Noel Gallagher at Lytham Festival review

Ben Smith was present at the opening night of Lytham Festival for the visit of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.

Henry Lewis

Last updated: 12th Dec 2016

It only takes a four song salvo for Noel to bluntly address proceedings. “Who’s the best you’ve seen so far then?”. He pauses, “Correct answer, fucking me”. It's not the first time he’s said it and it won’t be the last.

After all he’s got a distinct advantage over support, Jeff Wootton and the band, who've been up all night putting the world to rights, and Lytham promenade is awash with his ever loyal following.

The staging was flanked by two giant screens, each offering live snapshots of the Manchester icon behind psychedelic geo-filters. It really was a spectacular set-up, even more so with an elevated stage making a leather jacket clad Noel a magnetised focal point for those stood further back and for the Champagne Terraces propped behind the crowd.

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Imagine a grandstand of round tables sipping champagne at the Maine Road gigs in '96?

It's expected nowadays that a cross-section of the crowd are hanging on for the Oasis anthems and b-sides that come with a Noel Gallagher set. He puts his legacy into perspective by pausing between songs to ask a small lad at the front his age.

The boy replies 11. "So i've been a fucking legend all of your life? Wow!" exclaims Noel. It gathers laughs from the crowd, but arrogance is well within your rights when you've had as many hits as him.

It's not all lo-fi blaring and soaring guitar anthems though; he travels with a three-man brass section these days. They cut the air crisply early on with the smokey jazz solo in 'Riverman'. He later gives each band member a standing ovation to which he emphasis his guitarist, Tim Smith, is American. He encourages the crowd to boo in jest.

Gallagher's newly-forged of decoy of dedicating "this one to all the Oasis fans" passes when he strikes the opening chords to solo track 'You Know We Can't Go Back'. 'Of course 'Champagne Supernova follows, prompting the first word-for-word sing-a-long and a vibrant sea of smoke-bombs.

It's not the only time he draws gasps from the crowd. The former Oasis man signs of some mid-set chatter with "Live Forever", that'd be a turn up for the upcoming documentary. He does play some of the rarer b-sides though like 'Talk Tonight', 'Dyer Wanna Be A Spacemen' (listen below) and 'Fadeaway'.

Equally 'Digsy's Diner' has long been a set staple, which the crowd goes crazy for, even if it was originally sung by Liam.

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A track that is distinctly Noel's however is 'The Masterplan', which he claims is the best song he has ever written. For many the Oasis purest it's the peak point as the high notes of the chorus are hollered in unison. The reclined version of 'Wonderwall' though throws a majority, as he holds back on the chorus for a few seconds longer than the original.

A further moment comes when Gallagher calls out a man at the front in dreadlocks. It wasn't quite like being the focal point of a Frankie Boyle front-row but still draws laughs. "Are you at the wrong gig?" says Noel. He pauses "What you drive? A skateboard".

Closer to home he dedicates one to the Man City fans which again is jeered in the heartland of 'The Tangerines' and neighboring Fleetwood Town. "Don't sing then" replies Noel, ahead of hitting peak flight with towering anthem 'AKA... What A Life!".

'Don't Look Back in Anger' unites each audience member for one last time in a cloud of pyrotechnics, but not before one last cheeky dig at the Champagne Terrace.

He ceases ahead of the last chorus, "let's hear the Champagne Terrace" before turning back on the nineties veiled euphoria.

"I really wish I could stay Lytham, but I'm off to the South France" are his lasting words on a night that marked the opening to Lytham Festival on the highest of notes.