“Leee-am! Leee-am!” is the cry from the Colosseum – aka the Birmingham Arena – as Liam Gallagher emerges on-stage in the Second City, all zipped up coat, snarling gob and unabashed swagger.
In truth, if you’ve been to any Liam Gallagher gig – or any Oasis concert before it – you know what to expect on this Tuesday night in Birmingham, with I Am The Resurrection blaring over the PA beforehand, pints of Carling flying everywhere, and the cloakroom overflowing with parkas.
That’s not to say Liam disappoints, though. Or is ever, for a moment, predictable. The younger Gallagher brother has clearly done his market research, with his 2019 follow-up album Why Me? Why Not building upon the success of his debut As You Were, leading to sold-out arenas, chart-topping LPs and an added relevance and credibility he hasn’t enjoyed since the mid-2000s.
If Noel is busy feuding with Lewis Capaldi and coming across all “well, back in my day…” in the press, Liam’s public persona has enjoyed somewhat of a facelift – and tonight, his adoring public are here to repay his blossoming creativity and ever-expanding solo repertoire with their avid attention.
Opener Rock’N’Roll Star is as stadium-sized as ever, all kebab shop queue aggro, snarling aggression and face-tearing machismo, and it sets the tone for a frenetic evening which sees Liam career through both of his two solo albums, as well as the hefty Oasis back catalogue.
In truth, Oasis’ detractors were always a little harsh on the band’s output. It’s easy to sneer, deride and lambast – but branding their seven albums as carbon copies of one another is to miss the mark. Put on debut single Supersonic, its follow-up Shakermaker and then put on final effort Falling Down for a spin and you’re presented with two wildly different bands.
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