Music Royalty Visits Wigan: Noel Gallagher At Robin Park Review

Words: Keira Knox

On Thursday night, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds graced the stage at Wigan’s Robin Park arena. An electrifying night that is set to be ingrained in the minds of the thousands of attendees. The crowd were more than ready for Noel’s set being aptly warmed up by Leigh’s very own Lottery Winners as well as Manchester locals, The Slow Readers Club. Turning back the years, the audience enjoyed a stroll down Memory Lane. The set consisted of two parts: a first half with songs from High Flying Birds and a second half with singles from Oasis’s most famous albums. An unforgettable night of music in a town that is well on its way to reviving the music scene that once was.

 Numerous fans and admirers of all ages gathered outside the entrance, searching for an overlook to observe over the makeshift railings. Everyone was well aware that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity: it is not every day that music royalty visits Wigan, so the thrill was felt by all those there. 

The set was split perfectly into two halves. The first 55 minutes Noel treated thousands of fans to an array of hits from his High Flying Birds. Opening his set with ‘Pretty Boy’from his most recent album ‘Council Skies’, personally one of my favourite High Flying Bird’s tracks, had the whole crowd singing along with the chorus instantly. It felt as though the first half of the set was almost like an extra support act in some ways, everyone waiting for the main event. ‘We’re Gonna Get There In The End’, ‘Open The Door, See What You Find’, and the title track from the Council Skies album were among the tracks that followed.

At regular intervals, Noel engaged the Wigan crowd by questioning if an unplanned segment of chanting were ‘a rugby song’ and by telling a young lad at the front, who was holding a sign, in true Noel Gallagher fashion, that his dream to join the band on stage would not come true. The tracksfrom Chasing Yesterday are still, in my opinion, incredibly underappreciated in terms of both lyrics and sound. ‘In The Heat Of The Moment,’ a true singalong number that had everyone passionately roaring the lyrics, despite the fact that the audience were heavy in anticipation for those classic Oasis tracks.

 Once again hinting at the inevitable, “we’re going to be finishing in the ’90s so be ready for that”, the crowd were transported back in time. For the main man, and probably for everyone present, it was definitely “the best decade.” A period when Noel and Oasis were the biggest thing on the globe was reflected in the hour-long set of constant hits that followed.

 Some of his Oasis classics, including ‘Talk Tonight,’ ‘The Masterplan,’ ‘Half The World Away,’ and ‘Little By Little,’ rang out around the arena, and at times it was difficult to hear the vocals due to the loud volume of noise that was booming back at him. One of my favourite moments in the set was as Noel concluded ‘Whatever’ the crowd began to sing The Beatles’ ‘Octopus’ Garden’ back at him, it seemed as though everyone had been waiting the entire time for this precise moment.

 Following an enthralling rendition of ‘Stand By Me,’ which had a delightfully distinct dynamic when compared to the original, Noel Gallagher concluded on a high note with ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger.’ Though it differs greatly from the original, Noel adds his own touch to his brother’s initial performance of ‘Live Forever.’ There is never a more unifying moment at a gig than when the crowd all sings ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ together, staring up at the man that gifted the world with such a special track.

 It was all over in what felt like 30 seconds, an atmosphere to remember. Noel Gallagher had smashed his set. The Wigan crowd creating an atmosphere for the band to remember, making all of us yearn for more.