Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer
Nov 7, 2006
Danforth Music Hall

With barely two weeks preparation from the announcement of the show, I, like many others in attendance, were still grasping at the idea that a Noel Gallagher acoustic performance would actually happen. With over 1,000 anxious Oasis fans jammed into the Danforth Music Hall, it was an unusually rowdy crowd for the venue.

Opening up for Noel and Gem were none other than Oasis themselves, premiering their upcoming DVD that will accompany the greatest hits compilation Stop The Clocks on Nov. 21. A little too repetitive and a little too hard to hear (with a large part of the crowd well beyond the initial point of inebriation), the DVD ran much like an unfamiliar opening band who only has one semi-hit you can identify with, leaving you restless, bored and looking at your watch for the remainder of the set.

At 9:45 Noel and Gem strolled on stage to a standing ovation that did not sit for the rest of the night. Starting off with three b-sides found on the compilation The Masterplan, “It’s Good to be Free,” “Talk Tonight” and “Fade Away,” Noel wisely pointed out that this would be a long night for anyone not familiar with Oasis. Only playing four singles the entire night, (“Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Whatever,” and “The Importance of Being Idle”), Noel seemed to be playing the show as much for himself as the fans, showcasing the songs that nestled up better to an acoustic guitar, or that Liam never bothered learning the words to. He even threw in a Beatles cover in “Strawberry Fields.” Standouts were easily “Half the World Away,” “Slide Away” and the night-closing “Married With Children.”

Anyone who’s heard original Oasis demos or the first b-sides Noel sang such as “Talk Tonight” and “Sad Song” knows that Noel’s voice has grown in leaps and bounds, and now has the ability to take over Music Halls, amphitheatres or entire festivals. Liam still sings because Liam is Liam and Oasis is Oasis, however Noel is the genius behind them and if they ever break up or Liam leaves, he now has the powerful voice to compliment his masterful songwriting. For now we will be left with the antics that usually follow the group, however a night like that reminds us there’s a heart and voice behind the monster that is Oasis.

- Dan Hamilton

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