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Liam Gallagher at Koko

Liam Gallagher at Koko | Live review

Wednesday night in London, Liam Gallagher took to the stage for a sold-out intimate set at the beautiful Koko in Camden.

The former Oasis frontman gave the performance of a lifetime to an overflowing venue to promote his latest release titled Knebworth 22. Due to be released on 11th August, the live album includes recordings of his most popular songs from the two nights he performed at Knebworth in June of last year, returning to the same stage Oasis played in ‘96.

Joel Stoker, the frontman of the indie rock band The Rifles, kicked off the evening with his inaugural solo performance. His set featured songs that have become well-known through The Rifles’ repertoire, as well as some of his latest solo releases, My Own War and Walls Fall.

Taking to the stage amid cheering and chanting, Gallagher kicked the night off with the resonating words, “I need a little time to wake up,” playing Morning Glory, famously off of the 1995 Oasis album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?. The resounding sounds of half of Oasis filled the cramped room and felt like transcending time: a die-hard fan’s ultimate dream come true.

Through the haze of thrown beer, smoke and mesmerising lights, the crowd were completely captivated by tracks such as Rock’n’Roll Star, Wall of Glass and Cigarettes and Alcohol, with members of the audience on shoulders, and the whole of Koko singing (or screaming) along in unison – surely the echo of Oasis songs could be heard from the street.

The rest of the night was filled with an incendiary set packed with tracks originally made popular by his former band, intertwined with Liam Gallagher originals. The meticulously curated setlist that combined new music with old favourites allowed each attendee to soak in every aspect of the gig.

As one of only two expected UK shows in 2023, Gallagher gave his London audience exactly what they came for by ending the night with arguably one of the biggest rock songs in the world, Wonderwall, which completely unified the whole theatre as one. Strangers became friends, hands were swaying in the air, tears were shed.

After leaving all in awe, Liam took to the stage again to finish the gig off with a dazzling encore consisting of Roll With It, Live Forever, and a cover of Are You Experienced?, originally by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. As the gig ended, the energy of the night lingered on as the crowd went their separate ways from the one and only Liam Gallagher.

Kirst Hubbard
Photos: Zekaria Al-Bostani

For further information and future events visit Liam Gallagher’s website here.

Watch the video for the single For What It’s Worth here:

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