On a cold but fresh night in Cardiff, the bars are decked out with mod-cuts and parkas, so you know that someone such as Manchester’s very own Liam Gallagher is in town for the first night of his UK tour. DMA’s are on before and relish the setting with their Brit-Pop influenced sound. They draw a very large crowd beforehand and there are clearly a lot of fans present here. New single “Silver” gets its live debut tonight and is a highlight of the set. It’s a really good indication of where they are going to be going with their new album later next year.
The anticipation builds before the headline act as mass singalongs of “Town Called Malice” and “I Am The Resurrection” ring out around the arena and give a good indication of the way things are going to follow tonight. Then as the lights fade, the chants of “Liam” begin and Oasis’ “Fuckin In The Bushes” is played to a backdrop of Gallagher himself. The cheer as he comes on stage with his trademark swagger is deafening. “Rock N’ Roll Star” opens up proceedings in a very chaotic way as to be expected. £6 pints are flying across the room and the gentleman next to me is encouraging me to launch mine. There’s a real festival atmosphere as countless people are already up on shoulders, with one reveller even managing to sneak in a smoke flare for good measure.
Things calm down slightly during “Halo” off of his second release “Why Me, Why Not?”, yet for some reason there’s a sense of tension in the air. Whether it’s the edgy persona of Gallagher himself or the rowdiness of the crowd, things initially feel a little awkward in the air.This is soon dispelled during “Shockwave” and “Wall Of Glass” which get everyone involved again. Then comes the first of many surprises tonight, when ex Oasis member Bonehead is brought out on stage to perform a number of Oasis hits including “Morning Glory”, “Columbia” and “Stand By Me”. None of these songs have lost anything in the years since they’ve been released and still sound belting to this day.
The pace takes a step down with a few slower numbers off of the latest album including “One Of Us” which sees Liam’s son taking part in the band for a number of songs and also sees the live debut of “Be Still”. “Greedy Soul” from his debut “As You Were” is given the acoustic treatment as well and allows everyone to catch their breath again after the energetic start. There’s even an outing for “The World’s Not Set In Stone”, from the “Beady Eye” project he fronted in between Oasis and his solo material. It doesn’t quite register for most of the 7,000 plus that are here tonight but it’s alright because from then on, it’s all Oasis and all hits.
First off a rare treat in the form of “Gas Panic”, which gets its first performance by a member of Oasis since 2002. The slow burner from “Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants” is a real treat for the old school fans present. Undoubtably, the biggest singalong of the night so far is saved for “Wonderwall”. The glows of about a thousand phones fill the arena as everyone wants to capture the special moment for themselves. Leaving the stage to even more chants of “Liam”, he promises that he will return shortly.
Now in terms of encores, you honestly cannot get much better than what we are treated with tonight. The first song of which Liam has previously been reluctant to play even after a lot of pressure from fans, mainly because of the input in the chorus from his brother Noel. Neither brother have performed it since they were still in the band in 2006 and it’s quite possibly the best song that Oasis ever recorded, staggeringly only ending up as a B-Side. You can tell he’s sceptical at first, but the way the chorus rings out around Cardiff, he is instantly won over and even mentions how good it felt; something uncharacteristic even of the big man himself!
The tunes don’t stop there as “Roll With It” and “Supersonic” maintain that same energy. It feels relentless in the best possible way and hearing these songs with a full band in a live setting, only makes you long even more so for the band to get back together and perform them once again. “Cardiff you absolute nutters” Liam exclaims from the stage, appreciative of the way the boisterous crowd have been. We’re left with one more sing along in “Champagne Supernova” and there is not one person in the room who isn’t joining in. As the lights come up on the night and you can see the puddles of beer that flood the arena, the singing doesn’t stop even out into the streets and even the car parks. It’s clear that these songs and this night are going to be with people for a long time going forward.