Honouring 30 Years of Definitely Maybe the atmosphere couldn’t be more charged in Glasgow the night that Scotland played Switzerland in the Euros.
Villanelle, a great band name by the way, features Liam’s son Gene who also takes us back to the early 90s sounding like a mix of Nirvana and early Oasis. There’s more than a hint of his father in Gallagher Jr’s delivery.
When Scotland scored during The View’s set a sense of celebration ramped up several gears, and the band responded with an impromptu Flower of Scotland. A large clock counted down the years to 1994 when Oasis released their classic debut long-player. Liam has delivered another masterstroke in performing the album, as well as single b-sides and demos while drafting in original rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs who brings his wall of sound to the likes of Columbia.
The early Oasis sound, which this writer saw twice in two weeks at the Glasgow Barrowlands back in 1994 (after Liam walked off, Noel played the rest of the gig and they returned to play a full set two weeks later) is spot-on. So much so that I feel like I’ve gone back 30 years in a time machine.
The real thrill is that it doesn’t feel like a retread or cash-in but a return to unfinished business. The raw, punk energy of Bring It On Down has lost none of its fury in the intervening years. There’s an abundance of feel-good energy dispensed during I Will Believe, the Liam Gallagher of today delivers a much stronger vocal than on the early b-side while reminding us of the excitement that Oasis brought to a generation.
The crowd has no problem singing the falsetto during Up In The Sky or taking on Noel Gallagher’s harmonies when required. Very few people got to see these early Oasis sets and the sound of the band changed drastically for (What’s The Story) Morning Glory. Change the drummer; change the band and after Tony McCarroll’s departure Oasis was a different beast.
As the five-piece became a cultural phenomenon their set-lists shifted to accommodate a prolific run of new songs and hit records.
Lock All The Doors and It’s Good To Be Free are imbued with a sense of the times in which they were written, essentially when the band were skint, on the dole, dreaming big dreams and pushing themselves forward relentlessly.
These tracks still drip with the attitude of the five Irish-Mancunians from the same council estate who created the original magic back in the early 90s. Noel, Tony and Guigsy are here in spirit and make various appearances on the impressive big-screen montages.
The Definitely Maybe stage setting also adds to the sense of the time with pink flamingos and a large globe that hangs above Liam’s head. Perhaps the only track missing is Take Me which is a favourite among a new generation of fans and the hardcore who sing along to every word of Fade Away, D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman and Cloudburst. The strings added to Whatever and the grand finish of I Am The Walrus are sublime.
You would be hard-pressed to find an audience more passionately engaged than during the likes of Live Forever or Slide Away. The Manc swagger of Supersonic spiced with psychedelic Beatles and a hint of Mick Ronson helped Oasis deliver one of the best 45s of all time. Tonight it sounds as potent as it always did, undiminished by the time and tide of changing tastes and fashions. It’s a moment that will remain much like it did thirty years ago.
Liam Gallagher, Definitely Maybe, OVO Hydro
