Oasis are among only a handful of bands who could make a concert of this scale seem like an intimate warm-up. Just before this first of two nights at Wembley Arena, they announced two giant summer shows next door, part of a grand tour of the UK’s football stadiums.

Next year’s venues are appropriate, not just because this unshakeable group are currently as popular as ever, but because last night’s audience was a football crowd in all but name.

There were epic queues for the gents, constant chanting and finger thrusting, and enough beer being hurled around that during fierce opener Rock’n’Roll Star there was more liquid in the air than among the fountains outside.

The impression was that nobody cared whether the new album was any good or not, so long as the required traditional singalongs were all in the right place. The band certainly fulfilled their obligations on that count, occasionally grudgingly. Liam Gallagher announced, “Right, Wonderwall” in the same tone as you might say, “Right, let’s finish that grouting”.

We already know not to expect showmanship from this lot, who as ever remained as stationary and impassive as five skittles. New drummer Chris Sharrock, their fourth, was extremely capable without ever drawing attention to himself. Noel kept his head down but looked calm after being attacked by a stage invader in Toronto last month. Liam was in fine, powerful voice,
frequently launching himself at his microphone as though about to take a huge bite out of it.

One new move was putting his crescent tambourine between his teeth to make a giant smile, but he still has his irritating habit of only talking over the introductory chords of songs, when he is virtually inaudible. All I caught was “cockney f*****s”.

The recent seventh Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, is excellent as a single entity, flowing well with a consistently high-quality Seventies rock sound. However, the songs stood up less well in the concert context of the established classics. Blustery rocker Falling Down was way out of its depth in an encore that also included Don’t Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova.

Only a Liam-penned, remarkably sensitive ballad, I’m Outta Time, sounded as though it will still make the setlist in five years.

Are they a Stones-style heritage band already? The huge sales figures for the new album would suggest otherwise. But it’s definitely thanks to the oldies that the stadiums are still their stomping ground.