THE capacity crowd went wild when Oasis kicked off with Rock and Roll Star, and didn’t stop cheering as they tore through their back catalogue and slipped in a couple of new ones.

It’s not that Oasis’ new songs are bad. They’re excellent. But the band are in the unfortunate position of having to fulfil their own legacy.

The fans clearly appreciated the Dig Out Your Soul stuff, but it couldn’t get near to the buzz of the old songs.

Hits like Cigarettes and Alcohol, Slide Away and Morning Glory aren’t just tracks we’ve listened to and loved, we have lived our life through them.

When they’re belting them out it’s difficult to describe the understanding among the crowd, even if we are knocking each other over.

It’s annoyed me in the past when fans have drowned out the acts by singing back at them, but I’m guilty of it myself.

You cannot help it with Oasis – the songs stir up a passion.

They are not a band who have evolved, or even tried something new from time to time. They do what they do and they do it well. Their sound is distinctively theirs and the fans love them for it.

Oasis are the band of our time and show no signs of slowing down.

Daniel Howlett