The lead-up to Liam Gallagher‘s first-ever solo gig had many people talking – including the man himself:
Just finished rehearsals ain't no band on this planet sounding more pistols than than us as you were LG x
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) May 18, 2017
This proclamation – which follows a previous promise from the former Oasis and Beady Eye frontman that fans of his brother Noel would have “nowhere to run or hide” when Liam’s new material came out – was a fine example of the kind of braggadocio and self-promotion we’d been expecting from Liam in terms of him bigging up his hotly-anticipated new album, ‘As You Were’, which will arrive in October.
But would the new material stand up in the live arena? Well, with the pre-match talk done and dusted, the stage was set at Manchester’s O2 Ritz last night (May 30) for the first real acid test for Liam’s new songs – seven of which were debuted in a packed setlist.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the new tracks Liam premiered last night, complete with additional fan-shot footage from the gig.
‘Greedy Soul’
The first taste of ‘As You Were’ at last night’s raucous show, ‘Greedy Soul’ saw Liam and his five-piece band tackle this blistering number head-on. Even on an initial listen, it feels like a real statement of intent from LG, with a low, rumbling opening giving way to a searing riff straight out of the Britpop catalogue.
‘Wall of Glass’
@liamgallagher debut single filmed last night @O2RitzManc
Superb??#wallofglass #LiamGallagher pic.twitter.com/YaMPAPJITi— Chris Stoddart (@5T0D12) May 31, 2017
Set to be premiered in full tonight (May 31) on BBC Radio 1 after Liam teased a snippet of it on Facebook Live last week, the glam-rock stomp of ‘As You Were”s lead single will soon become very familiar to Liam’s fans. “I believe the resurrection’s on,” Liam appears to sing – he’s certainly back, that’s for sure.
‘Bold’
A more reflective number which gives Liam’s trademark vocals a chance to shine, ‘Bold’ was in fact first previewed by the frontman in July 2015 during an impromptu sing-a-long at an Irish pub – a clip of which subsequently went viral.
‘Paper Crown’
British music needs #Liam Gallagher. This new tune Paper Crown from Ritz gig is top notch. Can't wait for the album https://t.co/y76MeEbWm1
— AllanMcConnellMusic (@_allanmcconnell) May 31, 2017
Following in a similarly contemplative vein to ‘Bold’, ‘Paper Crown’ also does its darnedest not to distract from Liam’s pipes – let’s not forget who the real star of the show is, anyway.
‘It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way’
https://twitter.com/OasisMania/status/869817796510789632
Equipped with a formidable chorus that’s set to slay festivals left, right and centre this summer, this newbie contains exactly the kind of swagger we’d expect from a Liam Gallagher solo track.
‘You’d Better Run, You’d Better Hide’
With booming drums powering the energy of this number, the leering ‘You’d Better Run, You’d Bitter Hide’ really isn’t afraid to get all up in your face. Side note: could the title of this song also hint at LG’s aforementioned ‘warning’ to Noel’s fans?
‘Universal Gleam’
The final new song to be debuted live last night, ‘Universal Gleam’ saw Liam joined by his three guitarists and a minimalist rhythmic backing. This set-up certainly hints at the possibility that ‘As You Were’ won’t be filled to the brim with anthemic ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’-esque tracks as some may have hoped – though when has musical depth ever been a bad thing?
Liam’s solo tour continues tomorrow – find out which Oasis tracks he will and won’t be playing, and see his remaining tour dates below.
June
1 – London, Electric Brixton
10 – Dublin, Olympia Theatre
11 – Glasgow, Barrowlands
Read more: Liam Gallagher – Back in business – the full NME cover feature
Meanwhile, Liam recently sat down with NME for the quick-fire round to end all quick-fire rounds – check out the interview below.
The frontman waxes lyrical on such subjects as face-swapping apps, the time he got his front teeth knocked out, and clearing up once and for all his alleged beef with The Stone Roses.