GIG REVIEW: Liam Gallagher makes Everything Electric at Belsonic

On a Friday evening at the Belsonic festival, Belfast there suddenly appeared a vast army of people dressed in army surplus coats, Hawaiian shirts and adorned with bucket hats. It could only mean one thing, that the inimitable Liam Gallagher had arrived.

The Ormeau Park was filling up well as the first act of the evening took their place on the vast stage. Sprints are from just down the road in Dublin and are not a slow roll-in support act. From the very first song to the last Sprints (Colm O’Reilly – guitar, Jack Callan – drums, Sam McCann – bass and Karla Chubb – vocals and guitar) are most definitely a high-octane garage pop punk band that just ram home superb tune after superb tune. With the likes of “Heavy”, “Modern Job”, “The Cheek” “How does the Story go?” and their new single “Literary Mind” they had the crowd immediately warm to them. In the golden circle or not, everyone was entranced by the punk magic melodically undulating off the stage. Karla was giving a fantastic vocal delivery which blended perfectly with the alternative punk energy of the guitars, bass and drums as the beats filtered into everyone’s rock out soul. The music was one style but felt refreshingly eclectic with call backs to being a more consistently punk version of Blur – songs making points while you enjoyed it. As they finished their set the thousands strong crowd gave a roar of approval.

Then came the internationally lauded local lads of Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton and Rick McMurray, otherwise known as Ash. Again, the crowd were really getting into the music, already sold on the idea of it being a good gig no matter what, even as the clouds threatened to pour down on all and sundry. As ever, Ash did not disappoint as they nailed so many of their tunes like “Shining Light”, Oh Yeah”, “Confessions in the Pool”, “Kung F”, “Orpheus”, and “A life less Ordinary”. In amongst the short banter with the crowd, Tim, Mark and Rick looked like they were very much in their natural environment as they filled out the stage with their performance. They laid down the natural rhythms and melodies with ease and all there responded in kind as swathes of people sang along word for word. It must be noted as well that attendees were 16 up and it showed quite a bit too. From the youngest that could be there to the oldest, it was incredible to see them all respond with a fervour many bands would kill for. Ash are not stuck with one generation at all, with several all enjoying the rocking punk momentum of Ash at once. With the last note there was an almighty roar of appreciation from the crowd and with that Ash left the stage.

With a short wait the anticipation was palpable. The headliner will soon be coming on, and that headliner is none other than Liam Gallagher, internationally renowned exponent of the Mancunian swagger and have a go if you’re hard enough attitude. Many may say he has such an arrogance about him, but when his mystique has been built up round that its hard to see anything else, but will he deliver on his swagger filled reputation?  Is it all just bluster?

The stage was in a bustle as the crew set up all the instruments all the while blasting over the Ormeau Park was the classic “I am The Resurrection” by The Stone Roses and immediately you could see the seal had broken, old memories flooded back for some, while others who were born long after the song first came out were wrapping themselves in the song like a favourite blanket. All were singing along. Then you could hear a chanting rise up first through the amps then from the park itself as the football mad Liam’s set encouraged the tribalistic chanting which led into earth shaking chants of “Liam, Liam, Liam” and to an absolute seismic roar on strutted the man of the hour. Liam Gallagher was in Belfast and everybody knew it!

In his distinguishable and distinct tones he said hello to Belfast, and my goodness, Belfast made sure he knew he was welcome. With bangers like “Fuckin’ in the Bushes”, “Hello”, and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” the place just erupted into a euphoria that is always talked about but not always seen. With blue and red smoke bombs going off intermittently the whole experience was a smorgasbord of sound, colour and light that blended into a perfect dish of exhilaration and enjoyment.

Even when the clouds finally let go and poured all its watery contents down, it could not dampen the enthusiasm as everyone sang, danced, smiled, laughed and enjoyed the experience.

When Liam started the refrains of “Morning Glory”, it was quickly clear that many people were going to have difficulty speaking the next day as the crowd of thousands, as one, sang their lungs out. An absolute firm favourite.

“Wall of Glass”, “Everything’s Electric”,” Better Days”, and “Stand by Me” kept the momentum going as in between Liam interacted with the audience in the only way he can both encouraging, putting anyone displaying a football allegiance other than Manchester City down, and generally being an icon of the couldn’t give a stuff attitude. It was like watching a blockbuster movie in the process of being filmed. While the focus was on Liam, the whole band tightly wove the music around him to lift him up even higher.

He kept hitting home with the Beady Eye song “Soul Love” before “Roll It Over”, “Slide Away”, “More Power”, “World’s in Need” and “Diamond in the Dark” before closing out the main set with “The River” and “Once”.

Obviously, there was going to be an encore. And this one delivered “Some Might Say”, “Cigarettes and Alcohol”, “Wonderwall”, and the classic “Champagne Supernova”. The thousands there danced happily, jumped, moshed and sang to beyond their vocal cords would go in a jubilation that defied explanation. The weather may have broken, but the spirit was only forged harder and hotter. Everyone may have been soaked, but that only seemed to add to the experience and a night to remember.