Tonight, Bristol O2 Academy saw legendary Britpop heroes SLEEPER performing a show celebrating the 25th anniversary of their sophomore album ‘The IT Girl’.

Released in 1996, the album has gone platinum with over 300,000 sales worldwide and it spawned 4 top 20 singles which really helped to out the band on the map alongside other Britpop acts such as Suede, Blur, Pulp, Elastica and Supergrass.

First up was Bristol based duo Mumble Tide, a duo formed of Gina Leonard and Ryan Rogers. These were very much a wolf in sheep’s clothing as from the get go, I was lulled into a false sense of security with some tender, heartfelt vocals which took me down a dark secluded alleyway, the alleyway turned out to be a cut-de-sac and as they duo hit the wall and bounced back towards me, they came at me with the malice of a scorned lover seeking revenge on their unsuspecting partner. 

With acoustic guitar, electric bass, keys, drum machine and even a trumpet to add a little uniqueness to the set, this power duo drove the O2 Academy with their solid tracks. They announced that they were awaiting delivery of a new record that was in the process of being pressed but owing to Brexit and the pandemic, things have ben somewhat delayed but they added that they are still taking pre-orders should you wish to add your name to the list! They performed a song called ‘Noodle’ which was about the vocalist’s uber long neck (it looked quite normal to me), this was received really well from the healthy crowd that had come to see them perform. 

Along with another Bristol duo called Slug Puppie, Mumble Tide are definitely an act worth keeping an eye on.

Up next were the enigmatic and adorable quartet Lottery Winners who bounded onstage and immediately asked the audience “when did they become famous in Bristol?” - things went from strength to strength with the singer picking on the 4 photographers in the pit as he struck a provocative pose and teased 3 of us by saying that we didn’t have any film in our cameras. He turned to me and asked if I as a pervert because I had a long telephoto lens on my camera, very amusing indeed! 

The songs came thick and fast and a woman on the front row must have been able to see the setlist from where she was stood as she was calling out the tracks in order as they ran through the set. The singer asked if she was Mystic Meg (from the 90s National Lottery programme) and then gave the woman (named Elaine) the job of calling out the next track to the room. The between song banter didn’t get any better, at one stage the singer was taunting the guitarist who he explained was on a 3 month probation period since leaving prison and to supplement his income, he was selling dodgy Amazon Firesticks on the march table for just £15, complete with all of the sport channels and even a couple of adult stations thrown in for free, this in-band banter was well received by the room who had congregated on a Thursday night in Bristol.

After more songs from their forthcoming long player, the singer announced that he had recently lost 2 stone in weight and if anyone was ‘interested’, he was staying in a nearby Travelodge where he had a king-sized bed which would be plenty big enough for two as long as she ‘went on top’.

He introduced a track that was written with the legend that is Frank Turner but as Frank couldn’t be there at the show (they did ask him), they passed the role of Frank to the audience who were more than eager to take part and join in when prompted to add an extra layer of magic to the track. 

As their set wore on, the singer asked everyone to get their phones put and turn on the torches and hold them in the air, in a similar way that Robbie Williams did when he played ‘Angels’ on his DVD, this led into a truly wonderful a cappella version of ‘Emerald City’ which sounded sublime. They closed with ’21’ which was enough to rouse the audience into a frenzy and get them nicely warmed up for the main act that would follow after a short break.

To the tune of ‘You Only Live Twice’ Sleeper took to the stage with 2 additional members (keys and rhythm guitar), ready to perform their sophomore album ‘The IT Girl’ to an expectant audience at Bristol’s O2 Academy.

Louise looked stunning in her silver sequinned disco skirt and skinny fit retro 90’s T which matched he attire of the audience, many wearing Sleeper T’s from back in the day which demonstrated the love that the room had for this incredible band.

The first section of the setlist followed the album in its entirety, the songs were played in the order that they appeared on the album so die hard fans knew what was coming next and seeing as there were 4 singles that all broke the Top 20 back in the day (remember ‘the charts’?), the atmosphere remained electrifying throughout the evening.

‘Sale of the Century’ and ‘What Do I Do Now’ were delivered with the sass and confidence that they were back in the mid 90’s and sounded tighter than ever (those pre-tour rehearsal sessions clearly paid off).

The band looked like they were enjoying themselves, having been off the radar for so long, it was a delight to see them all back on stage doing what they do best and having the time of their lives at the same time.

‘Dress Like Your Mother’ was followed by ‘Statuesque’ and ‘Nice Guy Eddie’ which bought us to the end of the hit singles from the album. The audience were in full flow at this stage and it was great to see everyone letting their hair down on a Thursday night, no doubt there would have been a few sore heads and aching joints this morning, something that sadly comes with being the age we are (me included).

They left the stage after ‘Click…Off…Gone’ and took a well deserved 5 minutes to refresh themselves prior to joining the room once again for a tremendous 7 track encore which included ‘Vegas’ and after Louise announced “there was a reason why she was wearing sequins”, their sublime take on Blondie’s ‘Atomic’ which bled into Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ which had the audience singing along with Louise. 

As the sun set on their show, they pulled out the big guns and performed ‘Inbetweener’, again, delivered with confidence and appeal that put them on the Britpop map back in the mid 90’s alongside the other heavyweights of the scene. Closing with a reprise of ‘Sale of the Century’, the room ignited and a mass sing-a-long started in the pit and rang around the academy, I don’t think there was a quiet voice in the house.

Like a fine wine, Louise and the rest of the ‘Sleeper Blokes’ have aged well, they look great, they sound even better than they did back in the day, whether this was thanks to the additional musicians they had with them on stage but either way, it was a joyous performance that will stay in my heart for a long time to come.

Their performance took me back to 1995 where I saw them support R.E.M. at Milton Keynes Bowl on their ‘Monster’ tour and from what I recall, a much younger and more vulnerable band were on stage giving it their all. I chatted to Louise ahead of the show and I asked her a few questions about that very day (which also coincided with her 29th birthday), she did well, answering 4/5 questions and I promised her a bar of chocolate which I handed to her as I left the photo pit after the first 3 songs of the show in Bristol!

The band are currently touring the UK and can be seen at the following dates (for tickets, head to Sleeper Tour Dates)

May 1 – Newcastle Boiler Shop

May 6 – London The Roundhouse

May 7 – Cambridge The Junction

Setlist

Lie Detector

Sale of the Century

What Do I Do Now?

Good Luck Mr Gorsky

Feeling Peaky

Shrinkwrapped

Dress Like Your Mother

Statuesque

Glue Ears

Nice Guy Eddie

Stop Your Crying

Factor 41

Click….Off….Gone

Wee Break

Cellophane

The Sun Also Rises

Vegas

Look At You Now / Romeo Me

Atomic / Love Will Tear Us Apart

Inbetweener

Sale of the Century (reprise)

Words and Pictures by Steve Muscutt