Live Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds @ Warwick Castle

Photo Credit: Luke Dyson – @lukedyson – http://www.lukedyson.com

After releasing his fourth studio album ‘Council Skies‘ a little more than a year ago, NOEL GALLAGHER has had what may be his finest year to date in terms of record promotion. He performed at a number of festivals and an arena tour in the previous year to cap off 2023 in style. However, NG shows no signs of slowing down just yet. He has a packed summer schedule that includes many outdoor headline gigs and festival appearances, one of which took place at the stunning Warwick Castle with a star-studded line-up that includes two pals who have made significant contributions to British music.

Fellow Manchester man JOHNNY MARR has played a key role in some of the best bands in the nation, including The Smiths, The The, Electronic, and The Cribs. However, after more than ten years of embarking on a solo career, during which he has released four studio albums and, most recently, a greatest hits record, Johnny always includes a host of anthems in his live performances. Warming up the crowd with ‘Amatopia‘, the Warwick audience immediately cheered along to one of The Smiths’ most beloved songs ‘Panic‘, which arrived right off the back of the opener.

Continuing to pack out his set, the beloved solo effort ‘Easy Money‘, maintained the energy throughout the performance as MARR‘s enthusiasm persisted, as well as the likes of ‘This Charming Man‘ and ‘How Soon Is Now?‘ to keep the crowd entertained throughout. JOHNNY certainly shook the castle as he concluded his incredible performance with ‘Getting Away With It‘ by Electronic and of course ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out‘ from his days with The Smiths.

The stage was ready, and people started to move out of the bar queues and into the crowded audience to witness greatness as an eerie sound slowly faded from the stage. ‘Pretty Boy‘ opened NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS‘ spectacular set as the band stepped out on to the stage. The set list included songs from his debut album, as well as his stellar fourth release ‘Council Skies‘. One of the stand out tracks was 2011’s ‘AKA…What A Life‘ where NOEL still hits those high notes with no issue at all. Fans were excited for a plethora of Oasis hits to pour in, and ‘Dead In The Water‘ was the ideal tune to cap off his solo work.

A duo of B-sides opener up the Oasis segment of the night, as ardent fans sang along wo both ‘Going Nowhere’ and ‘Talk Tonight‘. NOEL‘s performance of ‘Whatever‘, one of Oasis’ most exquisite songs, was met with rousing cheers from the whole ground. Still to this date, ‘Half the World Away‘ is amongst GALLAGHER‘s greatest works, though it certainly helps that it serves as the theme song for one of the greatest comedies in British history, it’s beautiful, peaceful melody nevertheless manages to uplift any mood. ‘The Masterplan‘ and the ecstatic ‘Little By Little‘ served as the conclusion to the main set list. The Warwick audience remained in their positions as the band exited the stage for a moment, as they waited patiently for more magic during the encore.

The packed house applauded once again as NG and co return for a three-track encore to bring the evening to a definitive finish. Starting off with ‘Stand By Me‘ and ‘Live Forever‘ flawlessly. Of course, everyone looked forward to the last song of the evening the most, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger‘, which is arguably Britain’s biggest hit ever. As is customary, GALLAGHER allows the audience to take on the chorus on their own, as the scene was set with floods of people swaying back and forth, arms stretched to the sky, whilst singing along to this all time classic.

As NOEL finally joined in on the last chorus, not a soul left early, they were there for the full experience. It is no wonder why The Chief is still selling out events more than thirty years later.