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home » festivals » Glastonbury Festival » Glastonbury Festival 2004
Oasis (Pyramid Stage, Friday)Glastonbury Festival 2004 reviewWednesday 30th June 2004 The Brothers Grim take to the stage and instantly despite the prowling we can tell they are no longer the Kings of the jungle merely two members of the pride circling each other itching for a fight. They say nothing. Noel is a little older and still looking relaxed and as usual in contrast Liam is trying to be the height of cool, in a white parka and glasses and looks like a yeti as he paces to the mike. As usual it looks like the Gallaghers have been having a barney and they stand a world away from each other. Liam howls out ‘Glastonbury!’ and the crowd go mental. They start off with Rock n Roll Star, and they are, here they are finally before us, the grand elder statesmen and Kings of Britrock. They are well spaced out on the stage yet they still fill it. The replacement drummer Ringo’s son Zac Starkey is a dynamo on the drums driving relentlessly with Noel able to play through the hurling beats and Liam’s guttural vocals crushing over it. It appears he’s got the soundman to up his microphone as Rock ‘n’ Roll incarnate rains down upon the throng.  Unfortunately those further back are straining to hear it as the speakers appear to be off further up the field but it just draws the faithful ever closer. The song passes and the band are still in serene silence, they give us no words but it screamed rock bad boys. After another tune, which shows signs of Oasis losing their dominance to be honest, they save us again with Supersonic. We sing our hearts out and between tracks enjoy the power of silence after rapturously applauding each of the hits were spat out from the stage, Supersonic has a new bite with Zac’s drumming, Morning Glory is a huge sing along. Columbia hits us with the dying light of the Sun before we are treated to a new tune for the forthcoming album and to be honest I chatted to mates while it went passed, Oasis this year is greatest hits not showcases. Then Liam dedicates the next song to the England Football Team and breaks into Stop Crying Your Heart Out. It’s a belter and we all sing along, we can only wonder how good this gig would have been had we won the match shown earlier.  Noel gives us a treat by singing the next one Little By Little and Liam appears to have walked off in a huff. Sibling rivalry taken to the extreme yet again. The anthem for tonight bores into our brains next Cigarettes and Alcohol and it’s Oasis do karaoke as you can hardly hear Liam over the crowd around us. After the peak there’s a bit of a lull as Live Forever falls slightly short and I can’t work out why, then there’s another new song which has a little more to offer and could well be a hit single. It’s called the Meaning of Soul and if Zac Starkey drums on it like he just did then I’ll happily buy it. Then Oasis really lift the roof off the Pyramid with a huge rendition of Champagne Supernova which obliterates instantly memories of a poor set last time they played. But then Liam decides to hit us with his rubbish tune, why Noel let him have the crayons I’ll never know and half the audience are off before the second verse of Songbird. Well it seems like that to me, and suddenly it’s a little colder in the field. (Possibly cos in the silence strains of The Chemical Brothers can be heard). We’re noticing Liam’s parker and laughing at he who was once On It!, the crowd are chatting and as Oasis full silent again there’s heckling this time not awe. Liam as usual has put his foot in it.  Don’t Look Back in Anger rescues the night, with a vital energy and the brooding spell may be broken but perhaps it’s for the best, a new Oasis can be glimpsed a lighter Oasis, a more settled Oasis, more vintage if you will. It dawns on us that Oasis aren’t going away, they are here to stay, perhaps more mellow. Liam scowls clearly he doesn’t approve! Then Zac Starkey closes the show single handed in a merciless thrashing of skins he powers the Who tune My Generation probably better then the original breakneck drummer. It’s huge it’s searing red, white and blue target and it’s lift off! The rest of their set could have fallen flat and this tune alone would have raised it to superb. Truly a new drummer for our generation! If he’s in the band then Oasis have a future but without him, then it’s greatest hit sets for the brothers from now on. Maybe much like the Who, Oasis will just rumble on. Young angry men mellowing into real musicians, but I can’t see Liam ever owning a trout farm, he’s the weak link and tonight it showed. No doubt he’ll be back to the only thing he knows tomorrow - being angry. review by Scott Williams photos by Karen Williams
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