There isn’t really much room for debate in it. Suede fans have sorely missed them over the past three years, and for all of Suede’s limitations – of which there are now few – there aren’t many bands that can hold a candle up to Suede when they’re on a good night. And tonight they’re stonking.

These fan club gigs are legendary – and this will join 97’s fabled B-Sides show as amongst the best. Suede join us in the relatively intimate surroundings of the Camden Electric Ballroom, blooding a new and hungry lineup, and debuting their new album. Over the course of a 2 hour gig – the longest Suede show in living memory by some margin – they present four separate sets that prove the doubters of their genius.

First up, is a 40 minute segment that debuts the entire of their new album in order. For the first third of the gig then, the audience are somewhat quiet – being offered with unfamiliar material previewed only at a handful of shows prior to this. The new stuff sounds exactly like Suede always did, and yet oddly different. It’s as if in some way, they’ve moved on, but not moved out.

They open with lead single “Positivity“ which is a shiny, shimmering thing. Like all great songs, what sounds at first like a seemingly one dimensional fumble, is revealed on repeated listening to be the best thing this summer has had. It’s an uncomplicated song, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple. Like all good songs it knows that to be positive, one must also be aware of the darkness underneath. Even if, like “The 2 Of Us“, and “The Beautiful Ones“, it seems to borrow far more from Prince that you might initially think.

The rest of the set bodes well for the new album – next on the agenda is the perfectly-titled “Obsessions“, a song so straightforward and memorable it will surely a single, that revolves around an infectious but childlike melody line and lyrics that (probably) are still obsessed with meat/beat/street/concrete/gasoline/diesel, and general urban decay.

The landscape of Suede songs is that of urban decay, of glamour wrenched from the gutter, of rising above the pressures that try to crush us all, of unknown pleasures and momentary distractions, be they found in sex, drugs, sniffing glue, or blonde hair dye. “Lonely Girl“ is next – a modern update of b-side “Young Men“ , which is probably the low point of the new material, as lyrically its a list song – “Tina tries the telephone, Maxine mixes alcohol with petrol and paraffin, Sadies sits staring all summer,” etc.

Next up is another mid-paced weepie, “Lost In TV“, a vast sweeping thing that portrays what appears to be a first glance a loveless relationship, a couple trapped in a prison, their only only escape a small square box of flickering cathode ray tubes. High On Channel 5 and Cable TV, psycho for Jerry Springer…

The much talked about “Beautiful Loser” injects some fast paced, frantic teenage angst into proceedings. Over a dark, urgent beat the band spew forth a vital tale of someone seemingly trapped in the downward spiral of self-destruction. And at the same time looking and sounding fabulous. It’s what Suede do best. And Matt pats his bass and sings along at the back like John Deacon to all the words.

“Streetlife” is b-side fodder, and nowhere near as good as the 70’s disco classic which no doubt inspired it. Every line is prefaced with a chant of “Streetlife!”, before a list of urban situations. And I’m fairly sure it sounds like an old Elastica song until the vocals kick in. I know Brett aimed for lyrical simplicity, but I think this may be simplicity taken a step too far. Next up is the initially forgettable “Astrogirl“, and the gorgeous, swooning “Untitled“. We’re almost through with new songs though.

If you are bored with the new songs, there’s always a treasure hunt, where you can win a trip to see Suede in Europe, if you don’t mind traipsing around the bar looking for Suede-related objects.

There’s only the title track of “A New Morning“, another newie, “Only The Body Hits“ and “When The Rain Falls“ to come. “A New Morning“ is a fab thing of two parts – the first, short section is a gentle lament for something lost and a new start, before slowly evolving into a heart-rending plea for a better life - the next song, “Only The Body Hits“. I think. And finally, “When The Rain Falls“, which is the kind of drizzle-battered yet defiant call for those of us who look like everyone else, who wear the same clothes, but just somehow feel different, feel as if we live in the wrong world and there’s nothing we can do about it.

That’s the first set out of the way. Next up comes the longest ever encore I’ve ever seen – 15 songs and longer than the actual main set. After a perfunctory, brief toilet break, Suede return to elevate us. Even when Suede weren’t moving us, they were moving. They were trying something else, some new thing. Whereas most bands try to unite us all by bringing us down to their stodgy, unimaginative level, Suede try to raise us all. U2’s goal was Elevation. But Suede succeed.

The encore then is a definitive ‘greatest hits set’ of sorts. By now, Alex Lee, new guitarist, vocalist, keyboard player is playing a second guitar on songs such a “Killing Of A Flashboy“, a completely-dogs-bollocks version of “Trash“, and “Metal Mickey“. And the songs sounds like they always should have sounded this good. Richard Oakes, who retains his puppyish looks and hair, now seems to have added puppy fat to him. Not that I mind, he still plays like a demon – during the fabulous funky blues jam that leads into “My Insatiable One“ (probably the best hymn to a inflatable sex toy and urban paranoia ever committed to vinyl), I glance away, thinking that I swear Richard going to be bent forward, guitar at a spiky angle, his eyes closed in blissful release, lost in music. And when I look back, that’s exactly what he’s doing.

They play remarkably little from Head Music – only the punky rant that is “Can’t Get Enough“, and the stellar “Everything Will Flow“. Following this though, its time for the legendary, and rarely seen Suede “Wheel Of Fortune”. A list of songs on a huge wheel. And fans are picked out of the crowd to spin the wheel and choose the next song.

Thank God Suede aren’t just another Stadium Rock band with a set of preplanned moves, empty hollow gestures, and predictable set lists. They’re still fluid. Still human.

Therefore next we get long-loved debut single “The Drowners“. I still can’t work out what this is about after a decade of listening to it. I just want to be in his room, kissing to popular tunes, if they sound this good.

Bored? There’s still a treasure hunt if you want to go to the bar. The wheel spins, and the lucky dip provides last years, low-key single “Simon“. There’s also genius in the shape of the plaintive, prophetic “Big Time“, and the beautiful “Living Dead“. Which tonight Brett plays solo, and manages to mangle up the chords half-way through. After this, there’s also the not-played in years “The Power“, which again sounds like one of the greatest singles never released –“Just give me the power, I’ll make them believe”. And we’ve all felt like that.

There’s only a handful of songs left now – the otherworldly, elegant “My Dark Star“, jokes about playing the sadly-despised “Stay Together“, and then the b-side “The Sound Of The Streets“. Suede don’t write average b-sides by the way. Sometimes their best songs live there because they don’t fit the mood of the albums they were recorded for.

So what next? A final two-song punch that shows you that this band have a back catalogue that most bands would kill for. Someone says something about Damon Albarn, but they’re completely off track. Blur aren’t the competition for Suede: Blur wanted to go weird, wanted to make albums with musicians in Bali and make hip-hop comedy. Suede just wanted to be brilliant. They succeeded.

Still, a final romp through a gorgeous, definitive version of the hypnotic “So Young“, and a final excursion through the stonking, levitational “Beautiful Ones” seals the evening for a Suede gig for those of us that like them, will surely go down in legend.

Did I ever tell you I was a fan?

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