This was a set that had its moments but never really got out of second gear.
Liam Gallagher confidently strolls onto the stage with his iconic Mancunian swagger at the 2,135-capacity O2 City Hall in Newcastle. This was a more intimate venue for Liam and very different from his stadium-sized shows we have been accustomed to seeing him playing more recently in his incredibly successful solo career post-Oasis and Beady Eye.
It was a real treat for those in attendance to see two Manchester icons in such a small venue, particularly those in the first few rows who could almost reach out and touch them.
For Squire, he has become quite reclusive in his post-Stone Roses days, only appearing recently at Liam’s 2022 Knebworth shows as special guest on ‘Champagne Supernova’. It was this reunion that sparked conversations and creativity behind this experimental joint album which went straight to number one in the album charts.
The band fire up the intro to opening track ‘Just Another Rainbow’, the first single taken from the album. It’s an exuberant start, with Liam’s vocals sounding as sharp as a razor and Squire’s solos leaving the crowd in awe.
Liam loves the attention as he leans onto the speaker stacks during Squire’s instrumental segment and takes a moment to give the photographers below the shots they were craving, followed by chants of “Liam, Liam” echoing around the venue.
The album was played in full and the setlist did have its moments, especially when the band kicked into fan favourites ‘Raise Your Hands’ and ‘Mars To Liverpool’, as Liam threw his maracas to a fan on the balcony above – a prized possession to take home and treasure, for sure.
However, Liam & Squire’s on-stage chemistry didn’t quite set things alight. Some of the album tracks are lengthy, with extended instrumental breaks and solos, giving Squire his moment in the spotlight too, which appeared to leave Liam a little helpless as he would wander off stage at times until he was required again.
Liam, Squire, and the band closed the set with an encore of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, with The Rolling Stones classic certainly getting the crowd going for the finale. However, a mere one-hour set and unfortunately at the £65 ticket price, it seemed like fans were left a little short-changed.
Liam did say previously that they wouldn’t be touching any Oasis or Stone Roses material on the tour. However, maybe a couple of tracks from each towards the end may have just beefed out the set a little and gave the fans what they wanted.
Overall, it was a great evening for fans to see two legends up close, showcasing their experimental project together live. It was unfortunately just lacking slightly in set length.
