It was May when this writer ended a complimentary review of Beady Eye’s first forays on a Dublin stage with the words “Your move, Noely…” Penned in the afterglow of an incendiary show that seemed to signal Liam Gallagher would not be swaggering quietly into the night post-Oasis, Noel was keeping schtum, sensibly considering the next step, letting the youngsters have their playtime fun before returning to teach a few lessons.
If Beady Eye was, in truth, more stylish bluster than brilliance – their primal, neanderthal rock sits very much in the shadow of Definitely Maybe – the suspicion was that The Chief would have a little more to offer. His next move was only ever going to be “checkmate, our kid.” Thus it proves tonight. Opening his Irish solo account in the very same venue, comparing both gigs is like a fast-tracked evolution of man. No knuckle-dragging, just deft, nimble new tunes sitting alongside perennial favourites.
Having debuted at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland, his High Flying Birds offers clear evidence of a creative purple patch, but Noel still needs to work on the subtlety. He strolls out to the sounds of ‘Blue Moon’, adopted anthem for his beloved Manchester City, who have just thrashed their cross-town red rivals earlier that day. “Blue Moon, I saw you standing alone,” the lines run, as Noel positions himself at centre stage, alone. First song up? ‘It’s Good To Be Free’. Yes Noel, no need to labour the point.
The next two hours are all about confirming how vibrant Gallagher sounds now the shackles of his former band are off. Seven songs in, a blend of the old and the new, and the fresh lease of life is easy for the heaving throngs to see. ‘The Death Of You & Me’, with its sighing falsetto leaps, breezy tune and brassy New Orleans outro sums up this stage of his career – looking less to The Beatles, winking towards The Kinks and – who’d have thunk it? – glancing towards the future.
Of the solo stuff, ‘AKA… What A LIfe’ rides a dance backdrop straight to a place of carefree joy, and ‘If I Had A Gun’ possesses a stellar chorus, “My eyes have always followed you around the room” being one of those disarmingly sweet lines he occasionally stumbles upon.
There are only a few duds – ‘Record Machine’ should have been left on the Oasis cutting-room floor and ‘Soldier Boys & Jesus Freaks’ aims for political commentary but misfires. And so to the golden oldies. Liam admirably stayed away from his old band’s output, but Noel has no cause to: he wrote the bloody things. As the four-piece backing band step away momentarily, ‘Wonderwall’ is reborn in a gentler form that owes a considerable amount to Ryan Adams’ interpretation. ‘Supersonic’ remains an invigorating statement of intent even as an acoustic strum. ‘Half The World Away’ still breaks hearts. The encore is all Oasis, teary, beery and just as it should be. ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ inspires a mass singalong and ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’ remains the best song he’s written this century, though ‘Little By Little’ is an odd choice for a closer, having always been a bit Noel-anthem-by-numbers. It’s a minor quibble. Judging by his onstage demeanour, Gallagher will always be at home with a scowl, but he seems satisfied with his evening’s work. So he should be. The blue Manc is now flying solo and, despite some turbulence, he’s flying high.