Live Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with Garbage and Metric at Ameris Bank Amphitheater in Atlanta, 6/24/23

It’s true…Oasis may never reunite. However, the brothers Gallagher have done their best to continue to create music and stay relevant. Liam is recording solo and with his Beady Eye band, while Noel has released four albums with his High Flying Birds, currently touring in support of his terrific new Council Skies. On stage, Gallagher was his usual self, with very little banter, but more than usual. He may or may not be aging gracefully.

He began his set with “Pretty Boy” and rounded out the first five tunes with all Council Skies selections and a couple more from the Birds, then saying, “Now some songs you know,” and finished out with seven Oasis tunes, save for “The Mighty Quinn,” the Bob Dylan tune he often covers and seems to love playing.

Gallagher knows the power and the glory of the Oasis catalog. It’s why he’s still around. What he must not realize is that his fans are quite fond of the new Council Skies and actually knew many of the songs. Not saying it’s time to move on, but the new material is very good. Trust the process, Noel. On the sunny goodness of “Council Skies,” Gallagher sings, “Catch a falling star and we might drink to better days / Hiding what we find behind the sun / Thinking of what might have been / And what the future says / Waiting on a train that never comes.” Might be a glimpse into what could have been if two brothers could get it together.

Shirley Manson (no relation) has been heading up Madison, Wisconsin’s Garbage for some three decades with no sign of slowing or mellowing. April’s Record Store Day found the band releasing the Witness to Your Love EP backed by an unreleased cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees‘ “Cities in Dust,” and two outtakes from the No Gods No Masters sessions, “Blue Betty” and “Adam and Eve.” This on the heels of their third greatest hits album from last fall Anthology.

If any female artist can be described as an all-out badass, it’s Manson. She is clearly in control of her music, and her career. She seemed to have a joyful night, smiling and chatting all evening. “Life is great as a musician, I have to say. Being surrounded by musicians all day long is a real privilege, and it’s not something we take lightly.” The band highlighted their set with the big ones, “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Stupid Girl,” and “I’m Only Happy When It Rains,” additionally playing that killer Siouxsie and the Banshees cover.

Toronto’s Metric kicked off the evening with the infernal “Gold Guns Girls” from the 2009 Fantasies album. As an aside, it’s refreshing that Noel has brought along two powerhouse female-led bands on the tour. More of this, please. The former Broken Social Scene member and New Delhi-born singer Emily Haines was clearly made for this. With an undeniable stage presence and that unmistakable voice, she appears decades younger than her 49-year-old self.

For more information on the tour, check out Gallagher’s website.

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