Liam Gallagher - Hampden Park, Glasgow. 26th June 2022.
The summer music roadshows are now in full swing, football stadiums have been revamped and altered to suit strobe lights instead of floodlights. Empty fields have security fences surrounding them as they get ready to welcome thousands of fans to sing, dance and drink the day away in front of the main stage. The last Sunday in June saw the return of Liam Gallagher to Glasgow, the former Oasis frontman has already headlined massive open air shows in Manchester and Knebworth on the back of his recent album release C'mon you know, and Hampden Park was the next stop on his summer tour.
Now, football fans across the country have a love/hate relationship with Hampden Park. The historical context in which the stadium is held is rightly celebrated, but the lack of modernisation leave the stadium somewhat behind many other large scale premium venues in the UK. The sheer volume of stairs to get down to pitch side and then back up again is a workout in itself, add in chaotic stewarding around the bars, food stalls and toilets and you might normally have a recipe for a poor day out. Thankfully the music outshone anything happening off stage.
Before Liam Gallagher took the stage, the expectant crowd nestled in the National stadium were treated to a glorious set from Leicester rockers Kasabian. From the moment the band strolled on stage they had the Hampden crowd in the palm of their hands. New frontman Serge led everyone in the stadium in a lung bursting and electrifying tour of the bands 6 studio albums to date. Sadly the bands time on stage passed too quickly. Every syllable spelled out by the camouflage clad Serge, only increased the intensity of the fans watching on, helping create a near perfect synergy amongst a soaked but euphoric crowd. By the time of their final song everyone in the stadium was already at fever pitch. Fire delivered, it absolutely delivered. It was met with a crescendo that you would expect from a last minute winner in a cup final. Exhilarated by Kasabian, It was time for a breather, a beer and a walk up those stairs.
The level of anticipation before any main act at a gig is always special, but I enjoyed it a wee bit more waiting for Liam Gallagher to take the stage. Maybe because I had my son with me & it was his first open air gig, the realisation that my son is on only 2 years younger than I was when I first saw Oasis, or maybe just the fact Liam Gallagher has the ability to wow fans with his trademark swagger and a gentle shake of his maracas or tambourine. No matter what it was, when the Stone Rose’s started to play over the PA you could feel the charge of expectation in front of the stage.
With a chorus of Championees still echoing around the stadium, Liam strolled on to stage to the epic Fucking in the Bushes, following up with Hello and Rock and Roll Star. The Manchester music Legend then weaved his magic over a near two hour set where he played the very best of the Oasis classics and dipped into his more recent solo albums. Stand by Me, Morning Glory and Slide Away still sound as good now as they did when I first heard them, these are instant classics that helped shape the music scene as the young in your face boys from Manchester took the world by storm.
The mature Liam Gallagher is still in your face, he still has the swagger and he still has that unmistakable voice. His solo albums are laced with influences ranging from the Beatles and Stones, to Ian Brown, The Stone Rose’s and the Chemical Brothers. I'm a big fan of the most recent release, as it packs a punch and gives a good experimental vibe while clinging on to the tried and tested arrangements of his first two solo albums. These songs definitely don't pull on the heart strings the same way as the Oasis tracks do, but they were a perfect fit in an almost flawless setlist (I always want more).
With the sun starting to retreat and darkness beginning to fall Liam lit up the national stadium with massive Oasis hits from Definitely Maybe and What’s the Story Morning Glory, conducting a bumper sing along for Cigarettes and Alcohol, Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova all being squeezed in before the curfew fell and everyone made their way home.
Yeah I might have my gripes about the venue, but the show put on by Kasabian and Liam Gallagher in front of a ravenous Glasgow crowd will live long in the memory.
