Where did it all go right? Oasis are back. Six years on from Noel Gallagher’s enquiry as to where it went south, the Gallagher brothers have begun to regain some of their phenomenal mid-'90s popularity. At the turn of the century, having released the truly awful Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, you wouldn’t have believed it possible. Oasis looked a spent force.
Roll on 2005 and, Lazarus-like, they have risen. Don’t Believe The Truth has proven their finest and most successful album in a decade. Their reputation as a live act has also been restored: last summer’s acclaimed performance in Marlay Park was no flash in the pan.
Tonight kicks off with Liam delivering their finest opening line to date, ‘Turn Up The Sun’s “I carry the madness/ Everywhere I go”. This madness flows within the crowd as ‘Lyla’, ‘Bring It on Down’, ‘Morning Glory’ and a riotous ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ follow. ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’ nods significantly to The La’s, whilst a debut Irish performance of ‘The Masterplan’ is worth the price of admission alone.
From here, there’s a temporary lull. ‘Songbird’ and the tiresome ‘A Bell Will Ring’ force a dip in tempo, before ‘Acquiesce’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Wonderwall’ reward the crowd’s patience. By the time a raucous ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ and ‘My Generation’ come around, we’re ready to dust off the Adidas Samba, get out the Britpop trackie tops and chant O-A-SIS, O-A-SIS. Now, who said they’d lost it?