Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
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This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past & present) and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you've never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
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30-years ago, on Monday 24th April 1995, Oasis released Some Might Say, their 6th single in a year and first to reach number 1. The single was backed with Talk Tonight,Acquiesce and Headshrinker.
Fans were becoming accustomed to the band releasing some absolute gems as b-sides. Songs like Take Me Away, Fade Away, Listen Up and Half the World Away had been sprinkled liberally across 1994's singles, to the extent that Oasis CD/12-inch singles were effectively EP's.
Noel Gallagher was in a rich streak of writing that arguably hit it's peak around this time as through 1995 he would release the likes of The Masterplan, Rockin' Chair, Round Are Way and Underneath The Sky as b-sides to singles off Morning Glory.
Acquiesceshould never have been just a B-side. In a career full of anthems, it remains one of the Oasis’ most beloved and electrifying tracks—a song that’s both euphoric and full of defiance.
Two days prior to the release of Some Might Say, my brother, best friend Reddy and I travelled down to Sheffield to see the band play their first arena headline show. This was their last with Tony McCarroll on drums. Noel played Don't Look Back In Anger, a song he had written days earlier. It was all going on!
5-day before that, on 17th April, Oasis appeared on Channel 4's The White Room for the first time, performing a short set of b-sides; Acquiesce, It's Good To Be Free and then Noel performed Talk Tonight with Paul Weller. The band were absolutely flying, something that presenter Mark Radcliffe underlined in his introduction!
This next lot have been on a meteoric rise for the last 18-months. They come from Manchester, they support city, they write great songs of their own and borrow good bits from other people. The all conquering Oasis!
Facing a huge bank of white speakers with a Marshall stack on top, Noel fires up the opening riff and the band crash in behind him. Liam stands motionless at the mic, hands clasped behind him, wearing a heavy brown leather pilot jacket with a huge fluffy collar. Portraying no emotion physically, his voice says it all as he begins to sing;
I don't know what it is that makes me feel alive
I don't know how to wake the dreams that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light that shines behind your eyes
Before Noel soars in on the chorus with that instantly iconic refrain;
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
It’s a simple, yet powerfully emotional lyric. It hits hard. It means something. It means everything. Whether Noel was actually writing about his relationship with Liam or just throwing out another universal, stadium-ready sentimental chorus, tailor-made for sending tingles down spines, it doesn’t matter. Acquiesce feels massive. It was massive. It remains massive. This summer it will be off the scale!
Part of what makes Acquiesceso special is how the vocals are shared by Liam and Noel, something that, arguably, Oasis didn’t do often enough. Although, that's also why this is so special. Let There Be Love is the only other time they did it.
On Acquiesce, Liam takes the verses, snarling and swaggering his way through them, full of punk attitude and the spirit of Lennon and Lydon. Then Noel comes in for the euphoric yet tender and heartfelt chorus.
Recorded during theMorning Glory sessions, Acquiesce begins with a clip of the title track being sung by Noel over an acoustic guitar. Then the guitars crash in immediately, the drums drive everything forward relentlessly, Liam sounds incredible and the whole thing feels unstoppable—like it could burst out of the speakers at any moment.
A phaser guitar effect, similar to the one that Squire uses on the Roses Made of Stone, drives the song to the sky scraping double chorus that may well cause tremors on the Richter scale when Oasis play Cardiff on Friday 4th July. After Noel sings what's sleeping in our soul for the second time, Liam is straight into the next verse.
There are many things that I would like to know
There are many places that I wish to go
Everything's depending on the way the wind may blow
After singing the first verse again, Noel is back for a double chorus that leads to the super positive short mini-mantra-like outro;
Cause we believe
Yeah we believe
I'll always believe in Oasis. Yes, and by Noel's own admission, they released some albums that were not up to scratch - musically, lyrically and production wise, but they also released songs like Acquiesce that made people feel incredible ... invincible. Not many songwriters can do that.
Here is an old blog I wrote in 2016 reflecting on Oasis 1994-1996. They could do no wrong in these golden years and I was there on the ride. Good, good times!
Acquiesce is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE
Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.
It is 20-years since I travelled from Glasgow down to Knebworth to see Oasis with one of my best friends, Elliott. We bonded over Oasis in 1994 and went on a rollercoaster ride with them.
Knebworth came a little over 2-years since I first saw the band supporting The Boo Radleys at the Tramway in Glasgow. In that time, Oasis had won over a nation with songs, soul, humour and a work ethic that put others to shame. They embraced it; the gigs, the parties, the lifestyle. From the Tramway in April 1994 to Knebworth in August 1996, it was quite a ride.
Oasis came along at just the right time for me - I turned 18 in the January of 1994 and during that year I was fortunate to catch them live on 5 occasions; at the Tramway, the Cathouse, in a tent at T in the Park which remains one of my all-time favourite gigs and twice at Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom......Twice as Liam walked off stage during the first gig after losing his voice. Noel played on and urged us all to keep our ticket stubs and they would be back. They were as good as his word.
Fast forward to 1996. Oasis announced that they were going to be playing huge shows at Loch Lomond in Scotland and Knebworth in England. Here are my memories...and some pictures dug out from an old album that was gathering dust in my loft.
Me, age 20, Sunday 11th August 1996, Knebworth.
Getting tickets
I remember tickets going on sale on Cup Final day. A crowd of us went down to my friend Scott's to drink beer and watch United v Liverpool. I was trying non-stop to get through to the ticket phone lines - either for Loch Lomond or Knebworth.
Being a United supporter, I celebrated a double that day. Cantona scored just minutes before I got through to the Knebworth line and I booked 2 tickets for the Sunday (Saturday was sold out), also booking return bus travel from Glasgow.
The whole nation had been trying to get tickets, they could have put on 10 nights at Knebworth. There were only 2 and my mate Elliott and I were going.
Oasis Knebworth press call - could have brushed up a bit!
Travel
We travelled overnight by a bus which left from George Square. I think it left at 2am. Back in 1996 I was working in an office on Woodside Place up by Charing Cross. I had access to the office, so after a few drinks in town, Elliott and I went there for a couple of hours to hang out before getting the bus! I seem to remember us being ridiculously drunk. If my boss had known.....
Arrival
We arrived down early mid-morning and there was time to hang out before gates opened. There were bootleg t-shirts galore and touts selling tickets for a fiver! Knebworth was the middle of nowhere so there wasn't exactly a queue of people looking to buy tickets on the day.
My Knebworth ticket is at the centre of my ticket collage
The size
On entering the site, the first thing that struck us was the size. Looking back I wish we had run straight down to the front to get into Pit 1 (more on that later). But for the time being we did what most 20-year old Scot's would do....we headed for the bar.
Try getting out for a beer in that crowd!
The beer queue
Knebworth was hopelessly ill-prepared for 125,000 people. There were only a handful of bars and a couple of rows of food stalls/vans. And if you were stuck in the middle of the field then you had no real chance of getting out.
The queue for the bar snaked on for what seemed like miles. No real concern for 6ft 4, good looking and charming Elliott. He simply waltzed up to near the front and charmed a couple of girls to let him in and no-one else was going to argue.
Elliott came back with four beers each and we lay in the early afternoon sunshine and guzzled them down, promptly falling asleep in the sun to the mellow vibes of Dreadzone.
Elliott - got the beers in!
The supports
So yeah, I vaguely remember Dreadzone who had a great song called Little Britain. I don't remember Cast or Kula Shaker at all, I think we were content to just hang out and drink beer at that stage as we were so far back. Or maybe we slept for longer than I thought! We had travelled through the night and polished off a homemade Supersonic (gin n tonic) as a carryout. I have no recollection of those bands at all.
The Charlatans on the other hand, have been one of my favourite bands since 1991. They had very sadly lost hammond/keyboard player Rob Collins only 2-weeks prior to Knebworth in a car accident. Emotions were running high and the band issued a statement saying they would be playing Knebworth with Martin Duffy from Primal Scream standing in, ending it by saying We Are Rock!
A super charged Charlatans blitzed Knebworth. We moved to down the front of Pit 3 (the back section where the majority of the crowd were). There was a moat before Pit 2, full of security, no chance of jumping sections.
It felt like we were about a mile back from the stage, watching tiny Charlatans rocking out, but we had the big screens to help us. Come In Number 21 and Feelin' Holy sounded huge and Tim Burgess was singing his heart out. He later admitted that he didn't know if it would be their final show or not.
Great view for The Charlatans....
Pit One
After watching The Charlatans we were determined to get closer to the action. Everyone was sat down chilling and we started picking our way through the crowd to the side, eventually reaching the section where there were some burger vans.
We found the entrance to Pit 1 and brazenly tried to just waltz in, only to be rejected and ejected by a couple of burly security guards. We went for a burger and then Elliott tried plan B; spotting one of the security guards on a break he asked if there was any way he could get us into Pit 1 - closest to the main stage.
He said to meet him back at the burger van in 10-minutes. We waited, we were not going anywhere.
The security guard arrived back with a coffee cup in that coffee cup were loads of wristbands - our golden ticket to Pit 1. £20 each was the fee, we would both gladly have paid double.
Elliott handed over a couple of Scottish twenty pound notes to which the security guard memorably said; 'What kind of Mickey Mouse money is this?'
Elliott just as memorably said; 'It's Scottish mate, it's good shit.'
We got the bands, we were going in
Entering into Pit 1 was incredibly exciting. We gazed back up the hill, looking at Oasis fans for miles and miles on end. The Manics entered the stage just as we arrived and with a disposable camera we snapped some pictures, high on excitement.
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head was a real highlight of their set.....then the countdown was on for the main event.
Elliott - we blagged and bribed our way into Pit 1
Oasis
The gap between The Manics and Oasis was filled by a rubbish fight! Pit 3 into Pit 2 and Pit 1, bags of rubbish were flung about with innocent glee. It was crazy and quite a site.
The pre-show entertainment - a rubbish fight!
The atmosphere was absolutely electric as Oasis strolled on stage. We couldn't believe we were so close to the action.
Oasis - Columbia, live at Knebworth 11.08.96
The whole gig is available on YouTube
Noel - 'This is history, this is history, right here, right now, this is history.'
Liam - 'I thought it were Knebworth man.'
Noel changed the intro to Columbia to include a euphoric and uplifting guitar section with Liam asking the crowd if they were 'Mad for it' before launching into the groove. The place erupted. The memory of that opening still sends tingles down my spine.
The band were incredible. Noel's guitar sounded huge, Liam sang his heart out and was in a playful mood. When Noel was singing he wandered around near the side joking with security guards and swinging from camera cranes. He looked like a star in an XXL Arran jumper and shades!
My disposable kodak camera served me well
I remember Elliott hoisting me on his shoulders during Morning Glory and still being able to pogo due to the fact that we were so charged with elation at being there. I looked around and behind me at 125,000 people going crazy. It was an amazing feeling.
It was one sing-song after another. Whatever, Wonderwall,Cast No Shadow dedicated to Rob Collins, Don't Look Back In Anger, Live Forever.....
The band were incredibly relaxed. Joking like this was a normal show for them! Liam was only 24 at the time, totally living the dream and loving every minute.
Two new songs were played with It's Getting' Better Man sounding incredible, the chorus seemed to go on forever. I still think it is a very under-rated song in the Oasis catalogue, although I prefer the live version.
John Squire from the Stone Roses came on for the encore. Absolutely shredding his guitar during a glorious Champagne Supernova that went stratospheric; we were there when the band were at their highest high. Squire then went crazy on I Am The Walrus. It was a special end to a special event.
Champagne Supernova with John Squire
We ended up being just a couple of rows from the front at the end and Elliott actually had his hand on Liam's tambourine as he walked along the front before he handed it to someone he had promised it to.
It was all over in a blur (pardon the pun), it flew by. It was just one anthem after another, a truly incredible performance by a band not only flying, but soaring. So much of that day remains fresh in my mind 20-years on. I dare say that Elliott and I will be reminiscing in another 20-years time. In many ways, Knebworth was the event of our generation.
We stayed back to let the crowds out, resting against the barrier at the front watching fireworks overhead to the strains of Hey Jude.
What a trip. We'd done it; Oasis at Knebworth, we'd got down the front! 20-years on, I still get that buzz from looking back. We did it; Oasis at Knebworth, we got down the front.
Oasis, Knebworth, 11.08.96, setlist
1. Columbia
2. Acquiesce
3. Supersonic
4. Hello
5. Some Might Say
6. Roll With It
7. Slide Away
8. Morning Glory
9. Round Are Way
10. Cigarettes and Alcohol
11. Whatever
12. Cast No Shadow
13. Wonderwall
14. The Masterplan
15. Don't Look Back In Anger
16. My Big Mouth
17. It's Gettin' Better Man
18. Live Forever
19. Champagne Supernova
20. I Am The Walrus
As I approach the tender age of 40 I have been reminiscing a lot about music I loved 20-years ago. I think it is all part of a mini mid-life crisis! So much happened back in 1994 and into 1995 - Kurt's suicide, Oasis, Britpop, the demise of the Roses....
A year after Kurt's passing, April 1995 was all about one band - Oasis. I had fallen for them big style in 1994 when they burst on to the scene with Supersonic, following it with regular singles backed with outstanding b-sides and that glorious euphoric debut album Definitely Maybe.
Word was definitely out though, Oasis were heading towards arenas/stadiums and for some reason they chose Sheffield Arena as their first arena show....with rumours they wouldn't be playing anywhere nearly as many UK gigs as they did in 1994....my brother Ross and best mate Reddy decided we were going.
There was a bus going from Glasgow, stopping off at Hamilton Services early in the morning, so that is where we decided to get on.
Reddy came to stay at ours the night before and although we had planned a quiet one Ross and Reddy proceeded to drink the carry out they had bought for the bus! I remember we watched tapes of Oasis TV performances, including a recent one on the White Room.
Oasis were on a different level from 1994-96. The songs, look, attitude, live shows. They put their foot on the gas and didn't stop, leaving other bands trailing in their wake. Releasing singles every few months containing incredible b-sides, 2 classic albums and playing a host of memorable shows culminating in 2-nights at Knebworth.
There was a tremendous sense of anticipation as my Dad dropped us at Hamilton Services the next day. We boarded the bus and unsurprisingly Ross and Reddy crashed out as I chatted to a few people, enjoyed some good music and then opened a 2-litre bottle of Strongbow to drink on the way down. Good times.
We approached Sheffield and I remember being amazed at how industrial it was - and this was from someone whose Dad worked in the shadow of Ravenscraig. Sheffield took it to another level with huge sites spewing industrial fumes into the air.... and it looked like a total dump. What the hell were Oasis doing playing here?
Ross and Reddy were in the mood for alcohol when we parked at the Arena with loads of time until the gig, so off we went in search of some. I was pleasantly pissed as it was after finishing my cider. The two of them bought a bottle of vodka and some cheap imitation Coca Cola for something like 21p. They then decided to mix it and pass it back and forth until they finished it.
They still blame the cheap Coca Cola for what happened next! However, that shall remain between us and not for this blog. All I can say is that one of them missed the entire show!
April 1995 was a huge month for Oasis; their first number 1 with Some Might Say, a new drummer - Sheffield was Tony McCarroll's last gig, there was the filming of the Live By The Sea DVD, a ferocious live performance on the White Room and Sheffield Arena.
20-years down the line, the memories are a little faded but I remember the atmosphere in the arena was absolutely electric; it must have been the first opportunity for many to see Oasis live following their success with Whatever and the forthcoming Some Might Say. A barrier had been set up 2/3 of the way down the standing area to prevent crushing at the front. I tried to jump it a good half dozen times through the show but security caught me every time.
Listening back to the show brings back some memories. The band are on fire, ripping through Rock n Roll Star with Liam sounding sensational and also off his head and they fire straight into the groove of Columbia.
Liam mentions the barrier in the crowd and wants everyone in together before romping through Digsy's Dinner and blasting through Some Might Say.
Liam didn't move much on stage but you just could not take your eyes off him, he had (and still has) an edge. You didn't know what he was going to do or say next, but you knew he was giving it 110% and that night (and every single day) he was a Rock n Roll Star.
It's a 90-minute set delivered in blistering form by a band who had been on the road for over a year. Listen to Liam ripping through Headshrinker - pure Pistols.
Oasis ooze confidence as they throw in b-sides and Noel takes centre stage for an acoustic section that allows everyone the opportunity to catch their breath.
Noel shows off by playing Don't Look Back In Anger which he 'only finished on Tuesday' and at this stage it also didn't have a title.
Oasis romped through a 19 song set, only a year after the release of their first single. They had the quality, the quantity and two total stars in Liam and Noel.
They blitzed through 1995 and that summer headlined Glastonbury and played two memorable shows at Irvine Beach in Scotland. Earls Court would follow later in the year.
1: Rock 'n' Roll Star 2: Columbia 3: Digsy's Dinner 4: Some Might Say 5: Shakermaker 6: Live Forever 7: Up in the Sky 8: Acquiesce 9: Headshrinker 10: (It's Good) To Be Free 11: Cigarettes and Alcohol 12: Married With Children 13: Take Me Away 14: Don't Look Back in Anger (First time ever) 15: Talk Tonight 16: Whatever 17: Slide Away 18: Supersonic 19: I Am the Walrus
