Review: Oasis At Birmingham NIA - Setlist!
By
Stop Crying Your Heart Out
on
October 14, 2008
Tonight, I’m a rock’n’roll star. Never was a truer word said.
The brothers Gallagher returned to Birmingham’s NIA on Monday night for an unashamedly old-fashioned rock and roll show. There were no gimmicks, no special effects, just atmosphere and adrenaline.
When was the last time you saw a band bathed in simple white light between songs, the last time you heard an excruciating bum note in a guitar solo? This was Oasis, warts and all.
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And being Oasis, it meant a mixed bag of a setlist. For the first time there was no Live Forever.
But you can’t live on past glories forever, even if most of your subsequent songs have been lacklustre. And no fewer than six from the new album made it onto the NIA stage.
Bookended by the opening double-whammy of Rock N’ Roll Star and Lyla, and electric encores including Champagne Supernova and Beatles classic I Am The Walrus, this was a night to remember.
But not quite the great gig it might have been.
Lyla remains a great singalong song. Ditto Cigarettes & Alcohol, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, Wonderwall and Supersonic, all of which had the capacity crowd in full voice.
But The Importance Of Being Idle is lightweight. Slide Away remains predictable, and The Masterplan is a song you either love or loathe.
Of the new tracks, The Shock Of The Lightning is a throwback to the glory days, and To Be Where There’s Life is hypnotic and addictive. Falling Down may be one of the band’s best yet.
But Ain’t Got Nothin’, Waiting For The Rapture and I’m Outta Time are fillers, the latter leaving the faithful bemused.
Thank God, then for the show-stealing Don’t Look Back In Anger, performed as a semi-plugged duet by Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer. This was a reminder of what Oasis should be all about.
Sublime song, peerless performance and feelgood factor.
Throughout the gig the brothers offered stark contrast. Liam was Liam, rarely speaking to the crowd and introducing the odd song in brusque, almost dismissive, fashion. Noel, on the other hand, couldn’t stop saying ‘Thank You’.
Will they change the setlist tonight? I doubt it.
But a little more spontaneity would go a long way to making this that great gig.
THE SETLIST
Rock N Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes And Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There’s Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain’t Got Nothing
The Importance Of Being Idle
I`m Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don’t Look Back In Anger
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus
Source: www.sundaymercury.net