Gig Review - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

I wander back through an evening sunset to my Norwich home. I passed a group of half-cut pub golfers on the way into town, it’s a bank holiday Sunday. In the distance I hear the faint rumble of underpaid teens pouring overpriced pints to the middle-aged masses. 

After having just finished working ten days at a festival bar myself, this sound has become part of my mis-en-scene. I take no notice and soak my weary body in the tub.

Feeling refreshed and in matching towels, my flatmate called me upstairs. From the roof conversion in my trash student home I could hear real life Noel Gallagher singing real life Wonderwall. Yes, this is a gig review. Let’s be fair now…  if Noel Gallagher has the genuine audacity to replay his tired campfire classics to a bunch of old todgers in Earlham park, then surely ..then surely I can summon the cheek to review the gig from the comfort of my own home?

It’s Noel Gallagher and the High-Flying Birds playing Sunday Sessions at Earlham Park, only half a mile from my humble abode. Practically my yard. This basically being his biggest gig since Knebworth its rumoured that he repeated famously “has God played Earlham Park recently”*, I’m sure a high percentage of our readership would find this quote highly ridiculous (there’s about four of you). Bit of an odd comparison given the last time I checked, the latter had a hell of a lot more followers.  

As I said, he played Wonderwall. The Oasis classic was followed by more of their repertoire: Stop Crying your Heart Out and then Don’t Look Back in Anger. The next morning I discussed this with friends to discover none of us actually know the lyrics for Don’t Look Back in Anger, is it “so sally can’t wait”, “So salican wave”, “so silicone valley” – this reminded me, Siri needs updating. My phone can listen to my conversations and recommend personalised ads based on this yet Siri told me “sorry I can’t get lyrics for songs”. Unbelievable.

Anyway, the gig. Dunno about Spike Island I reckon it was more Stone Island central. I have later heard rumours from friends who attended that a man was angrily pissing on people. Nice to know that Liam still attends family events.

He finished the set covering the Beatles All you Need is Love… and he’s not wrong, plus a few tinnies for the walk home.

Despite everything I have said I got to listen to some crowd favourites looking out on and incredible twilight sky which was definitely more appealing than a sea of balding heads and bucket hats.  

I’m hoping Noel enjoyed his time in Norwich. I imagined he crashed on Delia Smith’s sofa in a sleeping bag followed by brunch at Carrow Road.

*https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37025010

Slider & the Goose