See Supergrass play live in Oxford in Virtual Reality gig

The tour saw the Wheatley band celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut I Should Coco, with packed out gigs across Europe and the UK – including two nights at London’s Alexandra Palace.

Then, just weeks before they were due to fly off to America, and ahead of much anticipated sets at Glastonbury and our own Wilderness festival, disaster struck in the shape of coronavirus and the lockdown.

“It was going really well and we enjoyed playing those gigs,” says drummer Danny Goffey, during a break in recording at a studio in Chiswick.

“It’s a shame what happened afterwards. We were playing well and really excited for the year ahead. We were supposed to be playing Glastonbury before Fat Boy Slim as the penultimate band on the Other Stage.

“On the Friday it should have happened, I went out and it was beautiful. I kept thinking ‘I should be on stage at Glastonbury for the best gig of our lives’. I can tell you, it brought a tear to the eye.”

Read more: Radiohead's Ed talks about his new album and hopes for big Oxford show by the band

He adds: “Hopefully there’ll be a vaccine and we can get back to playing normally next summer.”

But while we were denied those festival sets, fans will be able to catch Danny and bandmates Gaz and Rob Coombes and Mick Quinn in action tomorrow, when they play a live-streamed gig from Oxford’s Bullingdon.

The show is in collaboration with Chicago brewery Goose Island, which has launching a new beer in tribute to the band. Man Sized Brew Sir – an 8% double IPA – is a humorous nod to the Supergrass classic Mansize Rooster.

The craft ale was created by Goose Island’s master brewer Andrew Walton at The Brewpub in the epicentre of all things ‘hipster’ – Shoreditch. It is described has having a tropical fruit character with notes of passionfruit, peach and citrus.

Fans, though, will have to enjoy the band and brews from home. For while the lads will be playing a hometown show, there will be no audience. It will, however, be filmed in 360° and Virtual Reality, giving their audience an immersive experience of their festival set.

So how did it come about? “Goose Island offered, and we didn’t have much going on so were quite happy to do something,” says Danny. “It was originally going to be filmed in Manchester but they are pretty locked down, so it’s coming to Oxford – and I get to send some time with my mum.”

Supergrass were one of the biggest bands of the 90s, scoring six top 20 albums, three of them platinum – including 1995’s I Should Coco, which was the biggest-selling debut for Parlophone since the Beatles released Please Please Me in 1963.

Read again: Supergrass still on a buzz after jaw-dropping live show: Review

Hits included chart-topper Alright, Richard III, Sun Hits The Sky, Pumping On Your Stereo, Moving and Grace.

One of the last dates the band played before their split was Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival in July 2009.

Band members had been busy in the interim. Frontman Gaz has released three solo albums, ​Here Come the Bombs, the Mercury Prize nominated ​Matador and top 12 hit World’s Strongest Man, and performed and recorded with a hand-picked bunch of Oxford musicians and friends including drummer Mike Monaghan and guitarists Nick ‘Growler’ Fowler and Garo Nahoulakian.

Last year he played a charity concert at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre to celebrate the venue’s 350th anniversary. All proceeds from the concert were donated to Oxford charities Yellow Submarine,​ which supports people with learning difficulties, and the Young Women’s Music Project – which aims to get more girls and women into contemporary music.

Mick has been playing with his own DB Band, and played with Swervedriver, while Danny has released material through his side act Vangoffey. He also drummed for Pete Doherty’s Babyshambles.

Danny, whose dad Chris once presented the motoring show Top Gear, grew up in Forest Hill, near Oxford, but now lives in Frome, Somerset, with his wife, the musician and fashion designer Pearl Lowe.

“We’ve been at home for the whole of lockdown,” says Danny. “And it’s been fine having the family and hanging out, but it’s good to be getting back to doing more stuff and writing again.”

And with coronavirus playing havoc with their touring plans, we will, at least, have the reformed band hanging around a little longer than expected – with the promise of rescheduled gigs and festivals next year.

“I hope it happens, but everything is still up in the air,” says Danny.

“It took a lot to get the reunion going in the first place. I remember phoning Gaz the year before the first gig and saying ‘ let’s do it... it will be fun!’. It was a lot of work though, involving a big stage set and loads of people.

“It’s a funny old world – but at least we’re all alive.”

Fans watching tomorrow’s show, pay a charity donation of £2 to obtain a single-use code to join the concert at home online. They will also be entered into a prize draw to win a range of Goose Island goods.

Ticket proceeds will be split equally between music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Charity and suicide prevention charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – the band’s chosen charity.

Danny says the band are looking forward to playing again, and promised a short but punchy set.

Read again: After 10 years, Gaz is 'Alright' about Supergrass split

“I think it’s going to be fast and furious,” he says. “It will be a festival set to get everyone jollied up a bit! We haven’t played for five months but will have a couple of rehearsals beforehand,” he laughs.

But, he admits, lockdown has taken its toll. “When we were touring we were getting physically fit and able to drink a few pints without it touching the sides – but now I do have a bit of a lockdown paunch. Still, I’m pleased we can get back to playing to people again.”

• Supergrass play live from the Bullingdon tomorrow. The set is a one-off and will not be archived or re-played. Tickets are £2 from gooseislandpresents.com