Noel Gallagher live review – Berlin

This review was submitted by David Crighton. If you would like to contribute to All-Noise send your music news, views and reviews to [email protected]

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Max-Schmeling Halle Arena, Friday March 9th

[rating:5/5]

When tickets went on sale for the Berlin leg of Noel Gallagher’s German tour all 1,600 tickets were sold out instantly. Subsequently, the gig was switched from Huxley’s to the Max-Schmeling Halle Arena – which holds 12,000 people – and judging by the number of fans scrambling for tickets outside the venue, that number could have been sold twice over. Inside the respectful German crowd waited quietly in anticipation of Noel’s appearance. Amongst the masses, pockets of English supporters made their presence known with football shirts and chants reminiscent of any previous Oasis gig. However this was to be a very different affair.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds took to the stage and delivered a performance that was uber efficient – even by the standards of the home town fans. Interaction with the audience was kept to a minimum as Noel worked through a mixture of Oasis standards and High Flying Birds songs. Starting the set with ‘(It’s Good) To Be Free’ and ending with ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ provided a subtle nod to his turbulent time as the creative force behind Oasis. Although all of the Oasis tracks covered were well received, especially ‘Whatever’, it was the performance of the High Flying Birds tracks that jolted the German audience into life. Gallagher treated the crowd to the full High Flying Birds album (minus ‘Stop The Clocks’) in addition to ‘The Good Rebel’ and ‘Freaky Teeth’.

It was the performance of ‘AKA What A Life‘ that kicked the German crowd into life. Noel belted out ‘(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach’ before his encore and proved that sing-along classics are not only reserved for Oasis tracks.

Before the encore Noel introduced the supporting musicians of High Flying Birds to a rapturous reception, whilst chants of ‘Oasis’ were largely subdued. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are sure to be one of the biggest hits this festival season and the 12,000 fans in Berlin on Friday evening would most certainly testify to that.