Rarely have I seen such a huge throng of devoted fans packing the Bournemouth O2 for a concert as Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (HFB) on Monday night.
Whether they are there hoping for Noel to dip extensively into Oasis history, or for HFB classics is a moot point….hopefully both.
The Bournemouth O2 is the third of Noel’s current 16-date UK tour playing diverse venues ranging from Monmouth Castle and Saffron Walden, through to the usual suspects, Wembley, Glasgow OVO and Birmingham Utilita Arenas.
From Oasis disbanding in 2009, Noel embarked on a solo career under the moniker Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2011.
This tour is supporting fourth studio record, Council Skies, only issued in June.
The stage was pretty crowded when the 10-piece band appeared promptly at 8.30pm with a set adorned in potted plants, a cardboard cut out of a person unknown and a bass drum that sported a smiley face logo. No doubt all would become clear?
Five straight songs from Council Skies opened the set pleasing those who consider this his best work since Oasis.
It’s always exciting when new classics emerge and I believe the title track from the new album and Easy Now are exactly that.
Time will tell, but Council Skies surely will stay in the set and the wonderful chorus of “I’ll be there, I’ll wait for you, I swear” from Easy Now will be sung at arenas in the future.
We’re Gonna Get There In The End is another clapalong rollicking fun track with a great singalong refrain of the type which Noel appears to be able to churn out at will. Adding the horns brings extra depth and completes the sound.
More HFB songs from earlier albums were performed before the purely Oasis devotees were satiated with Going Nowhere, Importance of being Idle and The Masterplan.
Rather than delivering only the obvious Oasis hits, the songs performed would definitely appeal to the more hardcore fan rather than the casual radio listener.
It didn’t mean to say that any song from the set received a mediocre response, everything was greeted with equal fervour.
Although Noel devoted the last half of his show to Oasis tracks, I am certain there will be moans from those disappointed he didn’t perform the timeless singalongs Wonderwall or Champagne Supernova.
The first song of three for the encore was Dylan’s Mighty Quinn.
It surprised me when Noel sung this instead of an Oasis or HFB classic.
Maybe he is distancing himself from becoming an Oasis cover band? To be discussed………
Live Forever was certainly my most memorable part of the set.
I enjoy the surprise when an artist doesn’t just reproduce the studio version of a classic track but adapts and improves it over time for a live audience.
Noel steered it to be a more acoustic version, played with delicacy and thoughtfulness.
Guitarist Gem Archer must certainly get a gold star at this point for his virtuosity and heavenly solo.
Having said all that, it certainly didn’t put the crowd off from lifting the roof with the sheer enthusiasm of their singing.
I thought nothing could beat that until his masterstroke, finishing off the 90 minute set with Don’t Look back in Anger which I am certain he realised would get the tumultuous response it richly deserved.
Phones out and held aloft, people on friend’s shoulders and the audience swaying and singing together was the result of a great performance delivered by a great band.
Watching the crowds file out into the night at the end was a joy in itself, just smiles and happiness that a musical legend had delivered exactly what they wanted to hear.
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