Hello spaceboys

“Ooh this is posh food!” coos a very hungover and rather worse for wear Danny from Supergrass as we sit down to lunch in the Gresham. “We’re usually used to crisps and beer when we are on tour.”

But it’s time for a little posh celebration as the mighty ‘Grass are back with a cracking new album entitled Life On Other Planets and a new hit-laden live set that received its world premiere in their hometown of Oxford the previous night. Obviously, the Middle England homecoming turned into a bit of party.” I can hardly think straight to even put this food in my mouth,” mourns Danny, as I decide against launching into a very detailed line of questioning. “We’re a bit out of training,” offers ace bass and vocalist Mick. “We do get very excited on the first few days of a tour.”

Young, excited, carefree, always known by their first names, getting pissed but still keeping their teeth nice and clean… it all corresponds to a reputation that always made them the refreshing polar opposite of their world weary Oxford colleagues Radiohead. The funny thing is, after all these crazy rock ’n’ roll years of Britpop coming and going the ‘Grass are rather unfairly regarded as the elder statesmen of guitar pop. “I know!” groans Mick. “We’re still quite young and as a band we’ve still got a lot to do. There are still a lot of bands out there a lot older than us.

“However, I do suppose we have been at it for a while and a lot of younger bands have come along. But what I like about the new bands now is that the music doesn’t have the same national tag, which is very refreshing. What we hated about Britpop is that it had overtones of nationalism that were really annoying. I’m really glad that the new crop of guitar bands is a truly global thing.”

“It’s a lot like when we started in the Britpop era or whatever you want to call it”, pips in a far less chatty and coherent Danny. “There are more bands to go and see and there are more bands to choose to support you. As regards us, this new album and all the new songs feel very fresh. Our gigs are still a little messy and ramshackle. We haven’t turned into professionals just yet.”

Later that night, Supergrass turn in a far from messy performance in the Ambassador, giving everything from their stupendous debut single ‘Caught By the Fuzz’ to the current radio smash ‘Grace’ a whirl. Barring two Trinity Ball appearances and a support slot with Oasis in Lansdowne Road, it’s the first proper ‘Grass gig in Ireland in over five years. What took you so long fellas?

“We don’t really have any excuses,” Mick truthfully answers. “The Trinity Ball ones turn up and it’s a way of making a lot of cash basically. But we’re back now and hopefully we’ll make up for it. We were thinking about it the other day about how we seemed to miss Ireland for some weird reason. It wasn’t deliberate I assure you!”

That’s that sorted then! The Supergrass boys have had their fair share of onstage weirdness over the years. “On one tour we had two huge fairy lights right in front of the drum kit,” Mick recalls. “Gaz was playing a solo in one of the songs and he stepped back and tripped onto his back. It seemed to be in complete slow motion and he still kept playing. He was looking at me as he was falling down!”

“For one show, I gaffa taped my whole drum kit down so they wouldn’t knock it over,” Danny remembers. “Then I forgot about it and went to kick it over and hurt my foot. It was rock solid and very sore.” At this point, an increasingly dishevelled Danny retires for a post-lunch kip as Mick scolds him for leaving half his steak untouched.

As Danny dozes, Mick reveals how Supergrass in 2002 have expanded from a trio to a quartet with the addition of Gaz Coombe’s brother Rob on keyboards. “There has been very little adjustment for us as a band.” Mick states. “It’s just the fact that he is doing interviews and photos now. He has definitely always been very important to us in the studio and on the road. He got a new digital keyboard for this album that emulates all the analogue sounds so he’d sit there for hours with his headphones in a world of his own. At one point we thought he was turning into Jack Nicolson in The Shining.”

Do Gaz and Rob ever have any bouts of sibling tension? “Nah. It’s all peace and love. The whole Coombes family is pretty close. There is probably more sibling rivalry between me and Danny and we are only spiritual brothers! Me and Danny have a classic love/hate thing. Sometimes he really pisses me off but sometimes he turns around and makes me laugh me guts out and that’s the way it always was and always will be.”

Supergrass have been best friends and spiritual brothers for many years now, since they had imaginary bands with ridiculous names and Gaz and Danny played around Oxford as The Jennifers. “We don’t have to work at being friends that hard,” Mick muses. As much as you do with any other friend. Obviously, you are going to drift in and out occasionally. The bottom line is that we all get on and stuff and we are willing to drag it back if we’ve all disappeared for two months and not spoken to each other. It operates as it always did. We make each other laugh on different levels. The chemistry still seems to work.”