First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA

Friday 3rd December 1999

by Richard Skanse

Alongside pictures of Liam and Noel onstage

OASIS PLAY IT SAFE

Oasis stick to old material at their first live gig in more than two years.

With a new album in the can and even newer line-up to break in, there was much to prove when Oasis took the stage for their first gig in two-and-a-half years. They made their return not as heroes at Wembley, but as second bananas to headline act Beck at a US radio festival. Last year's B-sides collection 'The Masterplan' sold only 122,000 copies Stateside and the advance word on 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' suggests a whopping backlash could be round the corner (one journalist and avowed Oasis fan who was granted a sneak preview of the album described it as "horrible"). If there was ever a time for Oasis to make good their claim of being the greatest band in the world, then this was it.

They delivered right out of the gate with a deafening shot of "Cigarettes & Alcohol" bulldozing straight through bad acoustics that had sucked the life out of the Foo Fighters before them. Oasis were everything you wanted them to be: bracingly loud and arrogant as hell, with an anorak-cloaked Liam conveying the swagger of ten frontmen just by standing there, and new blood Gem Archer and Andy Bell locking right into the thunderous guitar and rhythm attack, which included an apt nod at the riff from Heartbreaker. "Supersonic" was delivered with even more momentum, followed by what may have been the biggest "Wonderwall" the band has ever raised, with nary an acoustic guitar in sight "Champagne Supernova" might have taken it all a little too over the top, but it allowed room for Gem to step up for some fine glam-inspired lead work. The arena was still buzzing from the coda when Liam and Noel stepped up to the mic for the first time to dedicate "Helter Skelter" to the "Little Chalfont lassie ", a woman at the front who'd been waving her "I live in..." sign the whole time. It was epic, magnificent and unforgivably their last song.

That's right, a miserly five songs in 30 minutes. No preview of new material, nor even a nod to 'Be Here Now', suggesting that the Gallaghers might be a little too comfortable playing it safe. But, as great as they sounded, it's hopefully part of the masterplan: before standing on your giants, you first have to build them back up.

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c 2000 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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