It’s a typically British August Saturday in Wythenshawe- Grey skies, pouring rain and an impending autumnal coldness. Yet, there’s a buzz in the air and it becomes clear upon seeing the stream of Oasis tees and wellies en-route to Wythenshawe Park that the spirits of Noel Gallagher’s fans will not be dampened. It’s a big weekend for Manchester, as the Gallagher brother prepares to take to the stage in a milestone gig, the first to be played in this historic grounds, and how fitting that it should be christened by one of Manchester’s own.
Opening the stage for the day of festivities is Picture Parlour, a Manchester formed outfit who’ve been making waves on the music scene of late and were hand-picked by Noel as a support act. Their set is thrilling and electric, with an unmistakable Arctic Monkeys influence (but far better suits!). Next up is fellow rising star Billy Nomates, whose strong discography, beautifully capable voice and energetic stage presence holds the attention of the growing audience impressively. Though for many attendees this day is about reminiscing on nights gone by, time spent at the likes of Knebworth and Maine Road, it’s equally refreshing to see that women are finally beginning to be invited to the party, with hopefully as much respect and curiosity as Oasis once received themselves.
Continuing the party as the rain trudges on are American synth-pop gang, Future Islands. Whilst seemingly new to most of the audience, including myself, they’re able to attract the crowd effortlessly with their bouncy sound paired with singer Samuel T. Herring’s performative frontmanship. That is, until a storm overhead forces their set cut-short, and a temporary show stop is put in place whilst the now nearly 25,000 strong crowd search for shelter. Thankfully, the situation is well-received by the audience and normal service is quickly resumed as the storm passes over. The sun even pokes its head from behind the clouds, and as the DJ plays I Am The Resurrection across the park I spot a brightly coloured bucket hat nearby dancing, and I can feel the history, memories and importance of this night for the city and for the people in the crowd- couples, old friends and often two generation’s worth of music fans watching together. Primal Scream bring their timeless classics Movin On Up, Loaded and Jailbird, delivered as strongly as ever, and then commences the countdown to the main event.
Just after 9 the bar queues dwindle and lights go down as Gallagher takes to the stage. Evidently, his reputation precedes him, and he leads the set with an easy confidence (or boyish cockiness, whichever you prefer) which is felt throughout the audience. He opens with two tracks from his latest album, Pretty Boy and the title track Council Skies. The songs hark back to his childhood in Manchester, and in the middle of Europe’s largest social housing estate it’s another moment where the significance of the evening can be felt. Meanwhile, Noel dives into his discography with his band High Flying Birds, and by about the third track even the “play Wonderwall!” types are captivated and cheering along. When he plays Easy Now, the second single from his latest album, the songs become more recognisable to the crowd, and everyone seems taken with the set.
Before long, it’s time for him to play his earliest tracks- it’s almost fourteen years to the day since Oasis split, yet in Wythenshawe Park it feels it could be yesterday. Starting off with Going Nowhere, Noel acknowledges his surroundings and dedicates the track to opposition club Manchester United, prompting raucous cheers and jibes from different points in the crowd- you can tell you’re in Manchester. Noel continues on with select tracks from his youth, The Importance Of Being Idle and The Masterplan (dedicated to Manchester’s own Andy Burnham), and when he arrives in the encore at classics like Live Forever and a cover of Dylan’s The Mighty Quinn it’s joyous to watch the crowd embracing the moment they’ve been waiting for all day. Flares are set off, cheers let out and as Gallagher and his band play Don’t Look Back In Anger, the final song of the night, Noel’s vocal isn’t even needed- he watches as the crowd take the reins, word perfect. It’s a lovely moment, and assures the legacy and enormity of Oasis songs, whether they’re played with an original lineup or not.
And, as someone with a limited knowledge of said legacy, I have no trouble finding myself caught up in the celebration, and have a memorable evening. It’s a momentous night for Greater Manchester, and I hope Wythenshawe Park will host many more of the city’s great songwriters in summers to come.
Setlist
Encore:
Let’s abandon the fantasy that survival is glamorous. It’s not some miraculous comeback story or a triumph to be celebrated with applause.
The performance space at The Kings Arms is a relatively modest venue, essentially a large-ish room above a pub that’s well worth
Tulsa is a city that feeds the soul as much as the stomach, and Irish poet Jay Rafferty has captured its essence
The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
