This past week, it was English musician Noel Gallagher from the rock band Oasis who flew into The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind. He brought his current solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, to begin the night out right. His current sound is very reminiscent of Oasis, which pleased many fans that evening. Oasis hit stellar highs during their reign on the British pop charts until the lows with brother Liam ended the group.
While many people are enjoying the new music from him, it was especially nice for longtime listeners to hear Oasis tracks like "Wonderwall"—now if he could not "look back in anger" and watch all that "If I Had a Gun..." on the new album. There are no plans for a reunion even with an anniversary coming up and word has it that Noel would like one more solo album before he would even consider the notion of it.
Scottish band Snow Patrol followed after the stage was set up for a rocking part of the evening. Mixing past songs with new ones went well, and lead singer Gary Lightbody seemed to genuinely be having fun. He cracked up, even interrupting the song when one fan threw a hairbrush at his crotch. Instead of being upset, he remarked at how good that person's aim was and dedicated the next song to the marksman.
The show Grey's Anatomy propelled "Chasing Cars" to hit level and the track was even better live. The band's body of work has a unique sound thanks to Lightbody's voice and makes songs like "You"re All I Have" soar in the set.
This was the tail end of Snow Patrol's Fallen Empires tour with them, promising new music next year before launching into an encore of "Just Say Yes." Check Lightbody's contribution on the new Taylor Swift album, Red; the song is called "The Last Time."
Keep your eyes open for more upcoming concerts at www.horseshoehammond.com . Photos by Jerry Nunn
