Blessed with a red sunset and an adoring crowd, Noel Gallagher brought life to the ruins of Cardiff Castle. With support from fellow 90s alumnus Gaz Coombes, and Wales’s next-gen prodigies Boy Azooga and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, the evening provided a winning mini-festival affair.
From first striding onto the stage, there was no denying that Gallagher is at home on stages this size. He possessed a knowing confidence as he broke into recent rock-pop single “Holy Mountain”, throwing cheeky shapes at opportune moments and always half a minute away from pointing a finger toward the crowd. It was a carefully curated set, with an early burst of successful solo singles that grabbed the masses from the start.
The amps and keyboards were adorned with psychedelic patterns and Man City flags, much needed visual accompaniments to a mostly static band. That said, his cabal of musicians produce an impeccable sound.
Gallagher’s set plays as a surreal time machine: the further he reaches into his back catalogue, the more alive the crowd becomes. Latest single “Black Star Dancing” drew a muted response, but first solo album tracks were emphatically received, and each Oasis number was greeted like the second coming. But this is a testament to his songs – over 25 years of writing that most artists would beg for. It doesn’t matter that some were from a previous band, they are his and they carry weight with so many in attendance.
The support line-up raised the day to something special. Gaz Coombes still possesses one of the purest growls in music, a subtle gravel gracing those high notes. His solo incarnation is a commanding troubadour, the musicality of later Supergrass freed by the lack of expectation. Boy Azooga again showed why they are one of the country’s most visionary acts, and openers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard resurrected glam rock with snake hips and lush riffs.
Gallagher’s final few were a satisfying retrospective. “Half the World Away” brought back memories of the Royale Family heyday, and the obligatory “Wonderwall” sounds so much less stale when sung by its originator. No-one begrudges The Rolling Stones for playing the best they’ve written, and this night showed why it’s unreasonable to hold Noel Gallagher in a different regard. There was a slew of singalong solo tracks, and plenty of reminders that his songwriting defined a decade. A finale of “All You Need Is Love” was almost two fingers to those that categorised Oasis as Beatles-light; the perfect send-off for an evening featuring one era’s great musicians and the next in-waiting.
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