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We got to the venue at about 7:30pm after being packt like sardines in a tin box (sorry thom yorke!) in the cr*p car park. After queueing up and being subjected to a pathetic, half-hearted body search we made our way into the venue to get some drinks. After getting in our seats at about 8pm, 'The Music' had just started their set. Initially they got a very poor response and the frontman was trying waaay to hard. The fact that he danced in a style resembling Ian Brown and me was not good. As their set wore on, they seemed to start winning over sections of the crowd. However, when they said "this is gonna be our last song", there was an almighty cheer. Tonight wasn't about them, and to be fair, most bands would have not got a great reception opening for Oasis here.
After the equipment had been set-up, at 9pm, the trashcan-rumble of Fookin' In The Bushes came out in a strangely subdued manner. It didn't seem very loud at all and I was slightly anxious. Nowhere near the impact it had at Wembley the year before. After what seemed like an eternity, Oasis came on stage to an absolutely electric reception. The stage itself was sparse and the band were in simple t-shirts, jackets and jeans. From the outset, it was clear that this gig was gonna be raw and straightforward, no Be Here Now telephone boxes, thank god!. With minimum fuss or bullsh*t they launched straight into 'Go Let It Out'. As the guitars chugged away, I was closely listening for Liam's voice to make it's appearance. I have seen Oasis when it has been good (Manchester in 97) and total rubbish (Wembley 2000). I can safely say that this was among the best I have ever heard him. He was so clear and loud, cutting through the mix with ease. So that was a relief. The World's Greatest Rock Vocalist (tm) was on blistering form. After an extended outro, the song merged into 'Columbia' (a song strangely absent from the published setlists circulating on the inernet), which retained every ounce of it's seething menace. Liam seemed to be in a very surly mood and had little banter. A person in the crowd chucked a plastic beer glass at him and he simply growled " you missed, d*ckhead". The band were focused. 'Morning Glory' roared into view and was one of the unexpected highlights of a nigh-on perfect set. 'Acquiesce' was a ripsnorter, effortlessly filling the arena. Noel cheekily introduced 'Supersonic' as a 'new song' and the moshpit went apesh*t to it's debauched strains. How I wish I was in that moshpit, but it is churlish of me to complain when thousands couldn't get a ticket in the first place. Anyway our seats were excellent. 'Fade Away' was pure punk-rock as the band were concise and powerful and Liam was impeccable. Somehow, he seems to have regained his 96-era form. God bless that grumpy f*cker! Then came the moment we had all been waiting for. Liam casually introduced it and, of course, you have all heard the mp3 by now. 'The Hindu Times' seemed like classic Oasis in every way. A soaring, power-pop chorus and the band avoided the bloated feel of recent work. Liam tore into it and Noel looked to be having a great time. Songs like this remind us why we fell in love with this band in the first place. It could be absolutely huge and is surely the lead single. I was singing along to it at the half-way point!
After a storming round of applause and cheers, Liam went off and Noel asked if 'anybody wanted a sing-along'. Of course everyone cheered. They then went into a very boucy version of 'Half The World Away' which actually incited some moshing. Very strange, seeing people mosh to that song! This song was followed by a quite upbeat run-through of the ever-classic 'The Masterplan'. Then Andy, Gem and Alan went off, and Noel did a blinding version of 'Whatever' completely solo. When Liam et al came back on, everybody chanted 'Liam, Liam, Liam' and Noel asked if they could chant his name for once, so everyone chanted rather awkwardly 'Noel, noel' except it came out as 'No-wul, no-wul'! 'Gas Panic' didn't have that annoying pre-recorded background vocal or OTT jamming and was played as it should have been released onto the album. 'Cigarettes & Alcohol' kickstarted the moshing again - has a bad version of this ever been played? Liam's vocals strecthed the words to the limit like he used to. 'Live Forever' kept up the immeasurably high standards and the second new song was around the corner. 'Hung In a Bad Place', the Gem-penned (or is it Andy Bell? I can't remember) rocker is a chunky-punky affair and is quite possibly on the same level as 'The Hindu Times'. Imagine the drum breakdown of Rock'n'Roll Star' just before Liam sings' "it's just rock'n'roll' over & over again. These drums (played brilliantly by Alan White, with the spotlight on him) usher in the chorus which is unusually followed straight away by the verses. Sounds like a mixture of The Who & the Stooges, except it has a distinctive, unmistakeable Oasis feel. Gem played the lead on this song very well. If the rest of the forthcoming album is anything near the standard of these 2 songs then we can expect great things indeed. None of that fake-choir bullsh*t of SOTSOG, none of the overblown histrionics of BHN, just simple, honest rock songs with that undeniable spirit and joie de vivre. The gig moved from the incredible to the sublime as 'Slide Away' moved mountains. My favourite song sung by my favourite group in a tiny gig in Manchester! F*ckin' get in! Liam sung his arse off, and Noel complemented perfectly. Andy Bell had not put a foot wrong and Alan White was devastating on the drums. Noel and Gem really got off the idea of plaing off each other. Liam went off for a minute and Noel said that we were gonna have a 'knee's up', before firing up 'She's Electric'. I have to say, this is the song I was least looking forward to but I was amazed. Everyone sang it and it was a wonderful part atmosphere. 'Champagne Supernova' was precursed by the introduction of Johnny Marr. Liam said, 'f*cking hell, there's gonna be some fiddly f*cking bits now!!'. The song itself was masterfully played and sung. However, Marr played the lead and didn't have the spotlight on him, Noel did instead. There was no real mastabatory, self-indulgent jamming which I was delighted with. 'Rock'n'Roll Star' was shot through with conviction and a mean attitude. Oasis went off stage and some d*ckheads left! Have they never been to a gig before?!
After a period of chanting 'O-A-SIS, O-A-SIS', the lads minus Liam came back on for 'Don't Look Back In Anger'. Noel did his usual thing and only sang half the song. The gaps were keenly filled in by the 3000 strong choir that he had at his disposal. What a feeling!
Laim and Johnny Marr came back on for a sh*tkicking 'I Am The Walrus'. Everyone in the crowd supplies the 'whoo's' and as the 4 grinding guitars and the drums ripped the song into shreds Liam gave 'The Music' frontman a lesson in stage presence. He just stood there, still, a human silhouette with his thousand-yard stare. This caused the crowd to go barmy. No-one else on this f*cking planet could do this. The last remaining rock star.
Oasis went off for a second time and the houselights went up. We stayed expectantly but half the crowd left and there were some boo's which changed to cheers and applause as after some time Oasis cameback on for 'Roll With It', before which Liam had a go at some of the early-leavers. This song unexpectedely fitted in flawlessly as a full stop to a incendiary gig. As we made our way out, the PA played the album version of 'Wonderwall'. Nobody had cared that this song wasn't played live. Oasis were magical and had come full circle. They were away from the bullsh*t and cocaine-ego's, the flabby songwriting and the pompous bollocks. They were raw and honest and with a clutch of new songs and an attitude which promise great things once again. It's time to start believing one more time...
Baz 
I'd like to be able to explain what Oasis mean for the editors of this webmag but I personally would never be able to write any decently about it.
No words can tell others why I consider them my band, being a so-called "refined tasting" one in music.
The reason lies probably in the magic I felt exactly the first time I saw them in an University up in the north of England when no one was knowing them.
They were supporting the Verve, another massive band after.. but I had eyes just for Liam, and ears only for him.
I would have given all for being at these gigs Baz, Sachin and Al have talked about.
But throught their words, I have neverthless felt that sparkle of imagining me there warmening me up.
Live Forever,stay Supersonic!!
gallimel
- As Gallimel wrote, there are really not many words able to describe what Oasis means to us. And to lots of other "madferits" in this world. But I thought I would give it a try as well.
Music is something you can never put a stamp over and tell that this is this and that is that. Music are feelings. Well mostly, if you dont count manufactured pop and other similar things.
Music are feelings yes. And Oasis is for me the highest possible way music can be. The Nirvana of music if you like.
When I first heard Oasis live it was almost like in the movie Poltergeist, something went straight from the tv set to my heart and soul. I will never be able to define it. But in one minute, Oasis, had changed my life.
Oasis are to music like Love is to life. And considering music can be a big part of ones life..Oasis are a big part of mine. The highest possible happiness and peace and all other words you can think of.
Here you have some guys burning for what they do. Which in their own words: "God gave me soul in my rocknroll."
And all they want is to give the rocknroll to as many people as possible. Or for those who are willing to take it in.
Their music is of the most simple formula. But it has the greatest impact. The music is always there. When you are happy they are there, adding to all the excitment and thrills you are feeling. When you are down, they are there to tell you that it's not that bad, you are not alone, there is always a better day coming. And when you just are, they just are as well.
For me Oasis is a pure soul. It is what you feel.
Musically, they are above most in history as well.
But for me Oasis will always be the band that put the musical soul into me and I will never forget that.
And I am pretty sure they will never allow me to forget it.
Mikael
the whole band at Q Awards
Up Liam smoking a cig...
Where's the alcohol, Kid?
On the other side, Liam and Noel
strangely laughing sitting next
to one another...
Down, Liam shows hints of his
clothing style!
ERM... :) 
"I live my life in the city,
there's no easy way out
the day's moving just too fast for me...
I need sometime in the sunshine
I gotta slow it right down,
the day's movin' just too fast for me...
I live my life for the stars that shine,
people say it's just a waste of time;
when they said I should feed my head,
that to me was just a day in bed:
I'll take my car and drive real far
to where they're not concerned
'bout the way we are...
In my mind my dreams are real,
now are you concerned about the way I feel?
Tonight, I am a rock and roll star..." (Rock and Roll Star's Lyrics) 
The Chief and The Kid
drowned down by gallimel in 1995,
currently framed in her house's corridor "I'll tell you about the Bible-there's no pictures in it.
How can you buzz off a book, right, without no pictures in it?
You've got to have one picture floating about.
If there ain't no pictures in a book you can fuck right off!
I want to see Jesus getting the stalls up.
I want to see Jesus walkin on wine... or water going "waaahhyy, I'm a geezer!".
But there's no pictures to prove it.
So fuck right off, there's no pictures to prove that Jesus turned water into wine, I know he did and I know he's a geezer, but a book without pictures is a shit book."
(pulls out chain with crucifix attached)
"This symbolizes that there's four ways to life.
There's upstairs, downstairs,the man who lives to the left and the man who lives to the right. And that's what it's all about.
Because if people believed in one fucking thing, we'd all wear circles.
There's four ways to each fucking.. hedgehog!
So it's like upstairs, downstairs, left , right.. and who's in the middle?
The kid!
So put that in your fucking pipe and fuck right off!
It don't mean nothing but it means something!"
Liam Gallagher, talking with Bono at Dublin Point,March 96
(From the book "Oasis, Definitely" by Tim Abbott)
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OK, these are my views on the gig.
Right, after queuing for 12 long hard hours in the rain (it rained the whole day) the clock struck 7:00pm. Yes, it was finally time to witness what was to be one of the greatest gigs of mine, and I'm sure of many others, that Oasis have ever performed!!!
Got checked by security (they were tight, so no cameras allowed or you'll be chucked out) and ran to the second row towards the middle, thats literally spitting distance from Liam, 2 ####in meters. Well for the first 1 hour we had to put up with THE MUSIC. Yes the support band. To be honest they were ok, but got quite a lot of stick from us. We were just there to see liam and noel, not some shitty 'the music band' who were anyways seemed arrogant and cocky for a bunch of lads who were only 19 yrs old. The vocalist was shite, thought he was cool with all those indie moves, and psychotic stares at the crowd. All their songs sounded virtually the same. Aaaaaaahhhtuweee we spat back at their faces!!! On the outro, lol, this was funny, we spotted Nicole on the 1st level and waved at her during the whole song. No one whosoever was looking at the support band, mind u no one wanted to, nicole waved back as did the other celebs, and so this repeated itself until the music pushed off stage and made way for oasis.
As soon as they shoved off, we started chanting liam, Liam, LIam, LIAm, LIAM!!! Then all of a sudden came f'in in the bushes (not sung live - recorded) and then came on liam in his army suit, noel very smartly dressed, andy in a yellow top, gem with his shades, and whitey!!! Liam then went straight into it, no bullshit, no jokes and started straight off singing Go Let It Out. As you'd expect it was no different from the other live versions. It was loud, snappy, and what u see on the TV is what you get, f'kin pure unadulterated energetic, full of life, liam singing his bloody soul out!!!
Now first of all, let me set things straight. There are a lot of rumours lurking around that 3 new songs were sung. Thats certainly not true. I only heard 2 new songs, and thats the way it was. The first song ( claimed to be The Hindu Times - I couldn't hear many sitars) started off with an excellent drum shoot off, banging away, and the liam lashed off in with a rampant and ssssttttttttreeeeeeeetchyyyyy voice. All I can say is that it was punky, fast & f'in amazing. It progressively mannifested itself into as nme had rightly put it, a massive anthemic chorus. Its hard to explain in words how it exactly sounded like but you know in Its Getting Better Man, where noels guitar solo in the middle picks up, and keeps on getting faster and going up and up and up and up and up, well this was more or less the same except it was with liams voice, its got punkier faster and louder feel to it!!! AS far as I could hear, the lyrics sounded ace as well!!! This will definitely be an A side - if its not, then #### it will be their best album releas ever. Can't wait to here it again and again and again!!! Drums were hard and solid..... oh well its out now, so u can hear for ur self!!!
The second one which GEM had written, but which was sung by noel & liam was rockin'. Guitars were a bit blown out or oversaturated, and so you couldn't quite here what liam was singing, but no doubt, its none of that sotsog shitey choral choir crap. Nope none of that, just solid guitars. If one were to compare these songs to those in the DM era, although these two new songs have got the tunes, they are much much much faster, punchier in your f'kin face, and are not as basic (guitar wise) as those in DM. They're way more electicky. But then again, it was live, so one can't know for sure. Anyway both were damn class especially the first one (Hindu Times). Damn I keep saying that, but man they were, not just from an oasis fan point of view, but critically, the first new song WAS WICKED dammit, and I know Mikael will like it (well hes heard it - but live u'll like it more)!!! Hmmm well maybe I'm exaggerating becuase I was so excited, but I'll try not let the gig experience obscure my true feelings of the song!!
All songs sung by noel were electic. No acoustic sets. I think it sounded better that way, for such a speedy gig, it woudn't have fitted in well. One way road sounded like the one on the album, so nothing much new there. The Masterplan was mega, it was an interesting fast paced rendition which some may or may not like. Aaaaahhh but then we had She's Electic which was also sung by noel (liam needed a break, his voice was in such top form and he needed to preserve it for roll with it, and I am the walrus). Well Shes electric, what can I say.... The intro certainly got my adrenaline pumping , The rain of guitars, the drums hailed in, duna duna duuuna duna.........ssssshhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssss electric'ah ...ok noel voice didn't have the sttttttttreeeeeetchhhhhhhy charm to it, but that didn't bring it down one bit.
Then the two encores..... roll with it, rock'n'roll star and I AM THE WALRUS. That was wicked, everyone chanted hoooo haaaa, were jumping up and down, and then liam gave us the big stare, absorbing the music, just like we were!!!! Oooh the atmosphere.... all in all the gig was great, the songs were faster, let down by the fact that it there were no bhn songs, and the gig went over like it never happened, and were all in general and tad more electric!!!
Sachin |
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The mp3 of Hindu Times you heard is from the Apollo on the Wednesday (as I was there)
There's a #### up at the start cos Noel's guitar cocked up and the band had to restart. The lyrics for the chorus are (I think) "Cos God gave me soul for rock n' roll man, I get so high, I just can't feel it". Cracking song - would be shocked if it's not the new single.... a real return to form.
Hung in a bad place is not as immediate as Hindu Times... Gem starts the song with power chords, Andy Bell does a bass solo before the guitar solo and there's a drum break each time the chorus line is sung. I know what Noel meant by the Instant Karma reference. I didn't think the melody for the chorus was that great...... to me it sounds more like an album track than a single. Oh yeah and Gem plays all the solos in this track.
Having seen Oasis 5 times before last night,I was surprised at the lack of banter Noel and Liam had with the crowd.... Noel especially seemed pissed off throughout.... considering it was supposed to be a celebration of 10 years Oasis seemed to be on autopilot. Maybe they just let the music do the talking but I would have preferred them being a bit more vocal with the crowd.
Set highlights for me were the Noel sang songs. Half the world away was sung back with gusto by the crowd and The Masterplan was played brilliantly by the band. Mike Rowe on the keyboards did all the string parts while Gem played the lead guitar parts note for note as the studio version. Whatever was played with Noel solo with his electric and he sang "All the young blues" Man Shitty song for the bitter blues in the audience.
She's electric was great to hear live and Liam sang the arse out of Slide Away and hit all the high notes perfectly. His voice is really better than ever.
Johnny Marr came on for Champagne Supernova and the guy who does the spotlights completely ####ed up as the spotlight was never once on Johnny even though he played all the guitar solos..... it was on Noel throughout and he was just playing rhythm.... makes sense eh?
Also, Noel played the intro to Day Tripper before Roll with it to fool us all into thinking we would hear a cover of the Beatles classic.....
The only celeb there was Les Battersby off Corrie who was sat by me and had the piss royally taken out of him by the crowd chanting "Who the ####ing hell are you?" at him. Funny as ####.
All in all it was a good gig. I've seen 6 Oasis gigs and this one was special cos of the rarer stuff in the setlist. Oasis played the songs well but there was a definite tension between Noel and Liam last night. They didn't say a word to each other all night and Noel didn't crack one joke to the crowd.
But the crowd loved it and each and everyone of us there had a cracking night seeing the greatest band of our generation.
A mention about The Burn - they were pretty impressive for a unknown band. The first few songs were a bit shit but the rest of the set was cracking. "Drunken Fool" was the best song they played and I wouldn't be surprised to see that in the charts in the near future.
Al 
Noel wearing some..
"Hindu Times" clothes! |
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