Oasis @ LCCC, Manchester

Old Trafford may be a decent venue for a cricket match, and it may have a famous name, but as a venue for a large concert, it leaves a lot to be desired. The congestion around the refreshment and toilet areas made V2002 look like walk in the park. Metrolink had kindly arranged as many trams as possible to Manchester and Altrincham, but had refused to extend connecting services, meaning those of us requiring this were going to have to leave early. This aside, the excitement was building for the latest phase in Oasis' year long assault on the live circuit.

If I'm honest, I'd gone to this gig because Oasis were a gap in my "been there done that" concert list. I’d been a fan round about Morning Glory, but had gone along with the prevalent journalistic view, thought they had gone off the boil after that. I was to be proved delightfully wrong.

Proceedings started with Noel Gallagher favourites, Soundtrack Of Our Lives. Soundtrack could be an early, Scandinavian, Oasis. Their blast of sound certainly had the crowd going. However, it was easy to see why Soundtrack have only risen to prominence after their third and latest album. The selection from this being easily the strongest songs on display here.

Electric Soft Parade were next. I feel I have been involved in the evolution of E S P. They provided a sound but shaky set at this same venue earlier in the year when they supported David Bowie. They played an improved set at the Carling festival. Here there was a distinct rise in confidence. Here seems to be a band destined for greater things.

Richard Ashcroft also exceeded expectations. The samples from his soon to be released latest album sitting snugly alongside Verve classics such as 'Sonnet', 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Bittersweet Symphony'.

Finally the Oasis boys themselves. Any doubts I might have had were dispelled from the opening bars of 'Hello'. True, the classic moments still came from the first two albums. Tracks like 'Live Forever', 'Morning Glory', and the truly classic 'Don't Look Back in Anger' shone out like beacons. Last single, 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' was received in a way which suggests that it is heading towards classic status. The only disappointment was no histrionics from Liam. He stayed the whole set. A mild disappointment was that I had expected a little more crowd interaction than we actually got. The highlights? An unexpected 'Some Might Say'. After which I didn't mind making the short trek to the Metrolink accompanied by 'My Generation'. Funnily enough it was on the platform where the other highlight came. The grand finale was 'Wonderwall'. Hundreds of people on both sides of the platform belted it out as one. A truly great experience. Glad I was there.

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