Liam Murphy
Fans and friends gathered for the show in the Theatre Royal with the ace Waterford Oasis tribute band – Mad Ferritt. People were hyper and happy as they greeted friends they might not have seen in years. The anticipation was fizzing, and the band, augmented by three string players, two brass and a harmonica alongside the three Oasis-style guitarists, one of them was the impressive left-handed guitarist Colin Power. Jamie Murphy as the vocalist, Liam Gallagher, full of ego-moves, stage-owning swagger and fired up on Colin Shanahan’s Noel Gallagher, with guitar riffs, licks and hot and tasty rock and roll.
This was a night that just got better and better, as people stood in the rows and bopped and rocked, flashed smartphones, sang and screamed, hugged and some kissed. The Britpop of the terrible and terrific Gallagher brothers fed the finger-pointing, arm-saluting who were up-for-it, mad-for-it. Beer was spilt, plastic pints were kicked, and the good times were back with a wild ecstasy.
Paddy Smith’s harmonica ripped into ‘Hello’ – “Good to be back”.’Stand By me’ was a singalong shoutalong, and the mood was anthemic rock and pomp. ‘Cast No Shadow’ had the irony of a band who cast a giant shadow, and it devoured them like a luxurious swimming pool submerging a Rolls Royce. The light show was intense for ‘Acquiesce’ and ‘Supersonic’ with ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ were wild with ” You are gonna make it happen”. ‘Rock N Roll Star’ was a stonking, storming first half closer.
After the interval, plastic pints were lined up, and it was crazy. ‘What’s The Story, Morning Glory’ became a mega singalong. By the time they got to ‘Live Forever,’ the crowd were wilder and flying on the fumes of happiness. People were taking selfies, and they wanted in the moment to live forever.
The young Billy Shanahan joined the band on guitar as they moved into the finale, and it was ‘electric’. A band member proposed to his girlfriend in the front row of the balcony, and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ was crazy. People were up on seats, and it got a bit out of hand. But in the ‘blur’ of the moment, it was high octane. ‘Champagne Supernova’ rocked into ‘All Around The World’, and I was out the door. What a buzz, what a show that was Mad Ferritt.
Mad Ferritt rocked at the Theatre Royal with their Oasis tribute.
