Noel Gallagher plays classic Oasis track for the first time since the band’s split
Noel Gallagher clearly has a complicated relationship with his old band, Oasis. For years, the songwriter has refuted the idea of reunion tours or even talking with his brother and ex-bandmate, Liam. Despite all that, Noel is clearly still very proud of the tracks he wrote during the Britpop boom, performing them regularly with his new outfit, The High Flying Birds.
Although Gallagher would have you believe he has moved on from the days of Oasis, his performances of classic tracks remain undisputed highlights of his live shows with The High Flying Birds. The songwriter regularly fills encores with versions of beloved Oasis hits, but during a recent performance at Poole’s lighthouse, he debuted a track that he had never played with his solo band before.
After performing various Oasis covers during the main set, including the likes of ‘Talk Tonight’, ‘Half the World Away’ and ‘The Masterplan’, as well as a cover of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, Gallagher returned onstage for an encore composed entirely of Oasis tracks.
The encore featured the big-hitters and crowd-pleasers that you would expect, including ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, but it all kicked off with a version of ‘Stand By Me’, which the musician has not performed since the break-up of Oasis.
Featured on Oasis’ divisive third album, Be Here Now, ‘Stand By Me’ was not even performed by Oasis very regularly, owing to Noel’s disappointment with the album. So it must have been a bit of a surprise when he came out in Poole and said, “Does anyone know a song called ‘Stand By Me?’ Well, I’m going to play it.”
The song was written by Gallagher shortly after first moving to London after he attempted to make a Sunday roast and ended up with a particularly bad case of food poisoning. Nevertheless, the song earned Oasis a number-two single in 1997, so perhaps it was worth the sickness.
Gallagher is set to conclude his mini-tour of the UK with a set at the Royal Albert Hall, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Watch a fan-shot video of Noel’s recent performance of ‘Stand By Me’ in Poole below: