★★★★☆

Upon arrival at last night’s gig, anticipation was high due to a mystery support act and of course, rock n’ roll legend, Noel Gallagher. I arrived just after doors and was greeted by an array of paisley shirts and pretty green tops.

The crowd began to gather, and the atmosphere was building. The first and only support act of the night finally presented themselves. Baxter Dury entered the stage accompanied by his band consisting of: two keyboards, drums, bass and a guitar. Straight away they captured the crowd’s attention with psychedelic sounds and obscure rhythms which carried a hint of Joy Division to them. My impression was that they were not largely known by the crowd, however, it was clear that they were gaining fans. The frontman himself had a similar singing style to the likes of Suggs from Madness and it was clear that he revelled being on the stage. The two female keyboard players provided harmonic backing vocals that complemented the overall sound perfectly and stood out just as much as lead vocals. After a 45 minute set Baxter Dury departed the stage to a well-deserved cheer and a fulfilled crowd. The highlight of Baxter Dury’s set was without a doubt his absurd dancing that would have made anyone else look foolish, however, he managed to come across as the coolest guy in the room.

Now the wait for Noel begun. Despite enjoying the new album Who Built The Moon?, I was hopeful that he would play an array of tunes from his 3 albums and obviously an Oasis classic or two. Due to the buzz in the air, time passed quickly and before I knew it, Noel strutted onto the stage. The band opened with the first 3 tracks of the new album starting with Fort Knox. The impressive visuals enhanced the overall atmosphere of the gig. To my delight, classics from the first album were played including sing along anthem, If I Had a Gun.





There was a roar from the crowd when Oasis’s Little by Little begun as this feel-good tune put a smile on everyone’s face. I then experienced every gig goer’s worst nightmare, a plastic cup came hurdling towards me and I was soaked in what I first thought was beer. All I’ll say is that it wasn’t beer. One Oasis tune led to another and ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ sounded throughout the arena.

Noel Gallagher executed a gig that celebrated both aspects of the nostalgia from the Oasis era as well as the direction in which his new music is taking him.

Review by: Teague Murray

Photos by: Stuart Taylor

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