Review: Liam Gallagher supported by Gerry Cinnamon and PLANET at Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, December 11th, 2019
It was just under two years ago that Liam Gallagher most recently found his way down to Aussie shores, visiting in support of his debut solo album, As You Were.
While his tour and record showed that he need not front a band to guarantee a life in the spotlight, it took him barely any time at all to dish out a follow-up.
Sharing Why Me? Why Not. just a few months ago, fans were stoked to learn that Gallagher would be heading back to our shores for a number of tour dates this December.
Following on from his elder brother Noel’s tour with U2 last month, Liam himself took to Twitter to announce he would be in town to help “pick [us] up after the little fella no doubt has bored [us] to death” write these headline dates.
Having kicked off these local shows only a few days back, Wednesday night saw Liam Gallagher take to the stage at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena for a dose of his classic compositions – backed by a pair of seriously talented outfits – for an evening we certainly won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Check out ‘Why Me? Why Not.’ by Liam Gallagher:
As fans made their way through hordes of Elton John supporters heading to the Rod Laver Arena just next door, a sea of Oasis shirts (and a couple of Blur tees) indicated they were moving in the right direction.
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With only a smattering of folks occupying the floor, Sydney’s PLANET took to the stage as a handful of devoted audience members cheered them on. Kicking things off with a dreamy dose of Britpop guitarwork, it soon became abundantly clear they were a perfect choice to open such a high-profile show.
With crystal clear vocals, precise guitar work, fuzzy solos, and catchy choruses, their animated stage presence made them firm favourites with those who came out early, as they dished out a stunning array of tunes to a crowd who warmed to them almost immediately.
Although it was hard for PLANET to escape DMA’S comparisons from folks in the crowd, the fact remains that even after a criminally-short set, they proved their worth as an exceptional band who wouldn’t be out of place headlining the same venue the following night.
Check out ‘REASON WHY’ by PLANET:
As the crowd swelled in size, an abundance of joyful singalongs began to take place, as tracks like ‘You Can Call Me Al’, ‘Sweet Caroline’, and KC and The Sunshine Band’s ‘Give It Up’ turned into communal affairs, giving all in attendance the chance to lose themselves to the music over the P.A.
Before long though, it was time to welcome to the stage Scotland’s Gerry Cinnamon, whose energetic nature fit right into the hyperactive crowd; running around before us as he strummed his guitar with intense fury.
Settling things down about as his acoustic melodies permeated the accompanying backing, Gerry Cinnamon quickly found himself a legion of admirers, with the audience seeming to resemble a football crowd as they chanted out lyrics to songs such as ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Sometimes’ as if they’d waited to hear them onstage for years.
Complementing his performance with a bit of classically Scottish banter, the Glaswegian kept surprising us all, raising the intensity at every chance he got, busting out a harmonica to accompany his intense performances, wrapping up each and every tune like he’s just finished a lengthy marathon.
With the astonishing double-header of ‘Belter’ and ‘Canter’ inspiring something of an acoustic rave as, they also capped off yet another far-too short set. While Gerry Cinnamon told us he was destined to love us and leave us, he soon bade us farewell and undoubtedly left countless audience members wishing he might announce a few extra appearances during his time in the country.
Needless to say, with so many having waited so long to catch Gerry Cinnamon, here’s hoping we’ll have a quick turnaround between now and his next visit.
Check out ‘Belter’ by Gerry Cinnamon:
While it already felt difficult to top the vibe of the evening in terms of the wholesome, free-spirited nature that the crowd conveyed, things were about to get knocked up another notch, with fans chanting along to The Stone Roses’ ‘I Am The Resurrection’ as it got closer to showtime.
Kicking things off a nice two minutes early, the familiar sounds of the Manchester City Champions Chant rang out, before it was replaced by Oasis’ classic ‘Fuckin’ In The Bushes’. As memories of the band’s tunes flooded over the crowd, it was all brought to a head as the iconic figure of a parka-wearing Liam Gallagher appeared before us.
As the opening notes of ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’ kicked off, it felt as if barely anyone would get out of here alive, with an apocalyptic orgy of sweaty, writhing limbs pulsating in the GA section, as Gallagher assumed his classic vocal position to belt out the forever-true statement “I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star“.
Of course, any notion that the evening would be built upon a nostalgic views of his days in Oasis was completely refuted as new track ‘Halo’ found itself washing over the crowd, with its driving rhythm again sending the crowd into a frenzy that could only be compared to a mosh pit at a metal festival.
Showcasing that iconic Mancunian accent through a bit of friendly banter with the crowd, Gallagher ran through a few new ones before dipping into the legendary ‘Morning Glory’, inspiring crowd surfing from all angles, and taking us right back to the golden age of Oasis as the classic chorus line was met with a rapturous singalong.
Closing the track with a prophetic warning of a “tight curfew”, a quick run-through of ‘Columbia’ and ‘Stand By Me’ – with the latter dedicated to Aussie firefighters – capped off a look into the past, before we were again brought into the current era.
Check out ‘Stand By Me’ by Oasis:
With Liam Gallagher dipping into the new material by way of ‘Why Me? Why Not.’ and ‘The River’, it was a true testament to his creativity that each of these tunes received a response that could lead you to thinking they’d been classic anthems for years.
As singalongs sprung up at every point, even tunes like ‘Once’ showed that fast-paced, upbeat anthems need not be the focus of the night, with the slower number still resonating as if it had been a chart-topper some years ago.
As the highly-underrated Oasis gem ‘Gas Panic!’ got a soulful run-through, it was time for the night to truly be lifted to biblical proportions, with the anthemic ‘Wonderwall’ helping to serve as the moment most fans were here for as they chanted the chorus like it was the last thing they’d do.
Thankfully we were far from the end, with the customary quick stop backstage signalling the kick-off of a furiously-fast encore, dishing out ‘Acquiesce’ (possibly the best Oasis song), ‘Roll With It’, and ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, before pointing at his watch and noting he was “trying to be Speedy Gonzales” to keep up with the impending curfew.
However, after seemingly getting the go-ahead for one final song, we were given the choice of Oasis’ debut single ‘Supersonic’, or the beloved seven-and-a-half minute ‘Champagne Supernova’. While the idea of brevity and crowd pressure helped to choose the former, those in charge the venue would not be quite so kind.
Following an impassioned first verse and chorus, confused glances were in abundance as the sound was completely cut, and Liam Gallagher and his band were left to attempt to play on.
Unfortunately, the powers that be had pulled the plug, with fans’ earnest attempts to continue the track through vocals alone being fronted by a furious Gallagher throwing down his own instruments, and making a swift – albeit frustrated – exit from the stage.
Well that was a load of wank getting cut off last song we weren’t that bad I’ve heard worse any ways thems the rules you still smashed it Melbourne biblical stay young stay safe LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) December 11, 2019
Despite the somewhat anti-climactic end to a powerful evening (through no fault of Liam Gallagher, by any means), there is no doubting the exceptional talent and charisma that this musical icon holds.
Few could have thought that when his now-legendary voice first pumped trough our speakers 25 years ago, we would be watching him headline a series of Australian shows as a solo performer, knocking each and every show out of the park along the way.
Though it is obvious that many fans in attendance front up with the sole intention of witnessing an evening of Oasis tracks, many found themselves leaving converted to the book of Gallagher as his solo material turned them intro true believers of his present day works, which some could argue is as strong – if not more so – than his work with Oasis over the years.
Truly though, Gallagher is the very definition of the rock ‘n’ roll star he sings about in the song of the same name, as he belts out classic songs that mean the world to a legion of excited fans, and delivers a performance that could never be matched by even the greatest of imitators.
While many will take influence and try to top the legacy he has built, there will always be only one Liam Gallagher, and tonight Melbourne fans were honoured to witness him do what he does best.
Check out ‘Supersonic’ by Oasis:
Liam Gallagher @ Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne 11/12/19 Setlist
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’ (Oasis song)
‘Halo’
‘Shockwave’
‘Wall Of Glass’
‘Morning Glory’ (Oasis song)
‘Columbia’ (Oasis song)
‘Stand By Me’ (Oasis song)
‘Once’
‘Why Me? Why Not.’
‘The River’
‘Gas Panic!’ (Oasis song)
‘Wonderwall’ (Oasis song)
Encore:
‘Acquiesce’ (Oasis song)
‘Roll With It’ (Oasis song)
‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ (Oasis song)
‘Supersonic’ (Oasis song)
Liam Gallagher Australian Tour 2019
With special guest Gerry Cinnamon*
Saturday, December 14th
Bird In Hand, Adelaide, SA
Tuesday, December 17th (Sold Out)Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA
Wednesday, December 18th (Selling Fast)
Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA
Tickets on sale now through Secret Sounds
