I’ll admit I’m a causal fan of Oasis. I haven’t bought any of their CD’s. All of their music I’ve downloaded. I first became aware of them via VH1’s Behind the Music. So many good songs. Not just Wonderwall, a song known by just the less than casual fan. Practically every song they sing is good.
So when tickets went on sale for their March 26th show at the Ryman, I took it upon myself to get tickets…even if they did have an obstructed view.
So my group and I arrived a few minutes after the opening act opened. They were good for an opening act, but I’ve since forgotten their name.
In the lobby area of the Ryman you could hear mostly British accents. Lots of soccer football shirts. This phenomenon was to be expected, after all Oasis is the quentesential British band of the ’90s. Now their status as the #1 Britpop band has somewhat been eclipsed by Coldplay.
What one needs to know about the Ryman is that it is the mother church of country music. Pews. Stained glass windows. I’m not sure the majority of the crowd relized this since they seemed to be climbing all of these pews, which would seem halfway sacreligous to this Nashville native. One very drunk audience member in front of me must have thought he was at some sort of soccer match rather than an Oasis concert. He was told multiple times by female ushers to stop standing on the pews. He only stopped when some very big security guards came up to overlook the situation.
Still the concert was excellent. The only negative thing I could say is that the band was a bit too loud and distorted at times. They are more of an arena band rather than an small venue band, such as the Ryman. I guess it might be a testamony of how their popularity has dropped since the mid 1990s.
I couldn’t understand the Gallagher brothers’ commentary in between the songs, due their thick British accent. It was sorta funny to watch the subtitles on “Behind the Music,” but with the Gallagher brothers, it is definitely needed.
The played a variety of songs, many from their latest album. That being the case, I wasn’t able to identify the name of the song, nor sing along with them. The old songs I knew.
Here is a partial playlist:
1. Turn Up the Sun
2. Lyla
3. —
4. What’s the Story Morning Glory?
5. Cigarretes & Alcohol
6. The Importance Of Being Idle
7. Masterplan
8. —-
9. A Bell Will Ring
10. Acquiescene
11. Live Forever
12. —
13. Wonderwall
14. Champagne Supernova
15. Rock n Roll Star
Encore
16. Guess God Thinks I’m Abel
17. Mucky Fingers
18. Don’t Look Back in Anger
19. My Generation (The Who cover)
There was times which lead singer Liam would sing the verse and just stand back and let the audience sing the chorus. He had no emotion, but just stood stoic with his hands in his sport jacket’s front pockets. Other times Liam would completely leave the stage and let his brother Noel, the creative force behind Oasis, sing.
2 British flags and a beach ball were being held up in the crowd. Noel and Liam both threw out the tamborines which were used in the show. One tamborine landed a few yards from me and was held up by the receiver as somewhat of a trophy of the concert.
Excellent concert. A historic venue. I really expected Oasis to try to cover some country music song, perhaps even the late Buck Owen’s “Act Naturally,” which was made famous by Ringo Starr (who’s son is the current drummer for Oasis). But, alas, they only played Oasis songs, except for a cover of The Who’s “My Generation.”
Maybe I’ll end up buying an Oasis album sometime. There is rumor of a greatest hits album, which in that case I’ll hang out until that one comes along…