OXFORD rock star Gaz Coombes has announced a hometown show, his first solo gig in the city for five years.
The Supergrass frontman will play songs from his four solo albums in a show at the New Theatre on December 10. Tickets go on sale this Friday and are expected to quickly sell out.
Gaz, who lives in Wheatley, is one of the most successful and best-loved artists to have emerged from the city’s music scene.
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As lead singer with Supergrass, he was one of the biggest acts of the 90s . And while still playing with the reformed band – playing Glastonbury Festival last year – he has increasingly focused on his solo material, performing with a backing band of fellow Oxford musicians.
This year he released his fourth solo album, ‘Turn The Car Around’, which debuted at No.6 in the UK Official Album Charts. It followed the highly acclaimed ‘Here Come The Bombs’, Mercury and Ivor Novello nominated ‘Matador’, and ‘World’s Strongest Man’.
The musician, who writes from his home in Wheatley, says the latest album is his finest yet.
“There’s a lot of subject matter in there that I’ve played with and maybe not managed to see through in the past. I’ve evolved. The one thing that has really nourished me in the last 10 years is the idea of evolving as an artist, evolving my writing to keep moving forward,” he says.
“I run on vibe. I always have."
He will perform two songs From ‘Turn The Car Around’ on TV music show ‘Later.. With Jools Holland’ this Saturday.
The new date will delight fans of the band who were disappointed the city didn’t feature on Gaz’s original tour. Many have followed him since his earliest days, starting off at the age 16 in The Jennifers, before forming Supergrass with bandmate Danny Goffey, and friend Mick Quinn, whom he had met while working at his local Harvester.
The band, which later expanded to take in Gaz’s brother Rob, went on to have six Top 20 albums, three going platinum. Their first album, I Should Coco, proved the biggest-selling debut for Parlophone since the Beatles released Please Please Me in 1963.
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The hometown gig will follow a summer of festivals around the UK and Europe, including Primavera, Rock En Seine, Bergen Fest, Neighbourhood Weekender and Brighton Beach Gaz.
A spokesman for the tour said: “Today’s newly announced Oxford New Theatre show will be the only opportunity for fans to see Gaz with his full band this year – excluding festival dates."
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday from: gigsandtours.com/tour/gaz-coombes
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