2. Career beginnings (Suede)
• Brett Anderson started a band with his then girlfriend (who later became lead singer of
Elastica) Justine Frischmann and his childhood friend Mat Osman in 1989.
• They met Bernard Butler after placing an advert in NME magazine looking for a lead
guitarist. They named the band Suede and began to play gigs in small venues in
Camden, without a drummer.
• In 1990, Suede found themselves a permanent drummer in the form of Simon Gilbert. In
1991 Justine left the band after breaking up with Anderson, but this was when the
band finally began to click and found their style.
• By 1992 Suede had received attention from the music press, becoming a firm favourite
of NME who gave them chances to perform at shows. It was after one of these shows
that Suede were signed for a two single deal by Nude Records and then offered a
number of longer lasting deals.
• The band’s first couple of singles had moderate success, but Animal Nitrate reached the
top 10 which meant the band performed on the Brits and this is what attracted more
attention.
•
3. Other career endeavours
• After Suede’s break up in 2003, Anderson reunited with former
guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004 to form The Tears. They recorded
an album, but after they cancelled a tour the project was scrapped.
• Anderson began a solo career in 2006, and released his first solo
album in 2007.
• Suede reformed in 2010, supposedly for a one off gig, but they
continued to play shows and released an album and have another
album in the works.
4. • In his earlier years, Anderson came across as quite brash in
interviews, saying things that would cause a stir (such as his quote
about being bisexual).
• While still being not afraid to speak his mind, Anderson now tends to
reflect on his younger self, explaining some of what he said and did
as being down to how he felt at the time, the image he wanted to
promote back then and some things being taken out of context.
• He is also fairly open about his battle with drug addiction through the
late 90s.
• Anderson has a dedicated following by both those who were around
in the early days of Suede and those who have discovered his music
more recently.
• Anderson and Suede are cited as starting the Brit Pop movement in
the early 90s.
5. Quotes
“I hate going to a party and
getting trapped by men talking
about cars.”
“I think there’s always a place for Suede because we
occupy a space that no one else occupies.”
“If we wanted to be
controversial we’d have called
the album ‘I f***ed dogs’. It’s
f***ing easy to be controversial
and difficult to be good.”
“I’m definitely not interested in
getting up in the morning if it hasn’t
got to do with music.”
“People want to hear the songs from the band’s heyday. We’ve got a duty to the fans
not to ruin the legacy.”
“I’m a bisexual man who’s
never had a homosexual
experience.”
“I’m still dysfunctional
enough to write a decent
song.”
“It amused me to read we’d been
styled. We developed junk shop chic
’cause we were on the dole.”
“They [The Brit Awards] didn't want
us there but, as we were hip, they
had to acknowledge us. It was a
very spiteful, vitriolic performance,
an expression of our hatred for the
music industry.”
6. Image from Suede’s
performance of Animal Nitrate
at the Brit Awards in 1993
where Brett Anderson’s sexually
charged lyrics and stage
presence split audiences and
the media and caused quite a
stir.
(Above)Image from the video for The Drowners, the
band’s debut single, featuring some of the sexually
ambiguous lyrics.
(Below) Image from more recent times, where
Anderson is a lot more mellow and clean from drugs.
Image from Melody Maker in
1992 which also features Lesley
Silverfish. Anderson aimed to
project an androgynous image
during the 90s.
7. Image from Suede’s
performance of Animal Nitrate
at the Brit Awards in 1993
where Brett Anderson’s sexually
charged lyrics and stage
presence split audiences and
the media and caused quite a
stir.
(Above)Image from the video for The Drowners, the
band’s debut single, featuring some of the sexually
ambiguous lyrics.
(Below) Image from more recent times, where
Anderson is a lot more mellow and clean from drugs.
Image from Melody Maker in
1992 which also features Lesley
Silverfish. Anderson aimed to
project an androgynous image
during the 90s.
