Peter: Okay, we’re back! Go read part 1 or you’ll be totally lost.
So next up were “Morning Glory” and “Some Might Say,” a pair of songs from (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? The setlist was dominated by material from the band’s early years. Were you surprised at all by the songs they chose?
Tyler: There were a couple of choices I absolutely did not expect, which we’ll cover momentarily. “Morning Glory” was a welcome inclusion—I’d figured they’d focus on those first two or three albums, and WTSMG is their peak, but I didn’t bank on the title track.
“Some Might Say,” I figured would be in the mix, one of those timeless Noel creations that include him vocally accompanying Liam, whose performance is for the ages. I love “Some Might Say” so much, and had drooled so much over the prospect of hearing it live, that for a second in the moment I thought my expectations hadn’t been met. Absolute nonsense, a mere intrusive thought, as man, there was a stadium of ecstatic fans singing along. I’ve never been so happy to hear an audience belt it out.
Peter: Oh, wow! That sounds special. Yeah, you can hear people singing along on YouTube but I’m sure it doesn’t compare to being there. I love both of those songs, but I’m not a huge fan of the next song they played, “Bring It On Down.” It’s probably my least favorite song from Definitely Maybe, and I was a little surprised it made the cut. How did it hit live?
Tyler: Well, I knew it was coming, as a rendition from the British tour had already been posted on Spotify. I wasn’t especially looking forward to it. Definitely Maybe isn’t a frequent listen on my end, as it to me is very much a young man’s record, the kind of thing that fires you up for a rambunctious, boozy, early-twentysomething night of immortal fun and many mistakes. It’s an important album, it’s vital and a remarkable picture of a time and place. I just don’t feel the need to revisit that time or that place all that often.
All that said? “Bring It On Down” live kicked absolute ass. The final stretch of the song absolutely boomed. I was very, very pleasantly startled.
Believe me, I was as surprised then as I expect you are now.
Peter: It kept up the intensity, that’s for sure. Next up was “Cigarettes & Alcohol.” Was it your first time doing the Poznan?
Tyler: Man, we were all so very confused. Liam’s stage patter was at times indecipherable due to that accent. At one point, possibly this one, Loom friend Wes remarked, with real authority, “I listen to a lot of Oasis and I have no idea what the fuck he just said.”
Peter: I was going to ask if you could tell what he was saying!
Tyler: Sometimes yes, sometimes not for a million dollars. The apex was probably when, speaking for Britain, he told the American audience “You think we don’t like you—we fuckin’ love ya!”
Peter: Nice. The crowd appears to be quite raucous during “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” (whether they were knowingly doing the Poznan or not). Did the energy get exhausting after awhile? Because, from what I can tell on YouTube, they came to rock! Also, I’m old.
Tyler: They absolutely rocked. The energy stayed high, and even really grew more frenzied as the show went on.
The quieter interludes helped pace things, too.
Peter: Well, they followed “Cigarettes & Alcohol” with “Fade Away,” a song I adore. A deep cut that cuts deep. I’m really glad they played it.
Tyler: When it became apparent to me that they were playing “Fade Away,” I turned to Wes and said “Really!” I did not see it coming.
Peter: Sorry about that “deep cut that cuts deep” line. But, it’s true! “The dreams we have as children fade away.” Probably had a lot of lads shedding a tear in their lager. Were there lads there drinking lager?
Tyler: There were certainly lots of lads and lasses wearing bucket hats.
I’ve always thought “Fade Away” was, y’know, fine. I never fell for it. People were amped, though! I begrudge them nothing.
Peter: “Supersonic” was next. It’s one they had to play. Part of the mythology and all that. How did it sound?
Tyler: Mega. I was ready for “Supersonic” and it did not disappoint.
Peter: It sounds really good on YouTube.
Tyler: It should be noted, by the way, that the visuals on the videoboards were a thrill throughout. There were animations and colors and all sorts of filters, blended with live footage of the band onstage. The effect was badass.
Peter: Playing sold out stadiums really suits them. They really seem to be thriving.
Tyler: It was fucking revelatory. They were not there to play games or make an easy buck.
Peter: Next up was “Roll With It.” The brothers Gallagher got to do that thing where Noel echoes Liam. I hadn’t really realized how much I missed hearing them sing together before this tour. It’s been great getting to watch clips of it. How close to a religious experience was it, being there, seeing them back together again on the same stage?
Tyler: It really was something. I just…yeah, brother, it was a wonder to behold. I can’t think of a modern band outside of this one whose sound I adore, and who are made to fill stadiums with that sound. I’ve got all-time personal favorites beyond Oasis, of course, and it would be a folly to declare Oasis my Favorite Band. But you’re dead-on about them: they were meant to be playing venues this massive. To watch them seize that opportunity and absolutely knock it outta the stratosphere brought me a joy unique to this concert and this concert alone.
Peter: Okay, so, you mentioned “quieter interludes,” and I’m guessing “Talk Tonight,” was one of them.
Tyler: Yes. Beautifully so. As it became clear that it would be a full-band rendition, Wes turned to me and smartly said “Yes. Yes.”
Peter: It’s another deep cut that cuts deep! (I’m trademarking that).
Tyler: Such a good song. Such a damn good song.
A few months back I discovered an alt-newsweekly interview with the woman who inspired the song, an American with whom Noel took up after abandoning ship on an early Oasis U.S. tour. Noel wrote her off in the years to come, saying in an interview that he couldn’t remember her name, but she in these days appears to have taken it in stride. I mean, she’s got this song.
Peter: I think I read that same article!
Or I saw a video of it?
Anyway, yes!
Tyler: She says, with no apparent bitterness, that she’d answer the phone by asking “What’s the story, morning glory?”
Before the album, I mean.
Peter: She should have trademarked it.
Tyler: Just like you!
Peter: Exactly.
Noel does a little mini-set at this point following “Talk Tonight,” with “Half the World Away,” and “Little by Little.” I love “Half the World Away,” and, as you know, detest “Little by Little.” That being said, I have been somewhat swayed by the live renditions of “LBL” I’ve seen from this tour.
Tyler: “Half The World Away” was prefaced by a nice moment wherein Noel asked if there were “any Irish” in the crowd. He then dedicated the song to the Irish.
As “Little By Little” began, I turned to Wes and said “I fucking hate this song.” After a long beat, he said “Agreed.” Y’know what, though, Peter? I was singing along to that shit by the final chorus.
“Little By Little,” worthy of note, was the only selection of the night that came from the catalog after Be Here Now and The Masterplan.
Peter: Yeah, I would have loved to hear “Lyla.” I think it could’ve fit in nicely.
Tyler: “Lyla” woulda sounded great. “The Hindu Times,” “Bag It Up,” “Lord Don’t Slow Me Down”—we could go on all night with our favorites, jams we know would’ve been better than ever.
I haven’t played much mix-and-match in my head, though. Even when something like “Fade Away” or “Little By Little” popped up—and oh yes, “Fade Away” is leagues better than “LBL,” I know—the momentum was present and the joy maintained.
It helped, too, that “Little By Little” was the last song performed that I don’t wholeheartedly love. And, as my caterwauling that night would indicate, in at least this instance did I love “Little By Little,” too. Magic.
Writers' Loom 