Oasis. Where do I begin…
It’s taken me a week to let the dust settle on what was one of the greatest nights of my life! I’m not entirely sure I can comprehend what went on, but I’ll try.
There are not many bands that encapsulate a generation and an era more than Oasis; the deep resonance with the band from a council estate and working-class family in Manchester showing us all what can be achieved. Fans and followers pinning their hopes and dreams on a band and their tunes; I speak for myself when I say that, too.
Oasis are the band that started my real love for indie/rock & roll, the first band that I found for myself, or the one that found me in the mid 90’s as I was about to head into secondary school, and one that has soundtracked my life ever since. The band that has seen me through a myriad of different times, yet the music has always been there in those moments of celebration and also times of need.
Arriving at Wembley was surreal to see everyone wearing some form of Oasis merchandise, from t-shirts, to track tops, to bucket hats, this was real and was happening after all these years of the feuding; will they, won’t they? I could never have seen it happening again, which had made me forever grateful for the times that I’d seen them play in the years gone by. Both Liam and Noel’s solo careers have gone from strength to strength, but you could argue that the Oasis clock was ticking, especially with it being 30 years this year of ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’ and off the back of Liam’s DM30 tour last year, which was incredible!
The buzz and atmosphere was palpable amongst the huge crowd that had descended outside the stadium, fans had been queuing for hours to have the chance to be in the front standing section with some just taking in their surroundings and soaking it all in, much like myself and my brother whilst we were stood by the Bobby Moore statue looking back down Wembley way.
There had been a lot of talk about the support at these Oasis gigs, with arguments surrounding the band using their platform to support other rising artists who need the platform to push on to greater things. I understand the need to support grassroots music, but this run of shows was always going to be about nostalgia. Who better to support than one of the best songwriters this country has ever seen with Richard Ashcroft, and a band who have been a staple of the UK scene for the last 30 years, and who continue to fire on all cylinders: CAST.
Heading into the stadium, I could see the back of the stage through the turnstile and walking down the stairs to the pitch was a pinch me moment, seeing the giant Oasis logo adorning the top of one of the biggest stage setups I think I have seen! It was real and it was happening! That was the start of many goosebumps moments that would happen throughout the evening.
The minute the visuals started for Oasis, everyone was waiting for the drop of Fuckin’ in the Bushes; it hit like a freight train, with everyone waiting in anticipation for the Gallagher brothers to appear. Arms aloft, there they were, Liam and Noel on stage together once again, trailed by the mighty Bonehead, and not forgetting the majestic Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Most of us will know the setlist by now, but opening with Hello was the only choice with the words resonating more than ever: “Hello, hello, it’s good to be back!”
To have stood in the crowd with my brother was a real moment for me. Sunday was one of those days when the music just took over. My brother turned to me in the opening bars of Acquiesce and said that it was his favourite song by the band, which was completely unknown to me before then. To stand side by side with him, belting it out with 80,000 people, will always be a memory that I’ll cherish for the rest of my days.
Having seen a few social media videos of Liam directing the crowd to do the Poznan at the beginning of Cigarettes & Alcohol, I thought I was prepared; I was wrong! Linking arms with strangers around me, facing away from the stage and then beginning to bounce with the rest of the stadium was a mad experience and a massive buzz! At that moment, I genuinely felt alive, reminding me of 2005 at the Rose Bowl when Oasis opened with Turn Up The Sun with my feet not touching the ground and being carried with the crowd!
The setlist has remained the same so far on the tour, but it was faultless; every song was just delivered perfectly. Liam’s vocals are the best they have been, Noel is back playing those riffs and solos like he should be, Bonehead is bringing the noise, Andy Bell flawless on the bass, and Gem bringing the rhythm. My voice was gone even before the halfway point, along with, no doubt, the rest of the stadium, given the volume around me!
Talk Tonight was a pure goosebump moment for me to hear that song live again, along with Cast No Shadow, Slide Away, The Masterplan, and Champagne Supernova. The ending of Don’t Look Back in Anger will forever remain a part of me; looking around the stadium and soaking it all in was just mind-blowing.
This whole gig just hit differently, from CAST opening the show through to Richard Ashcroft just delivering as per usual, to making friends with strangers (weirdly from my hometown), to seeing friends and family members in the moment with arms around each other, and at times with tears flowing. Oasis turned up when some would say we needed them the most.
If you have been one of the lucky ones to have seen Oasis on the Live ’25 tour so far, then need I say any more? If you are one of the lucky ones with tickets in hand, then believe me, everything you have read here or elsewhere is true: Oasis are arguably in the form of their life, and that is priceless!
P.S. If anyone has a spare for Wembley in September, drop me a message!
