LIAM GALLAGHER – DEFINITLEY MAYBE 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR – LIVE REVIEW

Marking the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe, Liam Gallagher brought back the raw nostalgic energy of 1994.

Entering the arena, the eagerly awaiting crowd are taken ‘Half the World Away’, as they are greeted by the support acts, Villanelle and The View.

Villanelle kick things off and Gene Gallagher commands the audience in a way reminiscent of his father back in 1994.

All that is left is for 20,000 fans to go ‘mad fer it’, as they wait for the Oasis legend to take to the stage. With a pair of maracas and tambourine in hand, Liam rocks his on-stage persona with a statement parka.

The stage is designed as a real life, 3D version of the album cover, shot by Brian Cannon. A giant globe is at the centre piece but it’s the smaller details that bring the show and album to life, including two flamingos and the small TV screen present on the iconic cover art.

As the stage is being built in the half an hour wait between the end of the support acts and the arrival of Liam, a clock is counting back the years from 2024 to 1994. The arena speakers ring out songs by artists like David Bowie and T Rex. All of this build up a part of Liam’s ‘Masterplan’, so that by the time he enters the stage, the crowd are raring to go.

Liam kicks off the celebration with album opener ‘Rock N Roll Star’ which is met with great enthusiasm from the crowd. The younger and older members of the audience have Liam’s hopes, dreams and acts of rebellion clearly spoken to them, as the crowd themselves become the ‘Rock N Roll Star’(s).

‘Columbia’ was dedicated to Bonehead, who we saw return to the stage for this tour. Liam and fans alike took joy watching the former member of Oasis rock the stage. ‘You’re the outcast/you’re the underclass/but you don’t care/because you’re living fast’. The classic punk highlight on the album, ‘Bring it on Down’ is met with rebellious energy. ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ is met with wild enthusiasm as pints and bucket hats go flying into the air.

Throughout the show, we are given other hits like ‘Shakermaker’, ‘Married with Children’ and ‘Up In The Sky’. The audience didn’t need reminding just how great they are and how the album provided a new era for guitar and rock and roll music. ‘Married With Children’ provided a change of pace in between rock and roll classics, which saw Liam sing softly as he did in those early recordings which he is so beloved for.

To set this tour apart from any other, we were also given a selection of B-sides from this iconic album. ‘D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?’ and ‘Cloudburst’ were amongst the highly anticipated crowd favourites.

Performing ‘Half The World Away’ and ‘Lock All The Doors’ for the first time, it was a unique experience and a treat for fans. Not one song felt out of place, as they all came from the Definitely Maybe sessions. There is clear consideration and care that went into this tour. Noel’s presence was not completely missed no matter how much fans would have wanted this, as Bonehead and the other guitarists put so much attention into their solos, it was a mesmerising experience and certainly did not fall short in any way.

As the show came to an end with the crowd pleaser ‘Live Forever’ the background display gave a montage of icons such as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix and of course John Lennon. An euphoric end to the set before The Beatles classic ‘I Am The Walrus.’ While this is not Oasis coming back together for the celebration, Liam has put together a great band of musicians who have breathed new life and energy into the classics. Liam proves that he can command a crowd of passionate Oasis fans without his brother. The only thing wrong with the show, is that it didn’t come with lasagnaaaa!