I’VE been fortunate to see Oasis previously, but Wednesday night was the first time I'd seen them in the open-air and it was an evening that will live long in the memory.
From the second Liam swaggered onto the stage, tambourine in hand, and belted into the opening song, Rock ’n’ Roll Star, it was clear that the 50,000 fans were in for a night to remember. Despite being a largely inanimate performer, his presence easily filled the stadium.
The theme was hard and fast for the opening section of what turned out to be a well planned set-list, with Lyla, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Roll With It all featuring early on, each one lapped up by the lively and excited crowd.
Support acts Reverend and the Makers, the Enemy and Kasabian had kicked things off nicely, with Kasabian going down particularly well with the assembling masses, despite some technical difficulties during Underdog, the opening track of their catchily-titled third studio album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
As you would expect, the Oasis set included a number of songs from their latest album Dig Out Your Soul, including Waiting for The Rapture and I’m Outta Time, but I was a bit disappointed the bass-heavy Get Off Your High Horse Baby wasn’t included. This is a trivial grumble though, and the song choice overall was superb, with familiar classics such as Live Forever, Slide Away and The Masterplan bringing back good memories for the audience.
About halfway through the night, Liam took a break from yelling as Noel took over lead vocals for a fantastic mini-set. This included the acoustic favourite Half the World Away, which turned into a breathtaking and unforgettable mass sing-along, made all the more memorable by the open-air setting as the sun went down.
The night was brought to an end by Liam’s lung-busting cover of I Am The Walrus, a fitting and fantastic end to an amazing night.
