Boisterous, brilliant and breathtaking, the highly-anticipated tour to showcase Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s titular album catapulted its way into London at the O2 Forum Kentish Town and what a night it was!
With palpable energy, the sold-out crowd were crying out for their musical heroes long before Liam, John and the rest of the band even set foot on the stage. The audience were suitably calmed by the presence of singer-songwriter Jake Bugg who put on a stellar performance, with just him and his acoustic guitar taking centre stage.
Jake’s set which included ‘Trouble Town’, ‘All Kinds Of People’ and a rousing rendition of his much-loved track ‘Lightning Bolt’ was the perfect way to soothe the soul and it certainly got the crowd into the mood for the main event.
A little after 9pm, the Madchester masters sauntered on stage, with Liam resplendent in a white adidas Spezial cagoule alongside the rest of the band which included Barrie (Little Barrie) Cadogan, Joey Waronker and Christian Madden.
Opening with the euphoric ‘Just Another Rainbow’, the crowd sang along enthusiastically during the song’s refrain whilst John Squire, enigmatic as always served up a swirling psychedelic-infused guitar which effortlessly complimented Liam’s vocals.
The colour theme continued with Liam asking ‘Hands up who wants the blues?’ to which the crowd responded with an unequivocal yes (who could possibly say no?!), saw music’s most exciting partnership segue into the brilliant ‘I’m a Wheel’ with its distinctive 12-bar riff and its driving, sultry bass line delivered superbly by Little Barrie.
The punk puissance-infused ‘I’m So Bored’ saw Liam complete with plenty of swagger and punchy, acerbic soundbites describing all the things that bore him (war, peace, your kids and the buses to name but a few!)
His contempt for things can also be found in ‘Make It Up As You Go Along’ with the sucker punch of a line ‘Thank you for the thoughts and prayers, and fuck you too!’. Who knew that snarky bon mots and fuck yous could be so utterly absorbing?!
In full throttle and with the crowd in the palm of their hands, the Gallagher Squire set navigated from the hook-filled chorus of ‘Mars To Liverpool’ to a formidable and emotional rendition of ‘Mother Nature’s Song’, delighting fans at every single note and chord. Liam remains a tour de force both in delivering pristine vocals but sublime showmanship too.
Their self-titled album is only ten tracks long, so invariably it was only ever going to be a short but sweet set, but good things come in small packages and whilst the crowd were hankering for more, the band reappeared for a barnstorming encore which showcased the only cover of the night, a blistering rendition of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ which saw Liam toss his maracas into the crowd (not a euphemism!) at the finale where he, John Squire and the rest of the band received a roaring standing ovation.
Without a doubt, the partnership of Liam Gallagher and John Squire translates effortlessly into a live setting and their 50 minute set was an electrifying and unmissable experience.
Photo Credit: Adam Hampton Matthews
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