Noel Gallagher at Hammersmith Apollo
When Oasis finally disintegrated under the strain of brotherly non-love, it was inevitable the Gallaghers, having licked their wounds, would release solo albums. Liam got in first – the band’s erstwhile showpony and frontman hooked up with three of his former Oasis bandmates under the moniker Beady Eye, and, rather predictably, put out Different Gear, Still Speeding, a very Oasis-sounding album with a slight psychedelic spin. This left big bruv, Oasis’s songwriter-in-chief, to do something a little more inspiring and interesting with his new outfit, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
The good news is he appears to have achieved this, if a quick listen to his eponymous solo debut is anything to go by. Unshackled from his bone-headed sibling, and with the help of new bandmates Jeremy Stacey (drums), Lenny Castro (percussion) and Mike Rowe (keyboards), Noel seems to have been sonically liberated. Recorded in both London and Los Angeles with co-producer Dave Sardy, the album nods to Ennio Morricone and techno pioneer Derrick May, and features some stunning orchestration. OK, so he hasn’t reinvented the wheel and there’s plenty of Oasis influence on there too but, unlike Liam, Noel is taking baby steps in a new direction, which is commendable. Even before it had been released, fans had gone mad, ordering the album via Amazon on the strength of singles such as AKA… What A Life, and it now looks set for the top of the charts. Here’s your chance to hear it live for the first time.
Queen Caroline St, W6 9QH
Tube: Hammersmith
Sat, Oct. 29. £30. Doors open at 7pm
Mean Fiddler for more info
