Liam Gallagher - KOKO - 10th August 2023

Photo by Zekaria Al-Bostani

Amidst this (so-called) Summer Of Britpop, one man has been conspicuous by his absence.

As such there’s a palpable sense of excitement in north London, from Euston station to Camden, for Liam Gallagher‘s first UK show for nearly a year and his only indoor gig of 2023 at the 1500-capacity KOKO.

Admirably armed only with acoustic guitar, Rifles frontman Joel Stoker proffers some choice cuts from his forthcoming solo album The Undertow in his support slot. Less upbeat than his band’s output, Stoker has a world-weariness to his voice that reflects his experience, and harnesses the power of one man and a guitar while also boding well for the album.

His brother may have written the songs, but Liam undoubtedly maintains the spirit of Oasis, which is reflected in the behaviour of the crowd.

Chants of ‘Liam!’ start immediately after Stoker leaves the stage, creating an atmosphere that hits fever pitch as the house lights drop (although the venue is lit up by phones only) and intro track ‘Fuckin’ In The Bushes’ precedes the arrival of Gallagher and his 9-person band, including Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2023/08/review-liam-gallagher-koko/