Suede | Bloodworm
Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent – Live Review
30th January 2026
Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone, “the world’s first music town”, played host to Suede on the opening night of the now sold-out UK leg of their Antidepressants tour. The irrepressible five-piece are still making ground breaking music in their fifth decade together. They showcased the best of their critically acclaimed tenth studio album, as well as many other crowd pleasers, in a blistering 21-track set. Brett and his multi-award-winning band were match fit and on top form for the first of their seventeen hotly anticipated gigs.
Nottingham trio Bloodworm, carrying the baton they were lucky enough to pick up last year, continued as Suede’s support. The post-punk, prog-goth East Midlanders, George (Vocals/Guitar/Mohair Cardigan), Euan(Drums) and Chris(Bass) played out a polished and well received seven track set, including their latest single – “released just a few days ago”, Bloodlust. Bloodworm, watched in the wings by a very attentive Mr Anderson, shifted between echoes of Sisters Of Mercy on Depths to channelling Peter Murphy’s Bauhaus on Back Of Hand. The band were as tight knit as a Simon Cowell roll neck with all three members on point and in sync. “We’re honoured to play in front of so many people”, said George before closing out an engaging set that piqued the interest of many in the growing crowd.
With Bloodworm done, the covers were lifted from the keys and drums, the Antidepressants album imagery unfurled, and the carpet tiles taped to the floor (More of that later) as the stage was prepped for the arrival of the headline act. The now capacity crowd, gratefully out of the torrential rain battering the South Coast and into the warmth of the near century old venue, were buzzing with excitement.
Suede took to the stage on cue at 8:45pm to huge cheers from the multi-generational crowd. Brett, dressed in a modest white shirt, skinny black jeans, patent shoes and an elasticated knee sleeve, was last on but first out of the blocks as he and the band almost immediately tore into a rip-roaring version of Disintegrate, the opening track on Antidepressants.
Anderson’s energy and enthusiasm for his art, and his desire to please his passionate and adoring audience, were clearly evident from the off, and throughout a deftly crafted set. The opening track established the tone of the evening with its raw drive and emotive tension. Two more songs, from a total of six off the new album, followed Disintegrate; the band’s last single release, Dancing With The Europeans, and the title track, Antidepressants.
A trio of firm fan favourites followed on in quick succession as Suede whipped up the already animated crowd before them. 1996’s top three singles – Trash led into 1993’s Animal Nitrate and then on to their debut single, The Downers.
Brett, by now a little sweatier than when he’d taken to the stage, had already been in and out of the crowd, conducting sing-a-longs and ensuring that the building momentum had no chance of faltering. He was in many ways his own cheerleader, but there was no doubt that the partisan audience were 110% committed and totally behind him. Anderson was up and down the length of the stage, stood atop the front stage monitors and leaping like a young leopard in his prime, not a man approaching his 59th birthday.
Ahead of the final three tracks from the new album, Brett took a brief breather as he introduced Life Is Golden by telling the audience that he’d written the next song “For his son when he was three or four…. He’s on TikTok now, or his PS5!” It was a candid moment from the ever charismatic frontman whose energy and love flowed back and forth between himself and his audience all night.
Trance Stance, an anthemic Criminal Ways and then a dramatic and visceral June Rain saw Brett deliver an emotional roller coaster as he held the crowd transfixed. Anderson, although still young at heart, employed the use of his padded carpet tiles as he knelt for the start of the song; obviously trying to protect his ageing knees (Believe me, I know how he feels!) He and the band switched things up again for Autofiction’s rousing Personality Disorder before the band, bar keyboard player Neil Codling, left the stage as Brett, at one point singing without the aid of a mic, sang out a jaw dropping version of The Wild Ones.
As Brett’s stirring rendition ended, the remaining band members returned for a spectacular three track finale. A delirious crowd were treated to So Young, breakthrough single Metal Mickey and the iconic Beautiful Ones. The opening guitar riff alone was enough to send the crowd wild. To rapturous applause, Suede returned for a one track encore – The Only Way I Can Love You.
Suede, the self proclaimed “anti nostalgia band”, demonstrated, without any doubt at all, why they are still, probably more than ever, so vital. This was a tour de force live performance of such immense quality that it left everyone in awe. If you’ve got a ticket for any of the remaining dates, you’re going to have a fantastic night.
~
You can find Suede online here: They’re also on
Facebook and X as @SuedeHQ
You can find Bloodworm on Facebook here: They’re also on
X, as @bloodworm_band
All words by Andrew Lockwood. More writing by Andrew Lockwood can be found at his author’s archive.
All photos by Aaron Thompson. AMP Photography
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