When Noel Gallagher was announced as one of the acts for this years Teenage Cancer Trust it didn’t come as much of a surprise.
Noel Gallagher has a been a regular at the TCT’s supporting his old mate Roger Daltrey and last year there was even the release of Noel’s gig on CD titled ‘The Dreams We Have As Children.
This year there was a bit more excitement though, as it was the first time that Noel Gallagher has performed in public since the very public split of Oasis and the well documented fall out of the Gallagher brothers, and while Liam has been designing clothes, discussing his new band, collecting Brit awards, dissing his brother and generally ranting anyone that would listen, Gallagher senior has kept his quiet. When quizzed on Saturday night as to the where-abouts of his brother, Noel quipped that ‘he’s off designing the perfect pair of Dessert Boots’ Clarks beware!!!
Noel’s set very much harked back to the glory years of Oasis with only ‘Don’t Go Away’ and ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’ released after 1996. But with Gem on guitar and the Crouch End Choir as backing Noel played through his back catalogue of B-Sides and you suddenly remembered why many considered Noel the greatest songwriter of his generation. With songs such of Fade Away, Listen Up, Rockin’ Chair and an up tempo version of Sad Song not considered good enough to make albums back when Oasis were in their infant years.
Noel Gallagher himself seemed to be happy to be playing in front of a crowd again, kicking his set off with what could’ve been seen as a little dig at his former band mates, ‘(It’s Good) To Be Free’. There was no talk of any new material or even when he’d be back on stage again, but if he does return lets all hope it’s with songs in the same vein as the ones he played tonight.
Noel Gallagher played:
(It’s Good) To Be Free,
Talk Tonight,
Fade Away,
Cast No Shadow,
Half The World Away,
Don’t Go Away,
The Importance of Being Idle,
Listen Up,
Sad Song,
Wonderwall,
Rockin’ Chair,
Slide Away,
Digsy’s Dinner,
Whatever
The Masterplan,
Married With Children,
Don’t Look Back In Anger
Report by Matt Goodwin
