With a number one album under their belts, it was time for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds to take to the live stage to prove that Noel could make the transition from lead guitarist to frontman in one smooth move. This was something that Noel eased into; he looked like he could have been doing all his life.

The air of excited anticipation that flowed through the jam-packed Forum must have been enough to give even a shy man the knowledge that it was going to be a great night. That, and the cry of “Noel! Noel! Noel!” that greeted his appearance on stage.

Starting, as he did at last year’s Teenage Cancer Trust shows, with the Oasis track ‘It’s Good To Be Free’, Gallagher flowed into ‘Mucky Fingers’ before introducing tracks from his first solo offering. With fans already seeming to know the lyrics, ‘Everyone’s On The Run’ sounded like it could have been around for years.

Brand new track ‘Freaky Teeth’ proceeded solo acoustic versions of ‘Wonderwall’ and a beautifully stripped back ‘Supersonic’.

With Noel’s crowd banter now if full swing the standout number from the new album ‘AKA...What A Life’ was dedicated to his beloved Manchester City. And it felt like you could have been on the terrace of Man City’s old Maine Road when ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ was played as the first encore track.

For everyone squeezed into Forum it was an exciting experience, and none of the new songs sounded like they will be out of place when The High Flying Birds take to their first arena tour early next year.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds played:

It’s Good To Be Free
Mucky Fingers
Everybody’s On The Run
Dream On
If I Had A Gun....
The Good Rebel
The Death Of You And Me
Freaky Teeth
Wonderwall
Supersonic
(I Wanna Live In A Dream) Record Machine
AKA...What A Life
Talk Tonight
Solider Boys And Jesus Freaks
Half The World Away
(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach

Encore:
Don’t Look Back In Anger
The Importance Of Being Idle
Little By Little

Words by Matt Goodwin