Can the phrase 'prepare to be dazzled' ever be taken seriously?

The answer is a resounding 'Yes', particularly if it comes from one of the UK's most successful singer songwriters.

Thousands of music fans were packed into Colwyn Bay’s Eirias Stadium and huge cheers rang out as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds took to the stage.

The audience, ranging in age from under 10s to 50-somethings, enthusiastically welcomed the group’s hits particularly It’s A Beautiful World, the 80s-funk infused Blackstar Dancing, and foot stomping glam rock celebration Holy Mountain.

However in something of an acknowledgement of the crowds’ appetite for his older hits, Gallagher promised to ‘dazzle’ us with some classic 'bucket hat rock' - a phrase coined by the musician on examination of the choice of headwear by many audience members.

North Wales Chronicle: Crowds at Eirias Stadium for Noel Gallagher's High Flying BirdsCrowds at Eirias Stadium for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Cue a trip back in time courtesy of a back catalogue any other performer would kill for.

Anthems included Oasis hits 'Little By Little', 'The Importance of Being Idle, his unofficial anthem to the 'real Royal family' a fortnight on from jubilant diamond jubilee celebrations, 'Half A World Away' and 'Whatever'.

In reply to one fan exiting the front of the stage, Gallagher went into Wonderwall - a crowd pleaser if ever a song could be used to define the term.

Another Oasis smash, the moving Stop Crying Your Heart Out brought the show to a climax, just as dusk began to fall across the outdoor venue.

North Wales Chronicle:

The encore heralded one of the band's biggest hits AKA...What a Life, and of course the musician's signature showstopper Don't Look Back in Anger  - and this reviewer's choice of karaoke song for nearly 28 years.

His passion throughout Saturday evening’s performance will undoubtedly have earned him more adulation from his North Wales fans, and Don’t Look Back In Anger in particular, due to its reception whether it be played at Maine Road back in 1996 or Eirias Stadium in 2022 will have reminded them of his rightful place among the giants of modern music