Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher only needed one look at John Squire’s clothes to know the pair would be a match made in British alt-rock heaven.
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“I had no doubt that they were going to be f***ing cool,” Gallagher said of Stone Roses, Squire’s former band. “I had no doubt the music said it all. The clothes said it all, the attention to detail.”
Gallagher and Squire, of Stone Roses, dropped their first collaborative single, “Just Another Rainbow,” in January. Their joint album dropped March 1.
The pair finally got to showcase their collaboration Wednesday (March 13) when Gallagher and Squire kicked off their sold-out joint UK and Ireland tour.
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Gallagher and Squire Cover the Rolling Stones
The Manchester icons treated fans at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, Scotland, to a “short and sweet” 11-song set.
The show contained few traces of either Oasis or the Stone Roses, which at least one fan seemed to appreciate. “Stick to the plan …. No Stone Roses No Oasis it’s all about the collaboration nothing else,” one Instagram user commented on Gallagher’s post.
However, the pair did end the evening with a rousing rendition of the Rolling Stones’ 1968 hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The infectious hit, which Rolling Stone deemed “supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London,” has been covered by everyone from Motorhead to Aretha Franklin.
“I feel so proud to have guessed Liam and John were going to cover Jumping Jack Flash,” one X/Twitter user wrote. “and they sound MEGA!”
Some Concertgoers Miffed Over Liam Gallagher, John Squire Running Time
Although many praised the performance, some fans were left wanting by the show’s 50-minute run time.
“50 minutes for £80,” one Instagram user wrote. “The great rock and roll swindle.”
An X/Twitter user wrote, “Just seen the setlist, only 11 songs? Wtf? The album plus Jumpin Jack Flash. Must’ve been on stage what, 45 minute’s tops?”
British media outlet The Guardian also weighed in on the night’s brevity. “The opening night of the Liam Gallagher John Squire tour is full of fans who’d listen to the two rock’ n’ roll heroes play the phonebook,” Katie Hawthorne wrote. “Unfortunately the Oasis singer and Stone Roses guitarist put that loyalty to the test.”
