To drink in the bars and pubs of Manchester on Monday evening was to be enveloped in a sea of parkas, polo shirts and sideburns. Britpop anthems poured from every speaker. The city’s prodigal son had returned and his disciples had amassed in in their hordes: this was to be Noel Gallagher’s second coming.
Perhaps surprisingly, Oasis songs were few and far between; in fact, it’s a whole four tracks in before Noel digs out an acoustic reworking of ‘Fade Away’, the often overlooked yet much loved B-side to ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’. Regardless, they provided some of the set’s most sensational moments. ‘Champagne Supernova’ was given a special dedication to Bonehead, no less and Definitely Maybe favourite ‘Digsy’s Dinner’ got a rare run out too. In all, only 5 Oasis songs snuck into the set. The Chief is leaning less and less on his Oasis output these days so if you go to a Noel Gallagher concert, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.
Of course, Oasis remains a fundamental part of his musical DNA. It was probably most evident on ‘Lock All The Doors’, which could quite easily have been lifted directly from the tracklist for (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Still, backed by a brass section and what better resembled a small army than a choir, an all-guns-blazing performance of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ never seemed likely from the outset. Instead, it was a show of stratospheric highs and despondent lows – from the raucous horn laden stomp of ‘The Mexican’ to the heart wrenching ‘The Dying of the Light’, this was a set that showcased the emotional breadth of Chasing Yesterday.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQYtpjMjSo&w=740&h=422]
The anxiety surrounding moving into the spotlight that he claimed had marred him on his first solo tour appears to have all but evaporated. Whether it was that he’s become more settled in the role of frontman or simply the comfort of a dedicated home crowd, Noel emanated a sense of cool confidence throughout, joyously revelling in mocking Manchester United fans for their team’s FA Cup exit, telling them “if the champions aren’t playing, who cares?”
While his sporting loyalties might cause divisions, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ can heal all wounds. After a spine tingling rendition, he jests “How do I fucking top that, then?” shortly before doing just that, by introducing his fellow Manc Messiah Johnny Marr to the stage. Together they charge through ‘Ballad of the Mighty I’ to a rapturous response. “My album is currently sitting at number one,” he tells the crowd. “Tonight, we’re number one.” With that, he broke into ‘The Masterplan’ and stirred the crowd into one final frenzy.
If, for some reason, you needed any more evidence that Noel Gallagher is god, this was it. Hail to The Chief.
By Thomas Johnston