Review & Images Jonathan Taylor

In celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the iconic Oasis debut album Definitely Maybe, Burnage front man Liam Gallagher played a 14 date sold out UK tour. Tonight, we join the Manchester legend on the last night of the tour in his hometown playing his 4^th and final night at the Co-op arena. There were notable issues, well documented, delaying the opening, however, it must be said that the city’s newest venue is incredibly impressive in both layout and design.

The stage in the arena is adorned with a portrait Burt Bacharach, pink Flamingos, fake palm trees, a huge globe and wooden floorboards, cleverly replicating some of the notable details form the Definitely Maybe album artwork which was famously photographed in Paul “Bonehead” Arthur’s front room. The backdrop is dominated with a giant digital clock, which counts down from 2024 and stops at the debut album release date of 1994. The backdrop then becomes awash with images, digital graphics and audio clips of Liam from the past three decades, during which the crowd that spans generations erupts as Liam Gallagher takes to the stage.

‘Rock and Roll Star’ opens the set and the euphoric crowd, with arms aloft, sing every word back to the stage, like an anthem from the terraces. A stunning rendition of ‘Colombia’ follows, which sounds as fresh as it did back in 1994.

As well as the entirety of Definitely Maybe, the set is laden with the B sides of the singles released from the album, with the likes of ‘Up in the Sky’, ‘D’Yer Wanna be a Spaceman?’ and ‘Fade Away’.  ‘Cloudburst’ gets a rare outing and is one for the purists. A string section take to the stage for Oasis’s first non-album single ‘Whatever’.  A version of ‘Lock All the Doors’, which featured on Noel Gallagher’s second solo album gets an airing which may have been an act of defiance by younger brother Liam to confirm it was an Oasis demo that not surfaced from back in the band’s early years. ‘Half the World Away’ which normally has Noel on vocal duty is an evening highlight and again has the sold-out venue singing in unison and demonstrates perfectly the power of live music and its ability to galvanise a crowd of people.

The evening was a celebratory success and gives the fresh-faced bucket hat wearing youngsters in the crowd an opportunity to revel in an album that defined a decade and the old guard the opportunity to bask in beautiful nostalgia. It was an anthemic masterclass of gargantuan proportions and confirms that regardless of the passage of time, Liam Gallagher is without question still in the prime of his life. It is inevitable that the Oasis reunion debate will continue to rumble on, but the absence of big brother Noel, did in no means veer from the anniversary of a decade defining album. Liam may not have put pen to paper for the back catalogue he performed tonight, but without Liam commanding the stage and delivering vocally as only Liam can, based on tonight’s performance that aged old argument if Noel is really required blended into insignificance. Liam Gallagher is the working man’s hero and remains relatable to his fans regardless of generation. He is the Rock and Roll Star and no one else comes close.

Set list.

Rock and Roll Star

Columbia

Shakermaker

Up in the Sky

Digsy’s Dinner

Bring it on Down

Cloudburst

I Will Believe

Half the World Away

D’Yer Wanna be a Spaceman?

Fade Away

Lock All the Doors

(It’s Good) To be Free

Whatever

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Married with Children

Encore:

Supersonic

Slide Away

Live Forever

Encore:

I am the Walrus