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Stumble through the gates into Oasisworld and all
seems familiar and well, yet another day in the land
of fickle brotherly love. The Jam playing from loudspeakers,
chunky sunburnt lads sparked out on their backs by 3pm
and precarious cardboard trays of lager being ferried
with varied success as far as the eye can see. Then
there are the sporadic hollers of “Ooooooaaarrrraaaysis”
irrespective of the occasion, Union Jacks draped over
shoulders and that look of gleeful expectation in every
pair of eyes that aren’t shut tight already. There was
a phrase for it back in the day, mad about it or something.
Thing is, there is NOTHING to suggest we’ve not been
thrown back to ’96, aside from the actual size of the
gigs. Later we even get Cornershop doing The
Hit of the day and the Charlies slamming ‘One To Another’
into the package. Even after barely 5 minutes on site
you can just feel that there is no way they could possibly
fail tonight, not in this parallel universe. Absolutely
no chance.
We didn’t arrive early enough to catch aggressive Scouse
morons The Coral or Noel’s own ugly ducklings,
Proud Mary, but there are some things we just
won’t put ourselves through, not for you, not for anyone.
We did get there in time for Cornershop. In retrospect
we should have been in the pub round the corner. There’s
a point up to which a blatant lack of interest can work
in your favour – disguised as a cool nonchalance, an
unabashed attitude, whatever. In a smaller place with
a few visuals and a loved-up audience you might tend
to not even notice it much. Today alas there are none
of these. They look as bored as we feel, so at least
the feeling’s mutual. What we’d have given for Friday’s
support, Soundtrack of Our Lives, to be here now.
 It’s
difficult to gauge the reaction of an Oasis crowd. Hard
to tell whether it’s a roar of approval, the extended
build up to a beer-fuelled homage to their heroes or
just recognition that there’s something there in front
of them. But a roar there is for Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club and given the Gallagher seal of approval they’ve
already received and that they’re playing their dark
hearts out of blood right now, we only expect the former
(give or take a few anticipated “O-a-sis” chants) to
be true. Crud had the good fortune to see the ‘MC at
their secret-ish Camden Underworld show two nights previously,
and while you’ll never translate that kind of condensed
rock n roll headfuck into the open air, seeing them
on big screens for the first time goes some way to conveying
each member’s focussed intensity. The almost dirty feel
to Robert Turner’s repetitive spasms, Nick Jago’s blissful
pounding contentment and Peter Hayes sedate, cool-as-fuck,
snake-like approach to the microphone, every time. Our
calls of “better than Oasis” may not have been particularly
respected by the partisan throng, but when they ferociously
bluster their way through ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock
N Roll’ they prove themselves worthy of all the high-praise
and more.
Now we’ve never seen a man quite so happy – sensible
crop, arms out for the summer, caught the sun a bit,
grin from here to Highbury, shaking his head wildly
from side to side. Only this isn’t one of the gathered
masses heading for early burnout, this is Charlatans’
drummer Jon Brookes. However he got into his own wonderland
he’s dragging the rest of them there with him, joy completely
pervading the stage and everyone on it. Where the sense
of occasion overwhelmed them slightly at Glastonbury,
exactly a week ago, they’re taking this one for their
own. Tim Burgess is beaming and striking it up with
the audience like we’ve never seen before. They may
have skirted earnestly around the fringes of popularity
for their entire career, like the indie ghost of past,
present and no doubt future, but they’ve got a set tonight
that jabs the naysayers in the ribs till they crack.
From ‘Can’t Get Out Of Bed’ and ‘Love Is the Key’, to
‘Weirdo’, ‘How High’, ‘Just Looking’ and of course ‘The
Only One I Know’ to ending on a spirited high with the
endless driving jam of ‘Sproston Green’ there are no
lows. “It’s pretty hard opening up for Oasis,” he drawls
as they drift into the lush ‘A Man Needs To Be Told’
(dedicated to Liam, natch), “but somebody’s got to do
it”. And nobody does it better, believe us.
There’s only one thing stopping them becoming the real
headliners tonight, and that’s a pair of the most contrary
(ergo wickedly entertaining) fuckers to ever have had
the cheek to take on rock ‘n’ roll. The rise and fall
(and fall and rise) in Oasis’ fortunes is well
documented of course and doesn’t need going into again.
But the important thing is they can and do still rise,
probably just through habit. It’s almost like they’re
trying their damndest to lose fans and money and respect
and credibility, but they just can’t help turning things
around. And give them an occasion, which by this point
this most certainly is, and they will undoubtedly rise
up and twat it square in the face. Hard. As expected.
Approximately 1.3 seconds into the intro tape of ‘Fuckin’
In the Bushes’ and Finsbury Park’s 40,000 inebriated
inhabitants are a frenzy of jumping, yelping, hurling,
shouting, kissing, hugging, clapping and flailing. By
the time opener, rusty ‘…Glory’ classic ‘Hello’, has
flown past wearing steel toecaps most of them are on
the way to losing their voices and reaching meltdown.
You can not argue with an atmosphere like that.
Or maybe you could if they’d had the decency to do another
Wembley 2000. But here are some facts. They have never
ever been a leaner machine, the sparks fly where before
they were doused by incapability and charisma bypasses
in certain obvious quarters. They have never looked
better, not by a long mile, Bell and Archer having survived
the trial by fire and show-tour are enjoying being part
of the band it now looks like they always should have
been part of. Liam’s voice has never sounded quite so
monumental, like he could knock the tops clean off the
high-rises overlooking the park, heaving the guts out
of songs and tying them in double knots. And he even
seems sober – erm, hang on a minute, that bit’s not
right? Well, perhaps not, but he’s together at least,
strong and appearing all the more iconic for it. And
it’ll take more than a dry patch to get rid of his incomprehensible
babble in, around and during most songs. Most importantly
they are a band now, where before they never really
were.
The album’s been out 5 days, the first Nu-Oasis record.
Crud still hasn’t heard it, Finsbury Park on this evidence
clearly has. And not just the once either. We think
our memory must be faltering as every last word from
the likes of ‘Better Man’ and the ever so slightly dreary
‘Little By Little’ is sung back at ‘em with storm force.
But even more shocking is the sheet-lightening consistency
of the whole set. As the intro to ‘The Hindu Times’
fires up it sounds as cast-iron classic as anything
that surrounds it, with Noel’s cry of “get off ya face!”
sounding almost revolutionary in this setting. And if
that’s the case then ‘Columbia’ is the revolution and
‘Live Forever’ the anthem. A grittier and more interesting
set than the last couple of tours the likes of ‘Morning
Glory’ and the underrated ‘D’you Know What I Mean’ get
a look in and we don’t catch the slightest glimpse of
anything remotely acoustic. The new stuff, especially
the airy Beatles-y ‘Born On A Different Cloud’ and the
grubby ‘Force of Nature’ does practically slip in unnoticed
– if it wasn’t for the fact they’re welcomed like newborn
heroes – such is the level of their Oasis rating.
We know there’s a bigger picture here, that things might
seem different when the hangover’s long gone and the
album plays in the cold light of day. And old wounds
may heal over, or at least not seem important anymore,
not when you’re being distracted anyway, but they’ll
never go away completely. But right here, right now,
tonight, you can’t help but believe all their rhetoric,
embrace the songs you’d buried away with your memories
without realising how precious they are. And to finish
with their full-on cover of ‘My Generation’, celebrating
all around them, marking Liam out as the kind of singer
he was always held up as but you never quite believed
and exploding with colour, attitude and belief is just
incredible. Tonight in London they are mostly incredible. And
Knebworth was too big anyway. And for now that will
be all. 
James Berry for Crud Magazine© 2002
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| 04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture
04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures
04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap
04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball
04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria
04/02 K's Choice Interview
04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall
04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit
04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview
04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times
04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview
04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview
04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview
05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London
05/02 Breeders - Title K
05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes
05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch
05/02 Need New Body - Interview
05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton
05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays
06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park
06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview
06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger
06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview
06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not
06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus
06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe
06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy
06/02 Silverchair - Diorama
|  | 06/02 Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window
06/02 Soinc Youth - Interview
06/02 The Burn - The Smiling Face
06/02 The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton
06/02 The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham
06/02 The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill
06/02 Trik Turner - Interview
06/02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton
07/02 12 Stones Interview
07/02 Arolo -Interview
07/02 Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour
07/02 Cassius - Interview
07/02 Farrah - Interview
07/02 Glassjaw - Interview
07/02 Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview
07/02 Hoobastank - Running Away
07/02 Leaves - Interview
07/02 LL Cool Jay Interview
07/02 Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London
07/02 Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch
07/02 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
07/02 Super Furry Animals - Interview
07/02 The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London
07/02 The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street London
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
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