With their reputation as brawling, brick-headed Brits, you would have expected the Oasis show in the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center to come off like a circus. On the contrary, Noel Gallagher and his more vocal -- and perhaps disturbed -- younger brother Liam were on their best behavior. This isn't to say they were perfectly behaved - this is, after all, rock n' roll -- but there were no brotherly brawls, spitting incidents, or decapitations.

I was immediately struck by the low-flying clouds hanging over the crowd. This was no smoke machine; I'm talking peace pipes here. These clouds are less common at New York shows for big-time bands because half of the crowd is usually too young to drive. As for the music, the band effectively shed its reputation as an acoustic love ballad type of band by playing every song with distorted guitars at about 850 decibels. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but they pulled off the feat anyway. "Wonderwall" and "Magic Pie," originally soft ballads, were played like, well, heavy ballads.

More up-tempo songs were just as effective. New songs like "D'You Know What I Mean?" went well with older tracks like "Supersonic" and "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?." The sound that has made them a mainstay on soft rock stations was nowhere to be found.

Of course, Liam couldn't be seen in public without doing something absurd. In fact, most of his behavior was absurd, just not as absurd as I would've expected. His curious habit of "bitch-slapping" the microphone to the ground as he finished each song was simultaneously juvenile and exciting. Then there was his inability to enunciate almost anything he said in between songs. At one point it sounded like he was saying, "Edsa twab lo nimo utty utty wub wub," -- whatever the hell that meant.

Noel was much more likable. His words were easier to understand and his guitar playing was spectacular. He got laughs when he sarcastically asked a devoted fan near the stage if he knew her. When she said no, he shot back, "Well, stop waving at me, then!" His playing along with Alan "Whitey" White's drumming were the highlight of the night.

Aside from the brothers Gallagher and "Whitey's" drum playing, there wasn't much to see. Guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan cemented a solid rhythm section, but they may as well have been standing behind an amp for all the emotion they showed. Liam's pseudo-tantrums couldn't hide the fact that he and his brother don't show much emotion either.

I guess the moral of the story is that Oasis plays great loud music. If you're in the market for an ear ringing show complete with big hits, underrated B-sides, and good old fashioned rock n' roll arrogance, check them out. They really are an excellent band. But if you're looking for a band that backs up their music with a little physical effort, you really shouldn't bother.