Wider Than Pictures – Super Furry Animals – Live Review – 30/08/26

It was the final night of the Wider Than Pictures concert series, and Super Furry Animals were in town. The Welsh band formed in 1993 and released 9 albums, the last of which was Dark Days/Light Years in 2009. In February of this year, the band released Precreation Percolation, a compilation of early EPs and also announced some live dates. They played the Olympia in Dublin in May of this year, ending a ten-year hiatus from live performances. This gig was at a substantially larger venue than the first, but the three-band lineup, including Baxter Dury, made for an impressive night of music. The main fear of those attending was the rain, but thankfully there were only a few brief showers.

Just after 6.30pm, the first band on stage was the Irish three-piece, Really Good Time, who released their debut album Affirmation in June of this year. They were quick to tell us to check it out in between songs. They have a fairly traditional rock band formation of guitar, bass and drums, and play a nice blend of alt rock with a slight punk edge. They play the Button Factory in December if you’re interested in seeing them live.

Next up was Baxter Dury, who was a slightly unusual addition to the lineup, straying quite far from Super Furry Animals’ indie pop, with his synth-driven style described amusingly as “post-disco”! There were four musicians on stage, with synth, bass and drums, along with Baxter occupying the front section of the stage, prowling backwards and forwards, posing and working the audience. The other surprise was his constant grin from ear to ear; he was visibly loving his time on stage and had no fear of showing it. The highlights included Allbarone and Schadenfreude, in a short but memorable set.

The final act of the evening was, of course, the Super Furry Animals, led by Gruff Rhys. They played in near darkness, with the emphasis on the computer-generated visuals projected onto the back of the stage, along with the music. They opened with the catchy, radio-friendly Rings Around the World. The band were a six-piece, with two on percussion, along with synth, bass and two guitarists.

There was minimal interaction with the audience, other than the occasional comment about loving playing in Dublin. However, Gruff did bring out sticks of celery during Receptacle for the Respectable to throw into the audience! A nod to Paul McCartney playing the rhythm section by chewing on celery and carrots on the original. Other highlights from the set included Something 4 the Weekend, Hello Sunshine and Juxtapozed With U. The final song was The Man Don’t Give a Fuck, which turned into something of an epic, with the band leaving the stage briefly to return in full Yeti costumes. For fans of the band, it was a return to their glory days!