What’s a tribute band to do when their inspirations hog the headlines with a brand new reunion tour? Just roll with it if’ Live Forever’ are anything to go by, and soak up the extra interest and ticket sales.
Though it was an initially bashful moshpit at the CS Lewis Square, despite the welcome sunlight. So the band cracked straight into ‘Rock and Roll star’ as much a career statement as a song and we knew we would be in good hands. Graham Fleming captured Liam’s swaggering belligerence with ease, cheekily attempting a singalong to Blur’s ‘Parklife; which became something of a running gag. Then it was a question of which belter to try next, with ‘Morning Glory’ an early Audience pleaser. The sound was cocktail sharp, with none of the muddiness that occasionally affected Oasis in their superdome years. Of course the great thing about Oasis songs is that we all know the words, which helped a flu ridden Paul McKeever as Noel through ‘Half a world away’. Fellow Mancunian Anthony Burgess has talked about that celtic knack for picking out tunes, an ability Noel Gallagher has in abundance. Suitable then, that Live Forever happily let their Irish side show, a brief attempt at swearing in a Salford accent giving way to a proper Hibernian brogue.
An Oasis set is practically all bankers, so it was nice to get the odd pleasant surprise, with audience favourite ‘She’s electric’ making a chirpy appearance, and later hit ‘Stop crying your heart out’ proving itself a worthy addendum to all those key ballads. Inevitably a tribute act is a sort of theatre, but Live Forever have the talent to stretch the script occasionally, and also the nous to step up a gear when required; As the sun descended, out popped storming takes on Supersonic and Cigarettes and Alcohol, both shimmering examples of the effectiveness of the major seventh chord. And then the ultimate banker ‘Wonderwall’ another chance for the lads to rest the vocal cords and let the audience do the work. They couldn’t not finish without their title song ‘Live forever’, but they might have to change their name to Champagne Supernova, because that is what they did finish on. Better that Oasis? Better than most bands at being Oasis. Now all they have to do is fight in public and split up for 15 years.
Michael Conaghan
