Oasis, Edinburgh review: 'cathartic'
From opener Hello to an encore stuffed with hits, this was the turbo-charged setlist of many Oasis fans’ dreams, writes Fiona Shepherd
Oasis, Murrayfield, Edinburgh ★★★★
It takes some gumption to overshadow the world's biggest arts festival, but ever since Oasis announced the Murrayfield residency of their Live '25 tour they have cast some shadow over the Fringe, inflating already hefty accommodation charges, provoking concerns that the city would buckle under the influx of punters and even leading to a few show cancellations.
Because tonight there is only one show in town, and the fans have paid dearly for it with extortionate ticket prices even before the disgraceful dynamic pricing kicked in. The spectacle of two wealthy rock star brothers supplementing their fortunes has been none too edifying. But right now no one seems to care too much about that.
Oasis were the band of a generation and in the 16 years since they split up have become a band of subsequent generations not old enough or even alive to see them first time round. They were supported on this first of three Edinburgh nights by the northern wing of the Britpop brigade, Cast and Richard Ashcroft, and arrived wielding the setlist of many fans’ dreams to the intro strains of Underworld's Trainspotting anthem Born Slippy.
The screens affirmed “this is not a drill” and “this is happening” as Liam Gallagher, in regulation parka and bucket hat, and stern big brother Noel, overlooked by a cardboard cut-out of Pep Guardiola, were joined by Oasis Mk.2 members Gem Archer and Andy Bell, Beck/REM drummer Joey Waronker and original guitarist Bonehead slap bang in the middle of the stage for a Nineties bonanza, kicking off appropriately with Hello.
“We've missed you lot,” claimed Gallagher Jr with a celebratory rattle of his tambourine. He seemed determined to rename some of the greatest hits. “This one's called ‘the early birds’,” he claimed as the band revved into the anthemic Morning Glory. By this point it was clear that every song was made for bellowing along to, with much loved b-side Aquiesce an early notional roof-raiser.
Liam had some choice words on Fringe jugglers and “one-legged bicycles” and for Edinburgh City Council on the amount of revenue their gigs would bring into city coffers, fuelling a pugnacious, urgent Bring It On Down, then orchestrated a mass pogo-along to the glam rock strut of Cigarettes & Alcohol.
Waronker brought the mountainous drumming intro to Supersonic, the 31-year-old debut single which has endured as a potent statement of intent. The wham bam momentum was then broken for a Noel-led semi-acoustic interlude of Talk Tonight, dedicated to “the ladies”, and the wistful Half the World Away with Bacharachian brass section.
A couple of their stodgier numbers later, they were in the “inspirational” home straight with the Ashcroft-inspired Cast No Shadow, a soaring Slide Away, Whatever (with Octopus’s Garden coda), Live Forever (their song for the ages) and Rock'N’Roll Star, a turbo-charged nugget of working class aspiration.
This still left some Mons Meg-proportioned big guns for the encore including the well-worn Wonderwall and cathartic, lighter-waving renditions of The Masterplan, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova, before which an actually humble Liam hailed the Edinburgh faithful, saying “nice one for sticking with us.” Our pleasure, our kid.
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