Gig review: Mixed bag from Liam Gallagher and John Squire at Olympia, Dublin

The Manchester duo have the swagger and the skills, but their Dublin gig wasn't as satisfying as it could have been 

Liam Gallagher and John Squire on stage at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin.

Liam Gallagher & John Squire, Olympia Theatre Dublin, ★★★☆☆

“We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a f**kin’ good time!” Liam Gallagher, swinging maracas in leisure wear that probably cost more than the average mortgage payment, and John Squire, pointing his Stratocaster at a pedal board that could likely launch missiles, received a huge roar when they ambled onto the Olympia stage on Saturday night.

While their self-titled album isn’t quite as bad as some of the scathing reviews, Gallagher was having a laugh when he said it’s “the best record since Revolver”. You might, at a push, say it’s better than anything either man has done in years, but you’d find higher bars at the National Limbo Championships.

Tonight’s opener, ‘Just Another Rainbow’, is one of the three or four songs worth saving and Liam gives it everything he has. Even if you’ve no time for him, you can’t deny that his is probably the greatest rock’n’roll voice of the last 30 years. He could sing the phone book and sell it - which would be a step up from some of Squire’s lyrics - but even listing a rainbow’s colours sounds exciting when Gallagher’s belting it out in front of you.

John Squire and Liam Gallagher marking the rise of their debut album to the top of the UK charts. Picture: Official Charts Company//PA Wire

Squire is a staggering guitarist to watch, such is the fluidity of his fretboard command, and you know you’re in the presence of a bona-fide guitar hero when the crowd sing along with the riffs.

Songs like the surely ironically titled ‘Make It Up As You Go Along’ belong in the bin, but Gallagher’s immense presence and Squire’s pyrotechnics, channelling Hendrix for a wah-wah wig out during ‘Love You Forever’ or his slide in ‘Mother Nature’s Song’, made those tunes sound better than they probably are.

‘Mars To Liverpool’ is more like it, with a proper sing-along chorus that had the packed house howling, as is ‘Raise Your Hands’ and the poolhall chug of ‘You’re Not The Only One’, but imagine hearing Gallagher sing The Stone Roses’ ‘She Bangs The Drum’ or watching Squire set fire to Oasis’ ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’. Refusing to play old material is sort of admirable,but it would have made for a better show.

“We’ll be back with more songs so don’t be crying,” Gallagher says before they finish with the Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. In ways, the choice of encore further exposes their songwriting shortcomings, but a gig that didn’t even last an hour and cost €82.75 + booking fees was a bit cheeky. Still, it was a proper, exciting event, and the faithful were ecstatic just to be in the same room. All they need now is a few more tunes.