By far the most musically diverse of the many bands to emerge from Wales in the 1990s, Super Furry Animals returned to North America recently to promote their eighth studio album, Hey, Venus!

Perhaps more accessible than their previous offering Love Kraft, this concept album follows the story of ‘Venus’ and her journey from the country to the city, apparently.

SFA have always delivered catchy sing-along tunes injected with experimental sounds and psychedelic influences. Shades of Lennon, The Beach Boys, and ELO shine through new numbers ‘Show your hand’, ‘Battersey Odyssey’, ‘Run-Away’, and ‘Baby Ate my Eight Ball’.

Having already played sold out shows in Brooklyn and Hoboken, the furrier than ever Welsh rockers returned to the Bowery Ballroom for the final night of the tour and delivered a set that was lighter on new material but peppered with classics from their back catalog, some of which were chosen by the fans through an online poll. Tonight’s most voted song was ‘Fire in my heart’ from the 1999 Guerrilla album.

They kicked off with ‘Slow Life’ from the Phantom Power album before pleasuring the dedicated Monday night crowd with ‘Rings around the World’ ,’Golden Retriever’, ‘Hello Sunshine’, ‘Juxtapose with you’ and many others.

Gone were the stunning visuals and yeti outfits of tours past, but not the trademark humor and frivolity. Props included singer Gruff Rhys’ ubiquitous Power Ranger helmet, and hand-written placards obscurely claiming ‘Wales Killed Jimi Hendrix’.
There was even time for a brand new ‘song’ entitled Earth, a ten second epic involving a Pythonesque audience participation routine.
‘Receptacle for the respectable’ also featured an interesting routine where Gruff masticates his carrot (no, that’s not a typo) before spraying it over the grateful punters in the front row.

Tonight’s show was shorter than the Brooklyn one and didn’t feature any encores, probably due to curfews rather than tour fatigue. With such an extensive back catalog it would be impossible to fulfill everybody’s requests.  I would have loved to hear ‘Mountain People’ but then it serves me right for not voting.

• Furry Footie Facts;
  Super Furry Animals were the shirt sponsors for Cardiff City FC during their all too brief 1999 Welsh Cup run, (Unfortunately the Bluebirds were knocked out in the first round by the mighty Barry Town).
  Striker Kevin Nugent’s less than enthusiastic reaction to the kit,
  "Once you get the shirt on, you tend to forget about it."
  
  
• SFA also paid tribute to football bad boy Robin Friday, featuring him on the single cover for “The Man Don’t Give a F#!!’