And so ... it's on.
Oasis are back and their reunion will make a lot of people extremely happy, some very rich, some fans very poor (tickets won't be cheap - prices are notably not being announced in advance of tickets going on sale!) and it will no doubt piss off a few people as well.
I have mixed feelings about it. I always thought that Noel would adopt the approach of Paul Weller, his friend and idol, who has passed up numerous offers to reform The Jam.
However, an Oasis reunion is on a completely different scale. In fact, it may well be off the charts. Early indications are that Noel and Liam will each make 50 million in 2025. Noel, as songwriter, will likely make even more from the increase in streaming, radio plays and album sales.
I'll have a look for tickets, but I'm not excited by paying loads of money to stand miles away from them in a stadium or field. Will there be VIP golden circle options?! How much will they be? Will they play warm up shows?
Truth be told, I found the 8am announcement this morning a little cold. I hope that Liam and Noel will come together for a press conference in advance of tickets going on sale, or issue a full press release with details about how their reunion has come about. The photo (below) to accompany tour dates being announced looked photo-shopped. It turns out that the brothers were in the same room for a shoot. Hopefully they smiled at some point!
The contrast between the Roses press conference to announce their reunion and the accompanying Penny Smith photos of them hugging and laughing is stark. I was also super excited about the Roses reunion, but that was due to the fact that I never caught them live. I kind of did Oasis and got the t-shirt; the small shows, breakthrough shows and Knebworth.
So, while I'm pleased that Liam and Noel are getting together again, I'm not excited ... yet. I suspect that will change when I see them together, laughing, joking, vibing off each other.
Why are people excited by an Oasis reunion? It's the question that TV channels, radio shows and countless social media accounts have been asking.
Well, here are 6 immediate reasons;
- Passion and Personality
Liam and Noel kicked down doors that were (and are) very much barricaded to working class kids from a council estate. They had a label (Creation) who believed in them and encouraged them to be true to themselves and their roots. Indeed, Alan McGee wanted their debut single to be Bring It On Down rather than Supersonic. He loved the Pistols punk vibe and the lyrics;You're the outcast
You're the underclass
But you don't care
Because you're living fast
The Gallagher brothers were up for it, in more ways than one. They gigged relentlessly, took all the drugs they could get their hands on, did all the media going and kept on partying.
Their interviews were hilarious. They spoke like normal people! They'd slag off other bands, talk about girls they fancied, big themselves up, talk about their love of The Beatles, Adidas trainers, Clarks desert boots and their Mam. They wore 'normal' clothes, which Noel beautifully reflects on in the Supersonic documentary when they arrive at Knebworth virtually wearing the same clothes they had on when they started the band. They regularly shopped at M&S!
Oasis were a different world to 'indie' bands or grunge. They were real, authentic, very funny and soulful.
- Escapism
- Those songs, that voice
In his recent interview with John Robb, Noel memorably describes his own voice as being like a half pint of Guinness on a Tuesday afternoon. While Liam's is like 10 shots of Tequila on a Friday night!
Liam Gallagher's voice was remarkable. Oasis played 288 gigs across 1994, 1995 and 1996 and Liam's voice just got stronger and stronger, despite his appetite for drugs and alcohol.
When Liam sings lines like; I only wanna see the light that shines behind your eyes it's spine tingling. He looked incredible and he sounded even better. Like no-one before or since.
Liam did become a bit of a caricature of himself, in appearance and voice. In later years his voice seemed shot, but he has worked hard on his lifestyle to get it back, he sounded great on the DM30 tour.
Of course, 30-years on, it is different, but Liam singing Noel's songs is very much the main reason that people are excited by the reunion.
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