Carling Academy, Liverpool

Joel Sawyer

SOME of us will have been there - checking out a band live before you've got their album, only to be left standing there, twiddling your thumbs, not knowing a note...

I feared as much when I went to see Bernard Butler (guitar god) and Brett Anderson's latest project, The Tears.

I'd only heard their single Refugees the night before on Jonathon Woss' TV show and it hadn't exactly made me giddy with excitement.

The most I could get excited about was seeing Butler, one of the greatest guitarists of a generation, live on stage.

I feared we were in for a battle of egos who were only in it to pay their mortgages...but, I'm happy to report, I was completely and utterly wrong.

This was an electric, livewire gig, full of passion and joy. It was almost like Berny and Brett were celebrating getting a second chance to make beautiful, awesome songs again.

My friend made the point that they didn't have the right to be so good - and they were awesome. Bernard was frenetic and jubilant, while Brett's voice was passion-soaked and his banter was ever-so-grateful, 'thankyouverymuch'.

And they seemed to be very happy to be in each other's company once again.

But it would've all been in vain if the music was pants. Gladly - ever so gladly - the music lived up to the potential its two front men first displayed in their Suede incarnation.

It was, by turns, anthemic, powerful, beautiful and incredibly good. Brett's melodies fit to Bernard's grand, sweeping guitar lines just as well as his lyrics matched the drama of the music - and it was all so uplifting.

If the album is anything like as good as the live show, we're going to be blessed with another Butler/Anderson masterpiece.

Catch them at the intimate venues while you can.