Supergrass

Being the opening act for Pearl Jam`s ongoing North American tour is like a paid vacation for Supergrass, the ebullient English trio that emerged alongside Blur and the apparently now-defunct Oasis during the much-hyped Brit-pop explosion of 1994.

"There`s nothing to lose, really," said Gareth "Gaz" Coombes, the singer, guitarist and frontman for Supergrass.

"We just go and do what we can do, and we pride ourselves on the fact our live performance is probably better than on record. I think it will be cool, and that it will be good for the people in the crowd. We`re quite energetic, even in the slow songs. We can`t help but do them with a certain energy, and - hopefully - it will be good for everyone to get warmed up with a bit of hectic rock and roll for 45 minutes.

"Pearl Jam audiences like rock and roll, and to have that many people hear you, well, you can`t ask for more. It`s going to be brilliant."

On stage and on record, the energy that Coombes, 24, produces with bassist Mickey Quinn, 30, and Keith Moon-styled drummer Danny Goffey, 26, is often irresistible. So is their ability to combine influences from both the United States (the Ramones, Beach Boys and Sly & The Family Stone) and England (The Who, Buzzcocks and glam-era David Bowie), to name just a few.

But what sets Supergrass apart from other young bands with similar sources of musical inspiration is its ability to add a personal stamp to its mostly upbeat songs. What results is a fetching blend of rich melodies, hard-rocking fire and carefully crafted hooks that have a timeless appeal.

"I get more and more depressed when I hear some Beach Boys` stuff, and (realize) how amazing it is - the lyrics and how it`s put together. It makes me think: `I can never do anything like this,`" Coombes said, speaking from his home in the English seaside town of Brighton.

"It just makes you feel a bit sad. But, usually, it inspires you. You think: `These are all normal people; no one`s a super being.` When you have musical ability, you can do anything. It`s just how it comes out of your head and heart; that`s what makes it yours."

In fact, when recording their third and latest album, the self-titled "Supergrass," the band`s members usually spent as much time watching films ("2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Raising Arizona" were two favorites) as they did listening to music by their favorite bands.

"By the time we finished recording each evening it was quite late, and our brains were a bit (like) mush. So the films were a time to forget about everything and immerse yourself in great cinema," Coombes explained.

"But, yeah, we listen to all types of music, although we never listen to music by other people in the (recording) studio. And we talk about what we love and get into what we love for months and months, like Sly and the Beach Boys. And sometimes I go to the piano and start playing something that sounds like (the Beach Boys`) `Heroes & Villains,` and think: `I have to watch out.`

"But we know how to make songs our own way. If it doesn`t sound new or different, we`ll change a chord or melody. We just write what comes out between the three of us."

Supergrass traces its origins to the Jennifers, a band Coombes co-founded as a 16-year-old student while attending school in Oxford. The group renamed itself Theodore Supergrass in early 1994. Later the same year, the trio`s demo tape earned a favorable response from Radiohead`s management team, which helped the fledgling group get a record deal.

Supergrass` first single, the uproarious "Caught by the Fuzz" (based on Coombes` real-life arrest for pot), was a Top 40 hit, and the band`s 1995 debut album, "I Should Coco," was a million-seller that topped the charts in England. Its 1997 follow-up, "In It For the Money," fared equally well.

"When I look back at our career as an old guy, I`d like to know what we`ve done has been pretty cool," Coombes said. "To look back and not to have ... had to compromise at what we did and be embarrassed. Who could want more?"

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: George Varga