The Brewery Bar, Botley | 16 May 2026 | ★★★★
By Bryan Stanislas | Music Scene Magazine
Botley Brewery Bar, located in Winchester Street, Botley, saw the return of its annual “Brew Fest” festival this weekend after a few years of absence. Live music sat firmly at the heart of the event and MSM managed to get along to catch a band that has intrigued us — and one we’ve heard plenty of good things about for quite some time — Supersonic Spirit.
Now this is a band we understand has only been together for around three years or so. Listening to them perform though, you would easily think it had been closer to thirteen.
Despite the weather being typically British, with periods of drizzling rain throughout the afternoon, festival goers were not put off by the “liquid sunshine.” The venue had prepared well, with a large covered marquee featuring four open sides, straw bales for seating and an excellent supply of real ales helping to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that suited the event perfectly.
After a short delay caused by a couple of technical gremlins involving the lead guitarist’s pedal array and a bass connection issue, the band launched into an energetic Britpop-fuelled assault on the crowd that instantly lifted the atmosphere around the venue.
Covering artists including Oasis, Cast and Shed Seven, Supersonic Spirit delivered the songs with confidence, strong timing and a genuine understanding of the material. Importantly, they avoided the trap of simply trying to imitate the originals note for note. Instead, they captured the feel, groove and attitude of the era while still allowing their own personality to come through.
What stood out immediately was just how tight the band sounded together. Nothing felt over-rehearsed or forced, yet the performance remained polished throughout. The guitars carried the familiar Britpop hooks and rhythms perfectly, while the rhythm section kept everything locked together with understated confidence and control.
Particular highlights included Pumping on Your Stereo, The Importance of Being Idle and the Cast material, all of which were delivered with real confidence and energy. These tracks especially seemed to connect with the audience, generating strong reactions from the crowd and really bringing the marquee atmosphere to life.
Vocally, the frontman was particularly impressive. His vocal tone suited the material extremely well and, importantly, he clearly understood where his vocal range worked best. There was no unnecessary pushing or straining to replicate original recordings. Instead, he approached the songs intelligently, delivering them with confidence, character and consistency while still making them feel natural and authentic. In many ways, it actually helped make the songs feel more personal and believable live.
Special mention must also go to the drummer, whose stripped-back setup became one of the talking points of the performance. Using just a snare, floor tom, tambourine and a single cymbal, he demonstrated exactly how little is actually needed to create a powerful and effective live drum sound when groove, timing and feel are properly understood. Tight, restrained and hugely musical, it was a brilliant example of serving the songs rather than overcomplicating them.
As the set progressed, the crowd visibly warmed to the band, with heads nodding, then dancing people singing along and the atmosphere around the marquee steadily building. Supersonic Spirit understood exactly what the audience wanted and delivered a set full of energy, familiarity and strong musicianship without ever losing that relaxed festival feel.
Would I go and see them again? Absolutely yes — and that comes from someone who would not normally admit to being a huge fan of the Britpop phase of the 90s and early 2000s. Supersonic Spirit managed to take familiar material and deliver it with enough energy, musicianship and personality to win over even those who may not usually gravitate towards the genre.
For a local festival crowd wanting recognizable Britpop classics performed with confidence, authenticity, and genuine live energy, Supersonic Spirit absolutely delivered. Somewhere between the real ale, the drizzle, the straw bales, and a marquee full of people singing Britpop classics back at the stage, even the most hardened non-Britpop listener in the crowd may have quietly found themselves enjoying it far more than they’d probably admit later down the pub. Thank you, Supersonic Spirit and Brew Fest! My Saturday was more pleasurable than anticipated 🙂
