Epic doesn’t quite cover it.

Noel Gallagher, back on home turf, filling the sweaty climes of the o2 Ritz with a night of thrashing guitar magic.

It sent the lucky 1,500 or so with tickets into a Wednesday night frenzy.

The intimate Manc stop-off on Noel’s huge tour with his Highflying Birds, it was the hottest ticket in town.

Back on the street where he used to live (back in the days before worldwide fame with Oasis), it was clearly just as special a gig to The Chief as to the super fans.

“You used to get in here for a penny,” he joked.

(Image: Stephen Farrell)

A few more unprintable, expletive-ridden memories of yesteryear followed.

But make no mistake, Noel is no longer an artist merely resting on Oasis’ laurels.

Solo stompers It’s a Beautiful World, Dream On and She Taught Me To Fly brought the Ritz to life with a fizzing wall of sound.

The Man Who Built the Moon held the audience in stunned rapture.

An acoustic performance of Dead in the Water was met by the crowd with lusty word-for-word approval.

The euphoric strains of AKA What A Life made us all thankful to simply be in the same room as one of Manchester’s most treasured sons.

(Image: Stephen Farrell)

Inevitably, when the Oasis tracks came at the close of the night, everything went a bit mental.

As Oasis classic Whatever rung out around the venue, every single person seemed to be in a sweaty embrace.

Little By Little nearly took the roof off the place.

Half the World Away, The Importance of Being Idle were boisterously received.

Can you even imagine how it must feel to have penned what is now Manchester’s most significant anthem Don’t Look Back in Anger?

And to perform it in your home city?

(Image: Stephen Farrell)

Noel let the crowds sing the chorus. It’s the only way to do it.

It was the sort of atmosphere that just had to be endorsed by a sea of recording iPhones.

There was only one way to top that moment. And it came courtesy of a little number by a certain four-piece from Liverpool.

The Beatles’ All You Need is Love (dedicated to the ‘best tambourine player this town has ever seen’ - an olive branch to Liam perhaps?) was the incredible finale.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Gigs in Manchester don’t get much more special than this.

(Image: Stephen Farrell)

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds gig will be broadcast on Absolute Radio with Danielle Perry at 7pm on the 26th July and highlights of the gig can be watched at www.absoluteradio.co.uk.

Setlist

Fort Knox

Holy Mountain

Keep on Reaching

Beautiful World

She Taught Me How To Fly

Careful What You Wish For

Black and White Sunshine

If Love is the Law

(Image: Stephen Farrell)

The Man Who Built the Moon

Dead in the Water

Alone on the Rope

Heat of the Moment

Dream On

If I Had a Gun

AKA What a Life!

Whatever

Little By Little

Half the World Away

Importance of Being Idle

Wonderwall

Go Let it Out

Don't Look Back in Anger

All You Need is Love