As the jubilee celebrations are underway in London, 80,000 people are gathered in a field 30 miles north of the capital. After support from Kasabian among others, the moment finally arrives. A minute of darkness is interrupted by a montage of past gig footage displayed across the stage screens, spliced with words such as ‘biblical’ and ‘icon’, alongside ‘humble’ and ‘approachable’. Of course, Liam Gallagher isn’t exactly known for his humility, but he’s one of the few artists who can get away with it. The Britpop legend struts onto the stage, maracas in hand, to a roar of applause and name chants from his devoted followers. Basking for a moment in the ambience, Liam breaks his silence saying, “don’t be shy Knebworth, you can carry on making noise”, to which the crowd is happy to oblige.
It’s been 26 years since the fabled Oasis shows took place, where a reported 5% of the British population applied for tickets. Speaking to Jools Holland a fortnight before his return to Knebworth, Liam stated that the upcoming gig was “for the youth of today, for the people that weren’t there [in 1996].”
On 4th June 2022, the weather is a bit overcast, but the atmosphere is tangible. Liam uses an introduction of recycled Beatles lyrics: “I am he, you are he, you are me, and we are all together”, before starting his first tune of the night, Hello. From there, he plays Oasis favourites Rock 'n Roll Star and Morning Glory, before showcasing his own material, Wall of Glass and Shockwave.
Mirroring his ’96 fit, Liam dons a white parka, along with aviator shades to keep the setting Hertfordshire sun out of his eyes. His next song is Everything’s Electric, the first single from his new album, C’mon You Know. The track was co-written by none other than Dave Grohl, who has described Liam as “one of the last remaining rock stars.”
After performing some additional solo material, including tracks such as Diamond in the Dark, More Power and Once, Liam plays a few more setlist staples like Some Might Say, Wonderwall and Live Forever. It’s a great moment when the crowd reflects the carefree lyrics to Cigarettes and Alcohol back at him, with flares of every colour leaving a haze among the sea of bucket hats. “Stop cheering” he jests, “you’ll give me a big head. Bigger than 'rkid’s'.”
The show ends with an encore of Champagne Supernova. Liam Gallagher delivered a night to remember, cementing his legacy as an artist in his own right.