Motorpoint Arena, CardiffHis band are well-drilled and Liam’s sneering vocals are on point, but there is a gulf between his solid solo songs and the era-defining work of Oasis
The chants start early. Barely a moment after support act DMA’s have left the stage, they ricochet off the girders crisscrossing the ceiling: “Liam! Liam! Liam!” By the time the final on-stage checks have been completed, the crowd is losing its collective mind as the Stone Roses’ I Am the Resurrection thunders from the PA. And if anyone can capitalise on such an atmosphere, it’s Liam Gallagher.
Loping on from the wings as Oasis instrumental Fuckin’ In the Bushes roars, he does precisely that. Opener Rock ‘n’ Roll Star is the perfect encapsulation of the younger Gallagher’s snotty charm – cocky, aspirational, and capable of delivering the euphoria of its premise in real time – and as he nails its chorus the room comes unglued. Coat on, and with hands inevitably clasped behind his back, he eyeballs the front row with aggro cool, accruing a set’s worth of momentum in five minutes.