SUGAR @ CLAPHAM GRAND, LONDON

Sugar have reunited after three decades with their original lineup of singer and guitarist Bob Mould (Husker Du), bass player and backing vocalist David Barbe (Mercyland) and drummer Malcolm Travis (ex-Human Sexual Response). The tour spanned the UK and EU with US dates to continue up to October. The band selected material primarily from their two studio albums, ‘File Under: Easy Listening’ and ‘Copper Blue’.

Following the band’s two sellout London shows at O2 Forum, they returned to the same venue they played 34 years ago to do a more intimidate career spanning set. In typical Mould fashion, there were few breaks in the set, which opened on the noise rocking ‘The Act We Act’, the breakdowns of third single ‘A Good Idea’ and Sugar’s debut single, ‘Changes’, which were both released in 1992. Barbe then sang backing vocals on ‘Company Book’.

The band’s genre pioneering mix of shoegaze alongside more melodious songs like ‘After All the Roads Have Led to Nowhere’ varied the set also combining the electrified energy between Mould and Barbe. ‘In the Eyes of my Friends’, also from their 1995 compilation ‘Besides’, had a scorching guitar solo followed by another in ‘Hoover Dam’. Barbe sang the grungy ‘Where Diamonds are Halos’ and ‘Long Live Love’ was mix of frenzied shoegaze guitar solos entwined in a slower paced song.

1994 single ‘Your Favourite Thing’ contained tangy guitar; the band also performed ‘Needle Hits E’ for the first time since 1993 before the circular riffs of ‘Come Around’. They finished their set typically without an encore, playing the tumbling riffs of single 1994 ‘Gee Angel’. Although the sound wasn’t completely there this was a great set from a cult band of the ’90s grunge alternative guitar culture.

04/06/26: Sugar @ Clapham Grand, London.