Review, Setlist, Pictures & Video: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds In Cardiff

"We're going to start going backwards. We're going to end up in the 90s", Noel Gallagher told a packed Cardiff Castle last night on the first night of his five-date summer tour. The setlist held in firm position from the Council Skies arena tour at the back end of 2023, the music flowed from new, to back-catalogue seamlessly. Against the backdrop of 2000 years of Welsh history, the band set off in the castle with four songs from Noel's latest solo album, peppering the first half of the gig with highlights from the High Flying Birds' 13-year history.

One of the non-musical highlights of the night was Noel chatting to the crowd, and in response to someone's Mum asking if her daughter could come on stage to play guitar, he replied "This isn't X-Factor! Or Cardiff's got talent!". Luckily the band were left to do what they do best, and after a perfect rendition of 'Dead in the Water', it was time for some Oasis classics, starting with one of the highlights of this tour's set, 'Going Nowhere'.

There can't be many better endings to a gig than the five tunes the band finished the gig on. Starting with 'The Masterplan', then into 'Little By Little' and an encore of 'Stand By Me', another trip to Be Here Now in this set, and possibly the best arrangement of 'Live Forever' since the Definitely Maybe tour. The night finished, predictably, perfectly on a song recorded just an hour down the road at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth. 'Don't Look Back In Anger', dedicated to "The English football team" finished a perfect night in Cardiff, and an incredible start to the tour. The band head to Wigan, London, Warwick and Halifax next on this short run of dates. Don't miss it!

Setlist

Pretty Boy
Council Skies
We're Gonna Get There In The End
Open The Door, See What You Find
You Know We Can't Go Back
We're On Our Way Now
In The Heat Of The Moment
If I Had A Gun...
AKA... What A Life!
Dead In The Water
Going Nowhere
Talk Tonight
Whatever
Half The World Away
The Masterplan
Little By Little
Stand By Me
Live Forever
Don't Look Back In Anger

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Review: Liam Gallagher In London Night Four

I was lucky enough to see Oasis numerous times, and though I’ve seen Liam and Noel since their break-up, I can’t say either has come close to that feeling of seeing them on stage together. Last night, at the O2 Arena, and last week in Cardiff was as close as it’s ever come. I might have been finally converted into believing that a reunion not only might happen, but needs to happen.

There’s no band for my money in this country that has have the ability to pull the collective hopes, fears and dreams of us all into music like Oasis. Hearing Liam tear through tunes he probably hasn’t listened to in 30 years as if they were written yesterday is incredible in an era where even the most old-school guitar bands are rehearsed, choreographed and media trained to the millisecond. Despite the staging, and huge screens (all really impressive to be fair), it felt raw, and real. It’s the simplicity of the songs that shone through, like they were in his blood.

Kicking off with pretty much the first 20 minutes of Definitely Maybe, the gig launched like a rocket as usual. Before you realised it, he was about six songs into it, and he was playing ‘old songs’ that probably 95% of the audience had never heard. For old school fans like me, it was incredible to hear Liam in 2024 singing tunes like Lock All The Doors that felt so of-their-time from those early 90s demos when they sounded so young and raw. One of the other surreal moments of the night was Half The World Away, sung by Liam live for the first time. To me it feels the quintessential Noel song, but somehow it felt right he was singing it. In the same way that Noel can get away with most Liam-sung songs, because they’re coming from the bloke who wrote them in his bedroom.

The last 30 minutes are what will live in everyone’s memory though. To be able to pull out Cigarettes and Alcohol, Slide Away, Supersonic and Live Forever, all from the same album is pretty stunning, especially when you’ve got 15,000 people singing every single word. Again, it’s a strange sensation when months apart from each other, you see Noel playing Live Forever acoustically, with a choir and it really hits you, then you see Liam do it with a full band, heavy as, and it hits you in a totally different way.

Overall though, a few hours on, my memory of it is clouded by the feeling that something is still missing from it all. You just think about how that would all feel if it came together, both versions, both visions etc. The sensation as we walked to the tube station with thousands of people singing Wonderwall and Supersonic whilst the guy who wrote them was at home on his own, contemplating another solo record whilst all the fun was being had at this gig was strange. Just the daydream of imagining that same gig, but with Noel, Bonehead and one or two other original members is immense. There’s not a band alive that could come close to that.

I can’t think how Liam could have topped tonight, and it was epic seeing him and Bonehead back together for a full set. It was by a long way the best ‘retrospective’ gig I’ve seen of someone doing a classic album. I’d go again tonight if I could, but it would be hard to watch it all unfold without the feeling (that I haven’t had that much until last night), that it could be bettered by going all the way and celebrating the music together, as a full band. If not, then fingers crossed we get a WTSMG tour next year!

Our Review: Liam Gallagher John Squire

I’ve listened to probably thousands of hours of Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s music, and would have thought I could have guessed with pinpoint precision what an album they’d make together would sound like. What I’ve listened to today is something completely different, and so much more than I could have hoped.

After hearing ‘Just Another Rainbow’, you thought you could start to piece together what this project was going to be. Liam was Liam; another incredible vocal, kind of in-the-sky, kind of pointed and angry like always, but with this new layer that felt connected with the Roses, with Hendrix, and all the influences that make John Squire a one-in-a-million guitarist and songwriter. More so with ‘Mars to Liverpool’, the picture was becoming clearer, with a hit single that could have been a Radio One A-lister for The Seahorses, or equally a number one for Liam’s solo career. Beyond that though, there’s something more. You’re hearing on this new album, a depth and quality of songwriting, and connection with the music, that hasn’t been heard from Liam since Oasis.

John Squire appears born to write for Liam, there’s something in his lyrics (which I happen to love, colours and rainbows and all…), alongside that hard vs soft layer that always made Liam so unique. The stone vs roses, and Stones vs Beatles to it all. There are some hard things on this album; ‘You’re Not The Only One’ sounds like the heaviest thing the Stones or Black Crows would have done, and has shades of ‘Bring The Light’. ‘I’m A Wheel’, which features what will likely be the last time you’ll hear guitar playing of this quality on a mainstream record, is like heavy-tar blues. Liam’s voice is shredded, like 95/96 era Liam vocals. It will sound enormous live!

The softer, more melodic, and colourful side of the album is where it hits its peak though. Everyone has read a lot about ‘Mother Nature’s Song’, but honestly, this is the standout tune on the whole album. I’d put it with anything Squire or Liam have ever released after just a few listens. There’s something so personal to them both in this, with ridiculously beautiful guitar lines throughout, but there’s definitely a soulfulness to Liam’s voice that makes it feel like he wrote it. That was always what made Oasis, the fact that Liam could sing these songs Noel had written, but make them feel like they were his own. As much as I have liked a lot of his solo output, there’s always been that element missing for me. There seemed to be missing that connection between him and the songs, which for the first time since 2008 is evident on every single song on this album, but none more so than the album closer.

I had huge expectations for this album, my favourite guitarist, my favourite singer, but honestly, after devouring the two singles for a couple of months now, and having listened to this album back-to-back three times in a row, I feel they’ve delivered something truly special. The live gigs, perfectly pitched at the right venues are going to be all-timers. For all the amazing gigs, and songs on his solo run, it would be great to think that Liam leaves that parked for the time being to see where this new road with John Squire can go. I think a second album could be even better as they find their rhythm live.

This is a really special album, and we should feel lucky to still have music like this to get excited about.

Our Review Of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'Council Skies'

Noel Gallagher takes it to another level...

If we count the EPs released in 2019 and the sprinkling of singles put out during the pandemic, we're into fifth album territory for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Oasis' fifth effort was 'Heathen Chemistry', arguably the most toe-the-line album Noel has ever put out. On his fifth solo album, the ex-Oasis leader seems to have landed on a perfect balance between doing what he's great at, and finding new ground, in what is surely his best solo effort to date.

The album somehow manages to mix the more palatable aspects of his recent experimentation with different instrumentation and structures with the traditional songwriting he's known for, whilst feeling coherent and perfectly weighted. Songs like 'Easy Now' and 'We're Gonna Get There In The End' could have sat on any Oasis album. Opener 'I'm Not Giving Up Tonight' sets the stall out for something different with a patient build up that evolves into pure euphoria. Early singles 'Pretty Boy' and 'Dead To The World' mix elements of electronica and Bacharach that hinted at something special, and in the new tracks that pad out the album, the theme continues with gorgeous strings and sugary 60s melodies.

'There She Blows!' is one of the album's stand out highlights. Noel's tight harmonies sit on top of a perfect groove sounding equal parts Chasing Yesterday and Abbey Road. Equal to it, 'Love Is A Rich Man' sounds like pure Brian Jonestown Massacre circa 1996 mixed with The Byrds. Both of these tracks are the perfect foil for the ethereal qualities of 'Think Of A Number' and 'Council Skies'. You can't listen to any of these songs without wondering how brilliant they'll sound live.

As a collection of tracks, it's a perfect summation of Noel Gallagher's solo career to date, mixing influencers new and old, testing new ground and solidifying the foundations of one of the best songwriters Britain has ever produced.

Our Review: Liam Gallagher 'C'MON YOU KNOW'

The world is a very different place since Liam Gallagher released his last solo album, 2019's 'Why Me? Why Not.'. We've seen the world change before our eyes, and you'd have forgiven the ex-Oasis frontman for sticking to the beaten track, as we navigate our way back to normality. With his new album, his third solo effort 'C'MON YOU KNOW', he's done anything but stick to the basics; exploring new territory, new sounds, and at the same time, producing a genuinely brilliant album. 

Since his early twenties, Liam has delivered music that smacked you in the face in an instant, it didn't take time to digest, or analyse, it was just there. Take it or leave it. Though he's hinted at a more experimental and deeper side in the past (see 'Born On A Different Cloud' from Heathen Chemistry), this is the first time he's gone all in on creating something previously unchartered. The results are always interesting, and constantly stunning. 

Tracks like 'Moscow Rules', and album opener 'More Power' are brilliant indicators of this new sound. Though they only, and could only, sound like Liam Gallagher, there's a texture and depth to the songs that makes you want to revisit them immediately after they end, but still have enough of a hook to reel you in on first listen.

Whilst there are some nods to specific genres; late 90s electronic-psych textures in 'Better Days', reggae (!) in 'I'm Free', it's difficult to pin down specific inspirations for most of the numbers. Ultimately it's still Liam Gallagher, and it's a brilliant effort. It's an album where you simply have to open your mind, and let each song pull you in and spit you out. You won't know what hit you, but you'll know it was something good.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

C'MON YOU KNOW is out now 

This Is History!” – 5 Takeaways From The Oasis Knebworth 1996 World Premiere

This isn’t just about Oasis. It’s about what they meant to the people...

If Supersonic was about what the fans gave to Oasis (stardom, success, a lifetime supply of parka jackets), this documentary is dedicated to what Oasis gave back. Over two sold out shows that saw 250,000 people schlepp down to sleepy Hertfordshire (2.4% of the country tried and failed to get a ticket), Oasis performed one of the most legendary rock concerts Great Britain has ever witnessed. Ask any fan of the band, however, they’ll tell you that this show means a hell of a lot more than that. Director Jake Scott has done an incredible job of distilling the euphoria that made Knebworth 1996 not only the biggest music event of the 90s, but a pinnacle of youth culture that hasn’t been matched since. 

Using a combination of real-life footage and stylish reconstructions, Scott allows us to live (or relive in my case) the weekend at its fullest, from the beers in the back of the car as it roars down the motorway to the fans staring eerily at an empty stage, attempting to contemplate what they’d just experienced. If there’s one thing that’s clear throughout the 1hr 50min running time, it’s how much Oasis meant to us. We recognised at the time that this was the ultimate celebration of one of the greatest bands to walk the planet. What we didn’t know then, however, was that we’d never see a day like it again. Watching this I was instantly dragged back to that weekend in August 96 when me and 249,999 fans witnessed the biggest gigs of a generation and how grateful I was to be able to experience it again.

It’s the fans who steal the film...

From the shot of sunburnt, burned-out twenty-something-year-olds belting out the words to Some Might Say to the amazing interviews with people who lived that weekend to the max, it’s clear from the off that it’s the fans who’ve been gifted the starring role in this documentary. 

We get to hear some incredible tales from both days – some hilarious, some poignant – and it’s to Scott’s credit that he was able to thread so many into the documentary. There are the girls who, after travelling to London from Europe, seemingly bought the last two tickets on the planet only to be told they had to catch a train to a place called Stevenage sharp-ish (“Stevenage?!”). There’s the fan who left the Saturday gig and immediately joined the queue for the Sunday show, and countless others. In a Q+A before the screening, Scott said: “We had loads [of fans] come forward. We had to whittle it down based on the emotional story. There are some amazing, beautiful stories here.” The anecdotes from people who came together in a shared love of one band are endless, and they’re beautifully told. 

The documentary cements Liam’s status as the greatest frontman of all time...

Whatever your favourite Liam performance has been over the years, if it’s not Knebworth, then it certainly will be after watching this. I’ve always felt that the chorus to Slide Away and the verse to Cigarettes & Alcohol are the best examples of Liam’s vocal prowess on the live stage and I’m only further entrenched in that view after seeing this. That being said, there’s evidence strewn throughout the film that proves how untouchable Liam was at this time and it’s unleashed on us with relentless ferocity from the first minute. “It was Oasis at its peak because it was Liam at his peak,” Noel says earnestly at one point in the documentary. This is Liam at his very best and it makes for mesmerising viewing.

You will get to hear a LOT of the Knebworth set...

And loudly, too. Which is why you simply have to see this in the cinema if you can. From Liam’s unmistakeable growl to the wash of Noel’s guitar as he solos over Acquiesce to Alan White’s booming snare drum, I’m delighted to say that it’s all still ringing in my ears. Editor Struan Clay gives screen time to almost all corners of the setlist, while the songs that are given full renditions are absolutely jaw-dropping. Credit must go to Will Shapland, too, who’s responsible for the audio. Needless to say, it’s the closest I’ve come to reliving Knebworth in the flesh and that’s largely down to his fine work.

It really was history...

Just like Supersonic, the humour and hedonism on display are quite often laced with tenderness and sadness. Knebworth was a tipping point in society. It was a time without the internet, when crowds could be completely enraptured by the music without the urge to film it on their smartphone. As joyful as it was to witness the crowd drenched in the lights, fully present for every moment, it was also kind of upsetting. It’s clear that those days are gone and they’re never coming back. “Can Oasis happen again?” Noel was asked during the Q+A. “It was a celebratory time of youth culture,” he replied. “There’s not one mobile [in the crowd]. They’re in the moment. This film is a snapshot in time.”

Oasis' Knebworth 1996 is in cinemas worldwide on September 23rd.

A special live album and DVD/Blu-ray, also titled ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ will be released on November 19th via Big Brother Recordings Ltd. 

Pre-order here..

The live album formats include 2CD, and triple LP on heavyweight vinyl with the digital version of the album featuring HD audio. The DVD will be released as a triple disc set including the ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ cinematic documentary plus both nights of the live concert in full, with the Blu-ray in single disc format. 

Limited edition formats include the 2CD with DVD of the cinematic documentary, plus a Super Deluxe Box Set including the triple LP, 2CD and triple DVD plus replicas of the original gig memorabilia, available exclusively from the band’s online store.   

Our Review: Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not.

Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not.

Album number two doesn’t stray far from the beaten track but still ends up somewhere new and improved.




In the documentary As It Was Liam Gallagher described the loose end he was at when his passion for Beady Eye had fizzled out. It may have seemed for a while like the hill back to somewhere with any energy for music was too steep a climb for Liam. Oasis was a monster where size, scale and energy were such important factors, the face of the band was never going to be a comfortable fit for an indie aesthetic or life on the sidelines. For Liam it’s center stage or nothing. If As You Were confirmed that his presence, voice and back catalogue alone were enough to catapult him back to where he deserves to be, only new music would be enough to keep him there. Fortunately on his second album, the songs and performances continue the journey even further.

The immediacy of WM?WN.’s three opening tracks (singles Shockwave, One Of Us and Once) propel the album out of the blocks at breakneck speed. Any one of the three would have been the stand out track on his first album, but it’s from Now That I’ve Found You that the record starts to take on a life of its own. Halo (think Let’s Spend The Night Together vs Bring The Light) is the biggest noise on the record, and one that will lift the roof off live venues. If As You Were felt a bit at times like someone else’s construction of Liam Gallagher as a solo artist, WM?WN. feels like a much more refined and real version of the man himself. Somehow his voice and personality come through a lot clearer, and in the case of some of the more pedestrian tracks, his voice alone carries them somewhere further.

It wouldn’t be accurate to call the album a classic in the same breath as any of the most-loved Oasis albums, but in terms of scale, ambition and confidence, it’s up there with anything Liam has put his voice to before. Naturally, it doesn’t have the rawness you’d get with a Rock ’N’ Roll record outside of the major label universe. There are still one or two songs (see the title track) that could have been released by any guitar-friendly male artist, and it’s telling the age of the algorithm that bar one song, every track is practically dead on three and a half minutes long. However, WM?WN. will do everything it’s designed to do; propel Liam up the festival slots and it will help sell out his currently announced live dates, and possibly a few big outdoor gigs next summer. It puts Liam where he needs to be, where he inspires and gives life to music that means so much to people.

The biggest challenge after the success of his debut solo album was following it up with something stronger. In those terms he’s knocked it out of the park. There’s far more depth to songs like Now That I’ve Found You and Meadow than many of the songs he’s previously released. In terms of where he goes from here, it would be great if now, after almost 30 tracks he’s released he’s found his voice, and can get back with a guitar and write one or two classics on his own. That true human quality is the only thing missing from the record, and arguably the solo career of the only voice in Rock ’N’ Roll that still matters.

Our Review Of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'Who Built The Moon?'

In the build up to his third solo album, Noel Gallagher has long threatened an ´experimental´ phase, throwing out everything but the kitchen sink of his much impersonated signature sound. Though one third of his brothers have accused him of being ´beige´, glimpses of something different were offered on both his previous records, stand out examples being 'Let The Lord Shine A Light On Me' and 'The Right Stuff', examples of a glimpse into the solo space explored by British songwriters like David Bowie and Paul Weller.

Ahead of Friday´s release, fans have been given a glimpse into this said space, in the form of three tracks, 'Holy Mountain', 'Fort Knox', and last week, 'It´s A Beautiful World'. This week, we´ll get the whole whack.

Here´s what you can expect.




Fort Knox
Not since 'Fucking In The Bushes' has Noel written something so transparently a statement of intent. Tear it down and rebuild it. Featuring quite possibly the biggest drum you´ve ever heard, it´s the first hint of Damon Albarn´s uplifting melodies in Gorillaz, something that crops up a few times on the album. The first thought is how massive it will sound in a live arena, whether or not the High Flying Birds can pull it off live is another question.

Holy Mountain
Not one for the ´Parka Monkeys´ as Noel pointed out. A surprising choice for lead single given the quality of pretty much everything else on the album, but arguably the song most readily picked up by radio playlist and TV ident editors. The song reminds listeners of 'Mucky Fingers' from 'Don´t Believe The Truth', rip-roaring Rock ´n´ Roll that will sound MEGA live.



Keep On Reaching
THIS should have been the first single! Soul and pop in equal measure, the first big tune of this album. Pure pop, pure melody, with the sound of pure adrenaline running through its veins. It suits Noel´s falsetto perfectly and is another livener to pull out the bag live.

It´s A Beautiful World
Arguably the stand out song on the album, probably the one that sounds least like anything on the previous two Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. The contrast between the dark, cagey verse and the bright spacey chorus is immense. David Holmes´ drum sound and Noel´s guitar fit perfectly, with a cavernous arena and expensive PA it will sound incredible.



She Taught Me How To Fly
The third teaser offered with the album´s announcement, immediately it sounded like a mix of disco and New Order, a marriage of electronica and Rock ´n´ Roll. Far from the strongest song on the album, but it´s uplifting and composition wise references areas Noel´s not travelled to before.


Be Careful What You Wish For
Imagine 'Come Together' by The Beatles and 'The Right Stuff' off 'Chasing Yesterday'. After the previous three lively foot stompers, it´s a welcome chill out session. Gorgeous guitar overlay and percussively different to virtually anything since the Amorphous Androgynous sessions. Despite the album being written in the studio, this one sounds like a recording of a 4am after party jam.

Black & White Sunshine
This is the nearest example to a classic Noel track on the album, and it´s one of the best. It could be the soundtrack to a road trip movie, with a flowing Johnny Marr-esque guitar line (esque…he plays himself later on!). Another transparent nod to one of the many influences on this album comes in the form of the most Rolling Stones-sounding post chorus riff you´ve ever heard.

Interlude
Two parts of one song, ala 'Swamp Song', dark but flowery 60s instrumentals that could have been written by Jacco Gardner. One of the hidden highlights of the album. Picks up where 'The Girl With X-Ray Eyes' left off.

If Love Is The Law
A Christmas love song. Bells and melodies conjuring images of snowy town centers, with Johnny Marr on guitar solo and harmonica duties. This week Noel Gallagher responded to criticism of his songwriting, all he needed to do was put out this song. One of his best tunes in years, works with the gorgeous production, or simply alone on an acoustic guitar. Surely a future single.

The Man Who Build The Moon
A dark and moody finish to the album that sounds like something from Peaky Blinders. The song mentions spiders, death, flies and shadows. Not the uplifting finale you´d expect, but an epic scene. Ties the concept of exploration and flying to a close, summarising it ended in disaster; “…we never should have left town in the first place.”. If this is supposed to be a metaphor for Noel´s own exploration on this album it couldn´t be further from the truth.

Of all his LPs, this one is the most complete, the best ALBUM, even if it lacks the strength of singles from his previous two releases. As much as he goes all out to find a new sound, the qualities of his song writing are still there and he effortlessly covers new ground without sounding like it´s in any way contrived. Those factors together make this a fantastic album, but if you´re looking for the immediacy of 'Chasing Yesterday', or the uplifting melancholia of 'The Death Of You And Me' or 'Broken Arrow', you won´t find it. Sonically, it´s more bold and open minded than anything Noel has recorded before, hopefully his fans are the same.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'Who Built The Moon?' Is out Friday.