how the world (and the band) has evolved. Yet what remains unchanged is Supergrass’s signature sound: urgent, playful, and unmistakably theirs. The band also stay true to the album’s order and the early placing of ‘Alright’. “This is the fourth track on the album” laughs Coombes before playing the band’s biggest hit.
But what strikes me tonight is how cohesive the album still feels. You could scramble the track list and it’d still make sense. Their sound is that tight, that unmistakable. Attempts have been made to recreate their fast-paced magic (personally, I think only the first half of Jay Reatard’s ‘Blood Visions’ comes close) but the truth is: there’s only one Supergrass.
Formed in 1993, Supergrass carved out their place in the Britpop hall of fame. Thirty-five years later, they’re still delivering. Still ‘alright’, in every sense of the word.
Will they have another 35 years ahead of them? I should coco.
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Words: Jazz Hodge // IG
Photography: Rachel Lipsitz // IG
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