CONCERT REVIEW: Oasis, New Music Seminar, New York 1994
- Bob Gajarsky
The band being hyped as the new Suede (or new Smiths) out of England, Oasis, also played live. Despite being new to America, the band appeared to be lackluster and tired. Was it disgust at the primarily American audience not getting "into" the music? It's hard to say, although there were more than a few people wearing Oasis shirts, and a few people with English accents were present at the show. The show closed with a long version of the Beatles song, "I Am The Walrus".
They've been recently signed here in the States (I believe to Sony, although I'm not positive - in the U.K., they are on Creation Records), in the hopes that the Manchester-type sound can catapult them to the top of the modern rock charts, a la the Stone Roses or Charlatans, in a time that is much more receptive to this format. A couple singles have been released in the U.K., including one which seems to take a bit from the 1970's song, "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", used for a Coca Cola jingle ("I'd like to buy the world a coke..."), "Shakermaker".
Concert Review - Oasis Across the Ocean
August 31, United Kingdom
- Jeremy Ashcroft / Bob Gajarsky
The evening's big surprise was the unannounced guest - good old "Evil Dildo" himself - Evan Dando. He just came on solo with his guitar and sang a few songs. The audience seemed to enjoy it and there was a really nice moment when a fan from the audience got up onstage and sang harmony vocals on one song! Evan was clearly surprised and delighted and the crowd really cheered on their home-boy. At the end of the set - which was only about 20-minutes long - an announcement came over the PA to the effect that if you wanted to hear more of Evan, he promised to play outside the stage door when the bars had shut at midnight. (I was still inside at the time, so I can't tell you if he followed up his promise.)
During his set myself and friends were watching from a gallery overlooking the stage. Immediately behind me were Oasis themselves, chatting and watching. They also had a professional standard camcorder and were filming the set - later another camera was brought out to film the entire Oasis set. I overheard Liam saying that he'd been to this venue before, as a member of the audience (it's just about 45-miles from Manchester).
Before Oasis came on stage, the DJ was playing a lot of Manchester bands - I think The Charlatans were playing as the band took the stage. "That's enough of that shite!" was how the band introduced themselves!
The opener, "Rock and Roll Star", was one of my favourite songs of the evening - it was more of an atmospheric song than the singles. The audience enjoyed themselves throughout, which is more than you can say for the band if their expressions were to be believed. I found that to be really offputting, to see a band playing and not even look like they're enjoying the music themselves. Just three songs into the set and there was potential trouble; I didn't even see anything being thrown, but Liam singled out someone in the audience and said that he didn't like having things thrown at him and that if they were going to do that he'd like them to come on stage "so I can slap you in front of everyone".
They also showed that they weren't a particularly friendly band a bit later. At one point Evan Dando came dancing on stage with a young girl he'd been hanging around with that night. As they were spinning around enjoying themselves, one of Oasis security came from the side of the stage and bounced them off!
They played all their hits, which were great, but the whole show lasted just 60-minutes. They closed with their now standard "I Am The Walrus". That was great - just the idea of doing a heavy-metal version (the intro at least) was great and the extended playout set up a great groove. The only thing that spoiled it for me were the vocals... he went from line to line without any gaps, more like a recitation than with any feeling (even it he was trying to sound deadpan, it didn't quite work). Still great though.
The bottom-line of a good concert is "Would I go again?" And, in this case, the answer is a resounding yes.
Fast forward to late October, Hoboken, New Jersey...
Oasis is concluding their brief United States tour at the famous Maxwell's. The fire code at Maxwell's is 125, but there are easily 200 people packed tightly in the club; rumor has it that if you slipped the doorman $25, you could get in once the show was "sold out". Don't believe the hype that it's all teens into Oasis - this show was packed with many people in their late 20s and early 30s catching up with one of the hottest new bands of the year.
Oasis didn't disappoint. From "Rock and Roll Star" to the concluding "I Am The Walrus", the band sounded *perfect*. The acoustics at Maxwell's leave a lot to be desired, but it was overcome by a brilliant performance. Again, the band didn't move around - not like they had room to - but lead singer Liam Gallagher explains, "I've got no time for jumping about, do I? I'm too busy singing the songs." His brother Noel chimes in, in response to some critics questioning the band's arrogance, "We wouldn't dare go on stage and prance around and preach to the audience."
There was a mosh pit, too. Well - it was about 10 losers who felt the need to slam to each song. The audience did a good job of tossing elbows (and throwing down) the moshers, but the small crowd irritated Liam. He yelled, to a standing ovation, "Hey, Elvis! Why don't you stop running into these people and let them enjoy the show?", after one of the songs.
The band is back in England and "Supersonic" is finally receiving well-deserved airplay (top 15 on Billboard's Modern Rock Charts). But, rather than lament missing one of the U.K.'s top exports, check out the debut Definitely Maybe. Don't take my word for it - your ears will do the talking for you.
REVIEW: Oasis, (What's The Story) Morning Glory (Epic)
- Bob Gajarsky
When Oasis released their debut CD last year, Definitely Maybe, amidst brotherly fighting, pissing off many of the "business" people associated with the band, and in general being hyped in the UK from here to the Mohave, I was certain that Oasis would be a one album wonder. Well, it's nearly one year after that release, more than ten strong B-sides later, and their second album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory has completely proven me wrong.
It could be mentioned that the Gallagher brothers still wear their late 1960's (see: Beatles) influences on their sleeve, but also show a little more with their nicking of the Gary Glitter track "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again" on the opening track "Hello". Just as "Rock And Roll Star" was the perfect opening to Maybe with its proclamation that Liam was, already a star, "Hello", via Gary Glitter, lets the listener know that the band is back.
And, yes, the Beatles influence is still prominent; "She's Electric" starts with a snippet from "With A Little Help From My Friends" and ends with the Billy Shears fade from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". "Don't Look Back In Anger" opens with a "Let It Be" piano intro then launches into a powerful piece which evokes a vision of an unmade video, with 20,000 people waving their hands while Liam Gallagher warns "Please don't put your life in the hands / of a rock and roll band / who'll throw it all away".
These influences, however, aren't ripped off, but fully integrated into a blend which will make critics 20 years from now talk about the "Oasis sound".
"Wonderwall" is "Live Forever", part 2, and will probably be the band's American huge modern rock hit. And, the UK single "Roll With It" actually comes off as a modern rock-by-numbers which loses its flavor in several listens. Don't judge Oasis off their slower commercial tracks, however - it would be throwing away the rest of today's best rock and roll band. The closer, "Champagne Supernova", brings in Paul Weller on an 8 minute epic jaunt that could just be the song of a new generation.
The verdict is in, and (What's The Story) Morning Glory? is a masterpiece from start to finish. Oasis is to the 1990's what R.E.M. was to modern rock in the 1980's - definitely brilliant.
