This is what I get for being that way

Even after almost 20 years, critics still can't seem to cope with Suede's fey and effeminate image. In one of the reviews of the Brussels gig, Brett is described as an unmanly, Italian waiter, and even Mat seemed to accentuate his gay side, according to the critic… What is it that even journalists on the eve of the year 2011 still can't hide their homophobic views?

Luckily, Suede themselves were never afraid about showing their feminine side, talking about gay people they befriended, or defending gay rights or artists. They even featured on the cover of gay magazine Attitude. You couldn't imagine the likes of Oasis there. In the interview Brett and Simon try to explain all misunderstandings about them just posing as gays to grab more attention.

Brett is posing as James Dean, and Simon never looked more handsome.

Pictures by Brad Branson

I hate it when you become more famous than me

Even when tours were over, and the band was writing their next album, they kept being put on music magazine covers. This comes from a March 1994 issue of Vox. Brett was writing Dog Man Star at the time, and already feeling very confident about it, though he was slagged off be his ex-girlfriend Justine saying "that the media feeding frenzy had made it impossible for Suede to produce a strong second album". How wrong that view proved to be.

Brett isn't short of strong quotes as always. "A nation of fags, aren't we? That's what they think in America."

Picture by Barry Marsden.

Whatever happened to the teenage dream?

Back in early 1993, this was unseen. A band with only two singles, and a debut album still in the recording process, crashed the cover of one of the biggest music magazines. Normally, only established stars like U2, Madonna or Prince were put on the cover of Q.

The article and interview are a classic. The writer hails them like Jezus Christ himself who has landed on planet earth again. "Are they, indeed, the new Smiths that everyone's been frantically looking for since 1987?"

"Yes. Oh, yes. Whatever the question was, yes!", he's giving himself over.

Brett is foretelling the future about song titles of his short reunion with Bernard. "He speaks through his guitar, pretty much. He definitely co-stars with me on the songs."

Also, the past in Haywards Heath is extensively revisited. All the Suede drama is there.

Strange enough the next single Animal Nitrate is announced with B-sides Dolly/Samba. Dolly only emerged on So Young, and whatever happened to Samba?

Photo by Paul Rider

Come back and stay for good

Last week, Suede made their big comeback at the O2 arena in London, their biggest indoor gig of their career. And they look determined to carry on in 2011, who could have imagined that a year ago.

Suede are true comeback kids. They came back to promote Dog Man Star when Bernard left, they came back with their second debut album Coming Up, they came back and flopped with A New Morning, and now they are back, again!

This cover comes from Suede's second glory year 1996 (after 1993). It shows us Brett smoking, one of the few times we catch him with a cigarette. Inside the comeback interview runs over 8 pages.

Pictures by Kevin Cummins

Ich bin in einer Satellitenstadt gross geworden

Germany is often thought of as a country with a notoriously bad taste in music. Nevertheless, Suede is hitting Berlin tonight, one of the coolest cities on European playground.

This is a cover from 1999. Wom (World of music) used to be a chain of music shops across German cities.

In sepia and grey

Last night, Suede played the famous Paradiso club in Amsterdam. To my knowledge, Suede never graced the cover of a music magazine in Holland. Of course, the market is much smaller than in France or England, but even longtime running magazine Oor never really put them on the cover, except as second headline with a small picture.

Instead I chose this great picture from magazine Watt. This was a monthly about independent music. This interview was done in a London hotel. The photographer asked if the band could pose outside, but they refused, as their faces were too famous.

Another hilarious quote is that Brett is claiming they are living a simple life. "Take Simon, he's wanking all day."

Rest of the interview is not so funny, but tales about suburban loneliness.

Picture by Ron Kruit

Am I suspended in Gaffa?

Surely, of all the Scandinavian countries Suede were most popular in Denmark. Strangely, they are not playing Copenhagen on this tour.

This is a cover of Danish free magazine Gaffa. The interview was done shortly after the release of A New Morning. The album is reviewed by Brett song by song.

The cover shows us Brett seated in some Danish designer seat.

Picture by Casper Helmer

Am I suspended in Gaffa? That's a line from a great Kate Bush song.