Member Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Long time BPD stalwart Bandolero graced us with this review:

The general consensus has always been that Noel Gallagher writes the better songs and Liam Gallagher is the better singer. That may be the case, but Noel’s live act had more energy, dynamism and style with a huge LED screen behind him that said Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in huge letters when it wasn’t showing videos, cool strobe and colored lights,

More importantly, he dared to play Oasis songs, right alongside his new solo tunes - with his debut solo disc out Tuesday - during the course of his 90-minute set, while Liam has refused to.

In fact, Noel kicked off the night with two Oasis songs, (It’s Good) To Be Free and Mucky Fingers before delving into High Flying Birds territory with Everybody’s On The Run, Dream On and the popular single, If I Had A Gun, which prompted a big sing-along.

But when he pulled out an acoustic guitar and played stripped down versions of such huge Oasis hits as Wonderwall and Supersonic, the real male bonding amongst audience members - arm-in-arm and singing at the tops of their lungs - began.

Of his four side musicians, I particularly enjoyed keyboardist Mike Rowe, also on piano and organ, and drummer Jeremy Stacey, who looked like he’d walked off the set of A Clockwork Orange with his black bowler hat, as they backed him on Wonderwall and Supersonic, on piano and tambourine, respectively.

And of the newer tunes, it was such super-charged rockers as (I Wanna Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine, AKA... What a Life!, and Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks that stood out.

Then it was back to a trio of Oasis gems - Little By Little, The Importance of Being Idle and Don’t Look Back In Anger - that made up the spirited encore.

Ultimately, of course, the best thing would be if Noel and Liam came back together for an Oasis reunion as it’s their fractious sibling chemistry that truly makes them special.

Until a reunion, then Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is the closest things Oasis fans have to the real thing.

SET LIST

(It’s Good) To Be Free

Mucky Fingers

Everybody’s On The Run

Dream On

If I Had A Gun

The Good Rebel

The Death Of You and Me

Freaky Teeth

Wonderwall

Supersonic

(I Wanna Live in a Dream in My) Record Machine

AKA... What a Life!

Talk Tonight

Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks

AKA... Broken Arrow

Half The World Away

(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach

Encore:

Little By Little

The Importance of Being Idle

Don’t Look Back In Anger