I’m not really a fan of stadium gigs, but with Liam Gallagher unlikely to be swanning across the stage of the Hug & Pint or Barrowlands any time soon, Hampden Park it is.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’re right down the front it’s no doubt an exhilarating experience, but the thought of being squished up against all those sweaty ‘taps aff’, so far from the taps of the loos… well it’s just too much for an old git like me. Instead I’m sitting in relative comfort, but so far away that even a head the size of Liam Gallagher’s is well, quite teeny weeny. But I’m not slating RKid, he does the self-belief thing better than most and while he’s got a fine few critics, I can’t help but admire his unflappable attitude and audacity. In fact, I’m pretty sure that deep down there’s an insecure lad trying to crawl out of the ego pit, and after catching a snippet of brother Noel at Glastonbury last night, there’s no denying that Liam bagged the most charisma when they split the Oasis assets.
But before The Man himself graces the National Stadium, Goat Girl and Kasabian have work to do. Sadly, I miss Goat Girl which is a shame as I’m a bit of a fan, so for the record, whether they played them or not, Badibaba and The Crack are great tracks! I do make it for Kasabian, who blaze through a hit-fuelled set.
KASABIAN
Serge Pizzorno looks like he’s just popping by on the way to a fishing trip on Loch Lomond, with a full suite of Gore-Tex camouflaged Timberland gear, complete with Tommy Hilfiger Ithaca stripe. Mind you, with the driving rain that’s heading our way, he’s maybe just playing it safe. Serge is a natural frontman, taking the place of original lead singer Tom Meighan in 2020, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think he’d always been centre stage.
Kasabian were the go-to band for many Oasis fans when the latter split, feeding their desire for that self-assured, ballsy attitude which they radiate in abundance, and they’ve certainly produced quite a few anthemic bangers over the years which get a good airing tonight.
The set kicks off with Club Foot, Serge belting around the stage like a string’s just been pulled on his back while the crowd chant ‘ahhh-ahh-ahh-ah-ah‘ and well, you know the rest. Their sound flits between an imposing rawness and melodic groove, a mix which encourages great singalongs, albeit quite rowdy ones, and why not, this is a football ground after all. They roar through a set which includes their greatest hits with the likes of Underdog and Shoot the Runner. Bless This Acid House takes down the house or rather stadium with its abrasive ‘She said’ before the tuneful ‘got no reason to lie, got a reason to try’ reverberates from the pitch and stands. The addictive psychedelia of LSF whips the crowd into a trance of dance, and I have to sit on my hands to stop an involuntary arm weave from making an appearance. With a finger up to the establishment, the explosive Empire marches towards the commanding ‘Stop! I said it’s happening again! We’re all wasting away! We’re all wasting away!’ before its boisterous string interlude sees the crowd going into meltdown.
One notable number missing, Serge says “right, let’s agree to go f***ing mental” and that’s exactly what happens on the blistering rendition of Fire, last song of the set. During the chorus he zips back and forth across the stage as the crowd do the work, red, blue and green smoke bombs mingling with the rain. Sticking his hood up, he performs a triumphant jump to end the show…. glad he didn’t slip in the Weedgie weather, could’ve been embarrassing. But he remains upright, crying “see you in November”, when they’re back at the Hydro.
It’s hard to fault this high energy performance, delivering just what the fans want, with for some, Kasabian being as much a pull as old LG himself. Brilliant stuff!
LIAM GALLAGHER
As chants of ‘champi-o-on’ flood the stadium, Liam Gallagher struts on to the stage to prove he’s “still got it.” The backlit screens are doused in nostalgia with photos of Gallagher throughout the years flashing up while the swirling psychedelia of F***ing In The Bushes (I had to ask my son what it was called, wish I hadn’t bothered…) plays out before modest adjectives and nouns such as BIBLICAL, GOD-LIKE, RASTA, ICON, PROPHET, CELESTIAL, MAJESTICAL, SPIRITUAL, OPTIMISTIC, BUDDHIST, JEDI, APPROACHABLE, ZEN, LOVER…and yes, you’re reading this correctly, HUMBLE fill the screen. Well fill your boots with that lot, I’d love to be in that brain-storming session!
As the biblical icon skulks onto the stage like a wee lego figure from where I’m sitting, the big screens tell me he’s wearing blue Aviators and tonight’s jaicket is an infusion of orange, yellow and (Pretty) Green hues. I quite fancy one myself but have already forked out for a dark-fruits cider so that’ll be that.
He cries, “yes Glasgow!” before belting into Hello, craning his poor neck towards the mic, arms rooted behind his back, only ever let loose for a wee shoogle of the tambourine or maraca. He’s on top form, his voice strong, and backed by three singers. Next up is Rock ’n’ Roll Star and although he’s said he’s given up the old ‘rock ’n’ roll’ lifestyle in order to get the best from his performance, he still assumes the role, the euphoric crowd rolling with the grinding guitars and Gallagher’s snarling cool as he sneers “sun-sh-ee-ine”. He dedicates the song to long-time bandmate and friend, Bonehead, who had to miss the tour to undergo treatment for his recent diagnosis, and there isn’t a better song to dedicate to the former-Oasis guitarist.
I can’t think of many acts to stir up such a youthful resurrection of interest as Gallagher has in recent years. Heading into the stadium earlier, there was a sea of bucket hats adorning the heads of mainly teenagers and those in their early 20s. Ok it’s much smaller in scale but it really is reminiscent of the scenes of the late ‘80s / early ‘90s with Madchester then later Brit Pop, where Oasis came in. There was even a real buzz when the speakers blasted out The Stone Roses I Am The Resurrection while we awaited Mr G himself.
It’s no surprise that the Oasis numbers cause the most riotous crowd reactions of the evening, but solo hits such as Once, Wall of Glass, Better Days and Shockwave aren’t far behind. New album, C’mon You Know’s first single, Everything’s Electric, which was co-written with Dave Grohl and described by Gallagher as being one of the few “classic” tracks off the album, sends sparks of delight through the audience with its sulky sway and spiralling riff. The album’s opening track More Power is another winner as its sprawling gospel intones cause a goose-bump or two while it builds and thrives, Gallagher’s vocals softer but never sappy.
“Rkid”, his son Gene, is on drums for a couple of numbers including solo favourite The River, Gallagher oozing with fatherly pride, as he should be, while Oasis’ Stand By Me provides one of the big singalongs of the night.
Before the band take a quick break, Gallagher quips “hopefully some f***er will draw the curtains and make it a bit darker” having earlier noted before launching into latest single Diamond In The Dark that “it doesn’t like going dark in Scotland, does it?” Aye, maybe not in June, Liam…
Back on stage, number of the night for me has to be the assured swagger of Cigarettes and Alcohol, and as it gets a smidgen darker, the crowd are well up for it. Next up is the mesmerising melody of Wonderwall which is unsurprisingly the biggest singalong of the evening.
Gallagher’s been on great form tonight but gets a bit annoyed at the end when he’s told he’ll have to cut the set short. The guy’s a perfectionist and you can feel his pain as he sighs “right, this is going to have to be the last song.” There’s also something wrong with his mic and as a member of the crew responds to his head jerking ‘get over here now’ command, he mutters “they think I was born yesterday, those f***ers over there.” Deadpan or dead serious? You can never be too sure with old LG.
With the set cut short, there’s no Live Forever or Supersonic but last song, Champagne Supernova sees the jubilant audience frothing over with elation as fireworks light up the darkish sky. The Stone Roses’ John Squire joined Gallagher for Champagne Supernova during the Knebworth gigs at the start of the month but tonight Gallagher apologises for his absence, telling us “he’s in Thailand having a nice time.” Seems like a strange choice over windswept Glasgow but whatever floats your boat, John.
So down to the verdict. Well, in the words of a young LG/Oasis obsessive I know rather well, one who was traipsing the fields of Knebworth a few weeks ago as well as being out front tonight, “yeah, it was pretty good.” Never one to exert enthusiasm in my presence, I’m pretty sure that translates to “Biblical”. And as far as I’m concerned, yep Gallagher’s “still got it”.
As his ceaseless air of confidence spills out over Hampden Park, I wonder if any of it will linger long enough to inebriate the national football squad on the next visit to their home turf. Hmm unlikely but we can but dream.
Liam Gallagher plays Cardiff Bay in September, with support from The Charlatans.
Words: Shirley Mack @musingsbymarie
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh@ayecandyphotography