Liam Fray has admitted that these last few years had been some of the toughest of his life, and for that of the band, too.
Adorned in trademark parka and shades, the frontman seamlessly sang ‘Are You In Love With A Notion’ to a sea of multi-coloured flares, the screens and view of the band obscured somewhat.
I was stood next to a fan with a tattoo of Liam’s face… “We’ve come all the way from Birmingham to see the Courteeners”, he said. It was clear that they were a massive attraction of the weekend for most.
Image: Simon Butler
They are close to releasing their sixth album, and they are clearly excited for their fans to hear it. “It’s going to have shit loads of bangers, in case you were wondering”. It was a gig for the masses, from a band-of-the-people. A perfect headliner on a jovial Saturday in the sun.
New tune ‘Hanging Off Your Cloud’ still shows Liam’s ability as a strong orator and wordsmith. The acoustic number brought a welcome level of introspection into a gig full of hits and debauchery.
Their penultimate track, ‘You’re Not Nineteen Forever’, picked up the pace as flares were lit from all angles of the packed park. The feeling upon exit was one of sadness, though, as everyone wanted just one more song.
