6/6 stars, by Susan Hansen
In the bustling city centre of Cardiff, Wales, in close vicinity of Principality Stadium, large crowds of fans dressed in Oasis T-shirts and bucket hats brighten up the location. From the minute of setting foot there, the awareness, the sheer scale of what’s about to unfold hits the gut.
The sound of the band’s evergreen hits is heard blaring out of the speakers from a range of pubs, many fans have gathered, they are sipping pints of lager while hanging out in the sunshine. Oasis are in town! In case that bit of news has yet to reach every single soul.
Little else has inspired popular conversation since the end of August last year. While it’s hard to grapple with the fact that it’s been 16 years since the Manchester band split, things quickly take a thrilling turn after the announcement. Over the past few weeks, clothing and supermarket brands such as Lidl, Levi’s and H&M have custom made outfits for the grand occasion.
Similarly, social media platforms have been buzzing, with lots of speculation, guessing games tackling everything from setlists and possible lineups to talk about the possibility of new material. It’s a fever that’s unlikely to die down anytime soon. If ever.
A message, a teaser appearing on the enormous on-stage screen reads “This is not a drill… It’s on… This is it!” Walking on stage together, arm in arm, Liam and Noel follow in close succession. The swagger-tastic “Hello” and “Acquiesce” are opening treats.
It’s hard to recall seeing stronger audience reactions. Soaring screams come from all sides, all floors of the stadium. “Morning Glory” takes everything up a notch before a dynamic, vibrant version of “Some Might Say” begins. A popular track as it is, “Cigarettes & Alcohol” is a definitive highlight.
“Is there anyone from Manchester here?”, Liam wants to know. It’s time for the authentic song “Fade Away”. There’s a deep sense of unity, and this very special reunion makes the whole extravaganza a colossal cultural chapter. In part this is aided by the activation of the torch function on the crowd’s mobile phone handsets, which happens during biblical renditions of “Roll with It” and “Supersonic”.
Vocally, Liam is stronger than he has been in years; his voice sounds bold and powerful. Furthermore, Joey Waronker might just be the best drummer to have played with them. That combined with Andy Bell on bass, Gem Archer on guitar and Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs on guitar and piano makes it impossible to go wrong.
Naturally, Liam’s unwavering vocal form is not his only strength on the night. His ability to balance self-irony with real life snippets is always welcome. “Is this (concert) good?” he asks. “Is it worth the £40,000 you paid for it?” The whole stadium breaks into laughter; the dynamic ticket pricing model is still fresh in the mind.
Halfway through the set, Noel walks into the spotlight to front the intimate “Talk Tonight”, “Half A World Away” and “Little By Little”. Much to his delight the crowd is in full voice, creating a great wall of sound effect, the voices of 62,000 chanting the anthem. “Live Forever” offers a few soulful, emotional minutes, during which the group pay tribute to Portuguese footballer of Liverpool FC, Diogo Jota, who died in a tragic car accident a few days ago.
In truth, the Gallagher brothers’ reunion could have happened ten years ago. To be fair, timing is everything — and the timing of now could not be better. It’s an event of historical significance, a milestone, in which one of the world’s biggest bands provide the utmost meaningful, most epic and perfectly executed performance to an audience that is wider, more diverse than ever.
“Thank you beautiful people, this is it!” the rock ‘n’ roll singers conclude. Both Liam and Noel are moved. Then a loud cheer from the audience as the brothers embrace, just as they leave the stage. This concert is one for the history books, a truly unique moment in time.
SETLIST
Hello
Acquiesce
Morning Glory
Some Might Say
Bring It On Down
Cigarettes & Alcohol
Fade Away
Supersonic
Roll With It
Talk Tonight
Half A World Away
Little By Little
D’You Know What I Mean?
Stand By Me
Cast No Shadow
Slide Away
Whatever
Live Forever
Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
The Masterplan
Don’t Look Back In Anger
Wonderwall
Champagne Supernova
