Review: 'You lot have been missed. F****** lunatics' - Gallagher brothers and Oasis make triumphant return to Ireland
Liam Gallagher in full voice at Croke Park. Picture: Chani Anderson
Nineties nostalgia this certainly ain’t. Or if it is, then nostalgia has just been given a long overdue snarky 2020s facelift, less pop collagen and more rock venom.
"I don’t think we’ve played here before, have we?" asks Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher early on.
"All I do know is that this is the most sober I’ve ever been in Ireland. That’s not good. That had to change," he mouths silently, walking away from the mic.
He’s in great voice, arguably better than ever, and he dedicates to his friends and family in Mayo. More very very surprising familial affection will follow by the end of this show. Stay tuned.
Liam is doing most of the chat tonight.
Noel is focused on slaying the guitar, notably on his vintage Gibson. He’s just an awesome melodic guitarist, seemingly even better with Liam around to cover the banter.
Walking away from Croker after a mesmerising show, groups of people are singing "So Sally can wait ...", the epic chorus of Don't Look Back In Anger.
We overhear an emphatic 'Yes' reply from the 20-something asked if this night was worth the €600 she'd paid for her ticket?
Was it worth it? After all, with that money she could be going home now to sit on a comfier new couch. But you can't get a couch into heaven.
Drunken logic works for me.
This was an epic night, one that rose above the extortionate costs, probably in the thousands when you tot up the tickets, hotels, merch and the rest. But why was it so good?
Firstly, this band and these songs rock just as much now as they did prior to their split. Secondly, there's no denying the gripping appeal of the reunion of two fighting brothers, resolving (to some degree) a long period of silence.
We can't all captivate 160,000 people over two nights with our talent, but most of us have at least one sibling we'd love to throttle. They’re oddly relatable. And we can also relate to their proud Irish parents, happy that Noel and Liam are reformed(ish) and clearly back having fun with their old chums.
And what a beautiful collective noise they make. Noel and Liam are joined by original guitarists Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Gem Archer, plus bassist Andy Bell. They are also joined by drummer Joey Waronker, along with a brass section and backing singers including Jess Greenfield of Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds.
Like most people in Croker, I've been to see Noel’s and Liam's Oasis-hiatus solo projects, both of which featured incredible musicians. Brilliant as those bands were, however, there's nothing out there quite like an Oasis show. Why?
Maybe it's the sheer monster weight of the songs, starting with , , and , through to , , , and .
Then there are , , and , iconic masterpieces for which 'song' is too small a word.
Maybe it's the fact that they've been off our radar for so long, but it does feel like we've not seen anything at once as visceral and as poetic as Oasis for the past 16 years.
"Ye’ve been incredible," concluded Liam, "but I’ve got to go to bed now, like the little princess that I am."
He is the first to exit the stage, and he runs past Noel and pats his back warmly as he passes him by. What odds on a full-on hug before the tour is done?
So what next?
Borrowing from Bacharach and David, it's fair to say that what the world needs now is a new Oasis album, stuffed with classic hits, that closes the circle on the world's all-time greatest rock 'n' roll comeback. No pressure, lads.
Meanwhile, after Liverpool indie band Cast warmed up the early-door fans, ex-Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft wowed them; he had the crowd joining on hits including and and, perhaps even more impressively, he downed a pint of Guinness in one gulp.
