UK Edition
Review
Liam Gallagher, O2 Ritz Manchester review: Manchester’s most irascible son makes an emotional return
It was a testament to the enduring legacy of Oasis that last week’s minute of silence for the Manchester bombing victims was followed by a spontaneous outbreak of Don’t Look Back In Anger. The song’s status as an emblem of fortitude and unity, in the aftermath of such a tragedy, was further strengthened when local heroes The Courteeners played it for 50,000 fans at Old Trafford over the weekend.
The timing and occasion of Liam Gallagher’s first solo show wasn’t lost on people either. The former Oasis singer kicked off his UK tour at The Ritz, just over a mile away from the Manchester Arena, scene of last week’s horror, promising to “try and help pick people up”. With all proceeds going to all the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund (set up to support those injured or bereaved by the attack), it was, predictably, an impassioned evening.
Going into the gig, there was a suspicion that 44-year-old Gallagher has been softening of late, albeit in low-key fashion. A day earlier, he’d put aside his long-standing feud with brother Noel – a relationship so toxic that it cut short the final Oasis tour in 2009 - by wishing his older sibling a happy 50th birthday on Twitter. Equally at odds with usual protocol, Liam recently threw praise on Harry Styles’ debut album in an interview with the NME.
Not that any of this had a bearing on his live demeanour. Trim, hair cropped short and sporting a dark cagoule, Gallagher still commanded the stage with all the strutting cockiness of his younger self. Against a perpetual chant of “Liam! Liam!”, he led his four-piece band through a couple of Oasis evergreens – the inimitable Rock‘n’Roll Star and Morning Glory – to an ecstatic response.
The new solo songs from upcoming album As You Were (due in October) stood their ground pretty well in such company. Particularly the mid-tempo title track and the introspective balladry of Bold, a tune that he first uncorked in July 2015, after Gallagher took his guitar into a pub in Ireland when visiting his mum.
Of course, it’s the old Oasis songs that brought the Ritz to a frenzy. D’You Know What I Mean was delivered with all the feral power it was born with, as was a truly memorable Slide Away. Rumours of Noel making a surprise appearance had been doing the rounds all day, but it was never really expected to happen. It didn’t either, although there was a partial reunion of sorts when former Oasis guitarist Bonehead turned up for a blasted rendition of Be Here Now.
The most poignant moment was saved for the encore, when Gallagher led everyone through an a cappella Live Forever, resulting in a communal outpouring of sentiment. The throng began a unified chant in the process: “Stand up, for the 22.” Gallagher had admitted beforehand that he might find Live Forever a tough one to try tonight, but it turned out to be the perfect ending for what was a triumphant, highly emotive night.