Oasis - City Of Manchester Stadium - 30.6.05Tonight's gig, the 1st of 3 sold out nights at the Stadium comes slap bang in the middle of enormo gigs from U2 and Coldplay. It's home turf, will Oasis gain the upper hand and prove they can compete with the best in the live arena?
Oasis gigs have always been fuelled by a sense of anarchy and the fact that this could just be the last night of your life. Regulation uniform football tops (f*ck the hoodied youths) enhanced by the fact that Oasis are playing at the City Of Manchester Stadium (home of their beloved Manchester City).
While every album since "Be Here Now" has been delivered to disappointment that have just about been saved by moments of genius such as "Stop Crying Your Heart Out", "Songbird" and "Lyla" reaching the giddy heights of the first two albums, the live shows have been one high after another. The Sheffield Arena gig where the barriers were rushed and Noel played "Don't Look Back In Anger" for the first time; The sheer enormity and gravitas of Maine Road and Knebworth; The 10th Anniversary date at the Apollo which was typified by as many armed police as fans. In truth it was only the Lancashire County Cricket Ground gigs that Oasis have ever disappointed and that was due more to sound problems than the band themselves.
Leading up to the their appearance Liam and Noel walk up and down the terraces. This is their moment, the home turf and they know whatever they do the crowd will be in their hands tonight. The opening beat to "F*cking In The Bushes" kicks in and the lairy as f*ck crowd rush at the barriers. A band of the people there's none of this poncy golden circle for the assorted VIP's and Hollyoaks exta's, it's crammed to the brim and not an inch of the pitch is visible. Liam goons around playing the monkey boy, gnawing on his tambourine as it was a dummy he's not giving up. Noel looks on the proud older brother and Gem and Andy are the essence of rock'n'roll cool.
It's all about the tunes though - those base emotions, the simple things in life that were meant to be sung from the terraces.At times we're not even sure what they're on about. "Lyla", supposedly the cousin of Sally, is a mess of clichés and random statements. If on record it was a weak comeback, there's no holding it back tonight. A huge stomping anthem. Then there's the classics "Rock N Roll Star" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol" which still have that youth and vitality about them despite the band and the crowd being over 30 and married with children.
"Songbird", one of Oasis' finest moments, gives Liam the chance to shine as a songwriter rather than the frontman that takes Noel's songs to the next level. It's two of Noel's songs that don't quite hit the mark. "The Importance Of Being Idle" starts and goes nowhere, which is the irony of it I suppose. And "Little By Little", despite the crowd singing along like it's a prayer for Manchester, still has no discernible tune.
The rest of the set reads like a greatest hit's collection. "Live Forever", "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back In Anger" and "Acquiesce". They're enough to make a grown man cry and i'm sure as we look around there's a few drunken men wiping their eyes dry. That's Oasis' greatest achievement. They make real men feel real and alive. At home they may beat walls and drown their sorrows. Saturday night may be the night for fighting, but Oasis gigs they sing and let out all those those emotions they're not allowed to the rest of year.
Oasis are one of our finest live bands and the fact that it's been so long makes it all the more special. They've never been the type of band to do the annual arena tour, and lets hope they never succumb to it, so hold these memories tight because we'll be waiting a long time for the next Manchester gigs from Oasis
Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Karen McBride www.karenmcbride.com*****************
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