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Phoenix, Dodge Theater, 18.09.2005 (Quelle: azcentral.com)
Oasis struts its rock-star stuff in Phoenix
Larry Rodgers
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 19, 2005 01:50 PM
There was a bit of a rock show Sunday night at the Dodge Theatre, mate - a real British rock show, with loud, lusty guitars, lots of feedback, fans storming the stage and deliciously sloppy vocals by a U.K. music icon.
Oasis -- led by singer-with-an-attitude Liam Gallagher and his brother, guitarist extraordinaire Noel -- reminded a near-sellout Phoenix crowd that they may be grizzled veterans compared to young Brit-poppers like Kasabian (also on Sunday's bill), but they still can steamroll a concert crowd.
The reception for Oasis, which has stayed on the rock-gossip pages since 1994 courtesy of various dust-ups between the Gallagher brothers, was overwhelming Sunday.
Women screamed and guys raised their fists as the band moved through such rock classics as "Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova" and "Morning Glory" against a colorful backdrop of lights that one fan said "looked like something out of a game show."
Such new songs as the upbeat single "Lyla" and the wall-of-sound rocker "Turn Up the Sun," recorded after a few not-so-scintillating albums, also drew thunderous reaction, indicating that Oasis' fan base isn't going anywhere any time soon.
Wearing a brown overcoat for some reason (it hit 100 degrees Sunday in the Valley) and keeping both hands safely tucked in the pockets for most of the evening, Liam Gallagher wandered around the stage when he wasn't singing, but stayed well-focused on the music when he was behind the microphone.
Although his voice sounded tired and downright flat in places, due perhaps to the band's aggressive touring schedule, Gallagher gamely belted out song after song with little of the between-tune banter with fans that he's sometime prone to engage in. He added a little extra slur to the lyrics of rave-ups like "Cigarettes & Alcohol," a perfect touch for a song that captures part of the spirit of rock and roll.
He just gave a casual shrug and skipped half a line when one male fan somehow climbed over a 10-foot-tall-speaker cabinet and bounded across the stage toward the singer.
After asking, "Are we in Phoenix?," early in the show, Gallagher then dedicated "Morning Glory" by saying, "This one's for all the junkies."
Oasis' sound was strengthened by the exquisite drumming of Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, who brought new life to the Who before signing on with Oasis.
Starkey managed to work a drum solo-type passage in while the rest of the band was still playing on the new "Mucky Fingers," and he was in full Keith Moon mode on a fabulous cover of the Who's "My Generation," the show's final encore.
Noel's Gallagher's singing on the rock anthem "Don't Look Back in Anger" and the new "The Importance of Being Idle" matched the high quality of his steady guitar playing.
Two of the strongest contenders to lead the next generation of overseas rockers were on display earlier.
Australia's Jet threatened to steal the show (as it did when it opened for the Vines in Tempe in 2004) with a set of old school-inspired rock with an extra dose of aggression to connect with all ages of fans in the crowd.
The band, led by singer-guitarist Nic Cester, grabbed concertgoers by the throat early on with the radio hit "Cold Hard Bitch" and the infectious "Rollover D.J."
The Kinks met the Who met AC/DC in "Get What You Need" and "Last Chance," prompting one teenage fan, who apparently hadn't heard Jet before, to tell his pal, "Man, those guys rock!" after the band left the stage with a guitar leaning against an amplifier for maximum feedback.
England's Kasabian started the evening off, an unfortunate assignment given that many fans were still chatting in the lobby or slowly wandering in during the group's well-paced set.
Kasabian's mix of industrial sounds, danceable beats and layered vocals in such songs as "Club Foot" and "Processed Beats" was well-received by the audience, which grew as the band's set progressed.
Another standout, spotlighting singer Tom Meighan, was the driving, hummable "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever).
Expect Jet and Kasabian - as well as Oasis - to be making much more noise in the future.
Phoenix, Dodge Theater, 18.09.2005 (Quelle: azcentral.com)