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Performance Review- Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 2022

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Performance Review- Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 2022

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On the 3rd and 4th of June 2022, Liam Gallagher returned to Knebworth, solo, 26 years after Oasis’ legendary performance in 1996. He performed in front of 170,000 fans over two nights, the first of which I attended.
Before the gig I had a few reservations. Singing at Knebworth in ‘96 is considered by many as the peak of Liam’s career in Oasis in terms of raw energy, vocal ability and stage presence. My worry was that his return to Knebworth wouldn’t live up to his performance in 96’.
The show opened with Manchester City chants and graphics showing the team winning the league that season which was, as expected, met with an overwhelming rumble of boos over distant cheers. This is perfectly in line with Liam’s controversial and lad-ish persona, giving the impression the 50 year old was going to meet this gig head on and give it everything.
He finally strutted out to ‘F***ing in the bushes’ and I was hit by a wall of triumphant, thumping sound. This led straight into his first song ‘hello’. I would have seen this as slightly predictable and cheesy (with the majority of lyrics being “hello, it’s good to be back”) but with the energy of the band and crowd, along with Liam’s iconic gruff tone, you couldn’t help but be soaked up in it.
The band themselves were clearly tight and well rehearsed but there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy in their performances, with all arrangements being almost identical to Liam’s records. At time’s the band could have been mistaken for a backing track.

It was soon apparent that Liam’s vocals and on-stage antics were never going to match his ability in the 90s, however he delivered every line with complete commitment and utter confidence ensuring nothing was lost from the performance.
One of the most notable songs in the setlist was ‘roll it over’ in which a full choir joined him on stage. He hadn’t ever performed this track with Oasis so it was refreshing to experience this beautiful, slow ballad for the first time live. The choir took centre stage during the build into the last chorus. Their swirling harmonies combined with an aching guitar solo over the top, finally exploded into the chorus as Liam’s vocals tore through the audience, juxtaposing his sad lyrics with an epically triumphant sound. I could tell from the crowd’s reaction this was a special moment for many.
Near the end of his set, Liam played ‘cigarettes and alcohol’ and this is where his vocals began to sound strained, he fell off longer notes and seemed to adopt a mixture of singing and shouting to get through certain lines. Listening back to this online, it was quite distracting and took away from the performance, however it was much more difficult to notice live simply because of the unrelenting enthusiasm of the crowd.

Finally, he finished by playing ‘champagne supernova’ in which he brought out John Squire which was a nice nod to ’96 as Oasis had done the same back then. Squire’s guitar solo was varied and musically complex which was a pleasing change from the rest of the gig and I would have enjoyed more of this in hindsight. The song slowly grinding down in tempo left a bitter sweet feeling as fireworks were set off all around.

Putting my bias to one side as a huge Liam fan, I still believe this was an incredible gig but not really comparable to the ’96 gig. Knebworth 2022 was a different gig featuring Liam’s maturer vocals, a new band and a largely older crowd. I can however confirm that Liam’s stage presence, musical talent and mischievous energy remain strong and supremely entertaining.

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Performance Review- Hobo Johnson and The Love Makers: Tiny Desk

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Performance Review- Hobo Johnson and The Love Makers: Tiny Desk

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As the winners of tiny desk’s annual contest in which lesser known artists compete to be featured on the show, it was clear Hobo Johnson (Frank) and the band knew they had to make an explosive entrance. The performance opens with manic screaming for the entire band, showing a brilliant command of the stage and setting the tone for the rest of the show.
Throughout the gig Frank has an interesting delivery, a mix between singing and rhythmic spoken word. His lyrics are mature, using comedic delivery to discuss various dark topics. This combination of vulnerability and comedy makes Frank appear genuine and likeable judging from the audience’s reaction.
He opens with ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a song that unpacks his fear of falling in love as well as his issues with loneliness. His delivery is artistically uneasy, as if he’s constantly on the verge of emotional explosion. Half way through, the song is interrupted by a poem discussing Frank’s response to his parents divorce. This completely shifts the momentum of the performance as the music is cut and Frank becomes exposed musically, bringing out the vulnerability of his lyrics. I love this moment. The spoken word is not heard in the original song so this adds another layer to the performance, resulting in the song feeling even more genuine.
Despite the fact the entire band appear to have just rolled out of bed, they clearly have great chemistry, showing passion in each line they play. This is intriguing from an audience perspective as you can’t help but be drawn into the music which consequently urges you to pay closer attention to the lyrical content.
The performance continues with ‘Sex in the city’ as once again, the band screams into action. Frank’s lyrics cover his issues with self acceptance in a world obsessed with perfection. In my opinion this is one of the weaker songs of the gig. The backings are musically simple throughout however this focuses closer attention on Frank’s lyrics which are still very impressive.
‘Peach scones’ is my favourite performance from the setlist. This song delivers an insight into Frank’s mind as he debates whether he truly loves a girl or if he’s simply tired of being lonely. Most of the verses come across as lighthearted as Frank talks about work, daily life and of course his love of peach scones but his almost psychotic delivery and occasional discussion of dark topics such as his

unbearable loneliness show the internal conflict he’s facing in this relationship. I think this is the best example of Frank’s vulnerability helping the listener relate and feel empathy for him.
To conclude, Hobo Johnson and The Love Makers’ tiny desk performance has sustained and emotional energy throughout as we get a glimpse into the mind of someone struggling through life. The musicians are very tight and seem to genuinely enjoy the music which translates to the audience’s enjoyment of the performance.

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On 29th September, I managed a two piano concert organised by Guildford Jazz. Before the gig, I communicated with everyone involved and ensured everyone knew their role and felt prepared for the concert. During setup I met with the Guildford Jazz organisers and pianists to discus the layout of studio 1. Initially they wanted to keep the seating the same as it always is in studio 1. However, I suggested we seat the audience in the round with the two pianos in the centre of the room as each pianist was facing opposite directions so there was no obvious viewing direction of the performance. I also changed the lighting so the pianos were lit by minimal, coloured spotlights to make the performance feel more intimate. During the performance I kept an eye on the pianists and audience to ensure things were running smoothly. Finally, I helped with pack down and spoke to the pianists and organisers once again to ensure they were happy with the performance. Feedback from them as well as members of the audience was all positiver so I was happy with how the event went.

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Still on a high after last week’s two piano duo concert at Guildford Jazz with the brilliant David Newton. Here we are exploring the resonances of two... | By Euan Stevenson Music | Facebook

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As the treasurer of this years big band, I’m heavily involved in the running of the society. I also play first alto and MD the band which has been an enjoyable challenge. This year’s Christmas gig was our first as a band and we were all extremely happy with the outcome. I was particularly proud that almost every member of the band played an improvised solo. Some of us (myself included) are not very confident with improvising so we worked on this through rehearsals, encouraging people to give improvising a go so I’m very happy people grew comfortable enough to take on this challenge in a concert setting. Personally, this has helped me improve not only my confidence in performing jazz but also my jazz technique. This has been a strange transition from being classically trained to playing first alto in big band but my jazz phrasing and techniques such as vibrato and lip bends have really improved over this term through personal practice, running weekly sectionals and listening to a variety of jazz saxophonists such as Sonny Stitt, Patrick Bartley and Lee Knoitz.

As MD, my role involves taking charge of rehearsals and running over tricky sections multiple times with the band. This process has really helped my critical listening and helped me to keep an ear out for the rest of the band while I’m playing.

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University of Surrey Big Band, Big Christmas Concert 2022   HD 720p