Since the release of Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994), Liam Gallagher has become a rock n' roll star and music icon. After the split of Oasis, the famous Gallagher feud lived on. As Noel Gallagher, co-founder of Oasis and brother of Liam Gallagher became a solo artist, Liam created a band of his own. In 2009, Gallagher formed Beady Eye, which lasted until 2014, leaving him to focus on himself. When rumors of Gallagher's solo career sparked, he was quick to deny them until 2016, where he announced he would release solo material in 2017. Gallagher released an album on October 6th, 2017 with the title of his famous twitter catchphrase, As You Were.
The twelve track debut was praised and criticized by Oasis diehards, and of course, Noel Gallagher. As You Were was named the fastest selling vinyl of the last 20 years! With all eyes on Liam, he announced two headlining tours. Rat Boy and the Warbly Jets opened up for Gallagher on his tour, Rat Boy in the United Kingdom and the Warbly Jets in the United States.
Liam Gallagher opened up his U.S. tour in San Francisco, California on November 13th, 2017 at The Warfield. I was able to attend his San Francisco and Phoenix shows from the barricade! Before Gallagher came on, his opener, the Warbly Jets began the show with a warm welcoming from the audience, which was surprisingly a mixture of older and newer generations. Once Gallagher took the stage, the electricity and momentum was clear. With a sense of confidence and a strong persona, Gallagher walked on stage preforming Rock n' Roll Star. Gallagher did a fantastic job of maintaining his strong and classic attitude while interacting with fans in the crowd. He shook hands with many, joked with and thanked the audience, and even brought a fan on stage. Gallagher preformed for an hour as he stated any longer would not be rock n' roll enough. In the hour preformed, Rock n' Roll Star, What's the Story (Morning Glory), Some Might Say, Slide Away, Be Here Now, Cigarettes and Alcohol, and Live Forever were the seven Oasis classics preformed.
Each Oasis song matched every Oasis fan's expectations and Gallagher's solo work along with the sound of his band blew the audience away. Songs like Bold, For What It's Worth, and Wall of Glass complimented Gallagher's voice and have given him a new sense of confidence as a frontman and songwriter.
I was able to attend a second show on Gallagher's tour, this one in Phoenix at The Van Buren. The Van Buren is a new concert venue in the heart of the Downtown Phoenix area. This venue was the perfect place to see Gallagher's show as the sound system and the stage were superb. Gallagher put on a fantastic show, but did not seem to have the same vibe and connection with the audience as he had shown in San Francisco. Gallagher and his band preformed the same setlist with the addition of the Definitely Maybe classic, Supersonic and the removal of Cigarettes and Alcohol.
I would definitely recommend seeing Liam Gallagher as he preformed a great balance of Oasis songs and solo material. Not only did Gallagher demonstrate the same demeanor as his 90's rock n' roll days, but he has a new sense of importance and maturity as he does not have to coexist with his brother anymore!
