According to our sources - over 22,000 applied for tickets to tonight’s 100 capacity gig. Called the ‘Once In A Lifetime Sessions’, it certainly feels like that as we enter the tiny room. On the stage just a mic stand and piano. Filmed for a future TV show, camera men buzz about the room setting up the final shots before the chief himself, Mr Noel Gallagher strides into the room. Accompanied by High Flying Birds keyboard player Mike Rowe they go straight into ‘Everybody’s On the Run’. The sound in the room is almost perfection.
Watching Noel this close up - it almost feels like we’re sitting in the living room with him. Rowe’s subtle accompaniment bringing the songs to life, the stripped back nature of the performance allowing Noel’s voice to fill the room. Without a word (I guess this song really needs no introduction) it's straight into 'Supersonic'. You can tell people are dying to sing along but the intimate nature of the gig means there’re holding back. For now at least. The setlist flits between songs from Noel’s two solo records, along with a few Oasis classics - ‘Listen Up’, ‘Half The World Away’, ‘Wonderwall’ - arguably three of the best songs written in the past three decades. It's hard not to pinch yourself, that once in a lifetime tag really living up to its name.
As this is for TV the set is fairly short. All too soon Noel is introducing the last song. Asking us to guess what it might be, a fan shouts out ‘Champagne Supernova’. “You fucking idiot” is Noel’s curt response, before playing the oh so familiar opening chords to ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’. Those who held back earlier (ourselves included) are now singing along at full volume.
As we file out into the night, Gigwise snags the setlist from the stage. One for the shoebox. Old habits die hard.
