大象传媒

The Super Furry Faithful file into the Empire for a Sunday service courtesy of the one, the only Gruff Rhys, frontman of one of the 90's most joyously idiosyncratic bands. While Oasis were puffing, Blur were pouting, and Pulp were flouncing, the Super Furry Animals brought strangeness and whimsy to the charts and festivals of the mid-nineties.

Tonight's support comes from the young H Hawkline, a young fella in many ways the dead spit of Gruff, his hairy mentor. His recorded work could be superficially lumped in with your Just Jacks, Jack Penates and other quirky fellas with quirky songs, but solo he displays a typical Welsh lyricism.

Then Gruff himself arrives, stepping around the table of assorted noisemakers, children's toys and 茂驴陆lovely metronomes' that make up his backing band. He thanks us all for coming out on a cold and foggy Sunday night and then apologetically begins his set.

茂驴陆We'll get the sad, Sunday songs out of the way first茂驴陆 he says, telling the story of the Welsh diaspora to Argentina (a homage to Patagonia, if you will) and his recent trip over to film the story of his distant ancestors.

It soon becomes clear that tonight isn't about the 茂驴陆hits'. The rowdier elements of the audience set up a stadium chant of If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You as he fiddles with his gear. 茂驴陆That's lovely, it really is茂驴陆茂驴陆 he snipes, before launching into another obscure cut from his extensive back catalogue or as yet unreleased Hotel Shampoo album.

It also becomes clear that tonight, our old friend professionalism has also not been invited. He faffs around on stage, putting random records on the tiny turntable, micing up his foot and failing to put the right mic on the right instrument, meaning the crowd has to pick up the beat.

Yet he can somehow transcend this with a mixture of charm, good humour and that voice, one of the most underrated of the 90s. He's like that 6th former you admired in school, the one with nothing really to recommend them but somehow managed to do alright.

The only foray into the SFA back catalogue is a lovely acoustic version of Fire in My Heart, stripped back to the bare bones and bookended with a disclaimer that he can't really do the song justice without the rest of the band. An outing for new single Shark Ridden Waters is well received before H Hawkings returns to the stage to play us out.

It was a difficult gig, far from easy listening and an act that left many in the crowd bemused, but with Gruff's indomitable stage presence (the equal to any of the comedians who might grace the Empire) and a clutch of great tunes, he might just have got away with it. 听

Shane Horan