Could Noel and Liam create that swagger 29 years on? Definitely, not maybe!

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Thirty-two years and half the world away from this magical moment on the hallowed Murrayfield turf Oasis gate-crashed a show that would change their lives forever.
Their unscheduled appearance at Glasgow 's exotically named King Tut's Wah Wah Hut (capacity 300) back in 1993 attracted an audience of just 12.
But the young Gallagher brothers' performance was so inspirational that night they were immediately signed up by Scots record label owner Alan McGee – who just happened to be one of the 12 lucky attendees.
The rest, as they say, is rock history.
So Oasis has a lot to thank Scotland for, and last night at Murrayfield (capacity 210,000 over three nights) the band paid us back – with interest.
From Noel's first jangly guitar chords on the opener Hello to Liam's final haunting vocals on Champagne Supernova the band stormed through what must be one of the most polished and memorable concerts for decades.
And, frankly, it was a privilege to witness it. I was lucky – and old enough – to see the band in their prime when they played at Balloch, Loch Lomond, in 1996.
Would they still be able to create that distinctive Oasis sound and swagger 29 years later?
Well the answer was definitely, not maybe. There's been a lot of water (and brotherly bad blood) gone under the bridge since that fateful night in King Tut's.
But having risen to the top through the chaotic 90s Britpop era then splitting up (finally, after many fights) in 2009, there then followed many years of 'will they, won't they' rumours.
Would the Gallaghers ever manage to put their not inconsiderable differences behind them (Noel once famously described Liam as 'a man with a fork in a world of soup') and get back on stage together again?
The Oasis Reunion Tour has already attracted rave reviews after shows in Cardiff, Manchester and London.
After Edinburgh, the £1billion steamroller trundles on to Dublin and finishes in Sao Paulo in Brazil on November 23.
The entire tour sold out in minutes, with some fans willing to pay thousands of pounds to see them.
And how does a band which never played a chord together for 16 long years manage to span two generations?
Looking over Murrayfield's ocean of bobbing bucket hats and adidas T-shirts, the crowd was a surreal mix of nostalgic middleaged couples who'd witnessed the Oasis phenomenon first time round, and teenagers, many of whom had presumably listened to their parents' dusted-off vinyl, caught the Gallagher brothers bug and come along for the ride Rock's most cantankerous siblings have created a rare thing – mystique.
And with that a whole new audience. The years of uncertainty created an anticipation rarely witnessed. When the tour was finally announced, many fans didn't believe the brothers would make it through the rehearsals without killing each other.
Yet here we were. Oasis back on stage in Scotland and everyone was intent on having a party.
Liam and Noel had that awkward, brotherly-cuddle embrace as they walked on to a thunderous roar. But that early tension quickly disappeared as the band hit the stage. A powerful, tight wall of sound.
They rattled through all the favourites: Morning Glory; Half the World Away; Wonderwall; Rock and Roll Star; Don't Look Back in Anger; The Masterplan.
Liam took a breather during the first 30 minutes to attack Edinburgh Council for suggesting Oasis fans are old, raucous and overweight.
'We have brought a billion pounds into this city and they slag our fans,' he said. 'We're still waiting for an apology.'
Both brothers have kept active with their own bands during the Oasis, err, 'desert years', but I swear Liam's voice is raspier, more drawl-y than ever before.
Every forced syllable seemed to stretch from Murrayfield to Morningside.
The crowd knew every word of every song, often threatening to drown out their Mancunian heroes as they belted out favourite after favourite – mostly from their two most successful albums (What's the Story) Morning Glory and Definitely Maybe.
And the noise! The band's last Scottish performance – also at Murrayfield, in 2009 – was the most 'ground-shaking' concert at the stadium according to the British Geological Survey, beating bands such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Kings of Leon.
Who among the thousands last night would bet against the Gallaghers beating their own record?
And as the final chords and lyrics of the classic Champagne Supernova soared into the Edinburgh night sky it was all suddenly over.
Maybe for the last time. Who knows? So thanks, Noel and Liam. It was a blast.
Scotland, as some might say, certainly went Mad for It.