It will be interesting to see how much of an event this becomes. My 16 year old son was mildly excited to see Liam Gallagher at Reading on Sunday. It seems todays kids think of them very much as the Wonderwall hitmakers. He was underwhelmed – probably becasue he was at the front for Fred Again the previous night and his mind was impressively blown.
Given that bands (there are some exceptions) generally get more ploddy and less enegrgetic as they become a heritage act, and that Oasis were fairly ploddy to start with, I’m not expecting much and will definitely keep my money in my pocket.
Anyone excited? Anyone planning on going?
I wonder how many people are going to get tickets solely because they want to see the pair of them have a punch-up stage?
There’s going to be a dedicated stage?
Typo …. ‘on stage’.
“Honour your error as a hidden intention”…
Perhaps bands are a thing of the past.
Arf!
Oasis quite liderally are a band, hugely popular 30 years ago i.e. the past.
Holmes, you astonish me…
We are as far away from peak Oasis as they were from the Beatles at their peak.
I liked the first 2 albums (and B sides). I gave them 3 chances live. First at a festival around the time of their first album, secondly just after Be Here Now came out and the last one probably around 2000 when Noel didn’t bother to show up. None of the gigs were particularly exciting, they seemed to have zero stage presence and the music didn’t really come alive, just plodded along as you say
No I won’t be seeking a ticket especially as the gigs will be full of pissed up middle-aged hooligans trying to recapture a better time.
‘Pissed up middle-aged hooligans trying to recapture a better time’.
Afterword t-shirt.
Oasis crowds remind me of my least favourite part of going to watch big football matches.
Definitely if I manage to get a ticket will be in the seats
The standing room will be full of Coke addled middle aged men havin it large. I love Oasis but a lot of the fans are untolerable.
See also The Jam and Weller
Whiney men in anoraks.
Afterword t-shirt.
I thought that was “Winey Men In Anoraks”?
You called…?
Saw them once. Dunno what period, maybe 3 albums in. They were good. Tight and Liam sang well albeit pretty poor as a front man.
Not in a hurry to see them again.
They are a band who are almost exactly the sum of their parts. Liam is a good singer but with limited stagecraft. Noel writes catchy songs but most 6th Forms contain at least 2 better guitarists. The replacement drummer is decent amd the replacement guitarist is decent. There is very little magic in an Oasis live performance I fear, other than that provided by the enormity of the crowd.
The word ‘lumpen’ comes to mind when talking about Oasis on stage. ‘Sludgy’ would be another one. One could use those words about Neil Young & his Crazy Horse too, though it now feels unfair to lump them in with Oasis – at least NY&CH gave the impression of yearning, not sneering, and of ‘trying to get somewhere’ rather than ‘nailing something to a floor’. There’s a 1970s film of NY & CH and in my minds eye it’s about two hours of thickset blokes (and Neil) in lumberjack shirts pacing around each other in slow motion, trudging through mid-paced jams that never seem likely to resolve.
I remember leaving a screening half way through, of some Neil Young and Crazy Horse film at the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Sq many years ago as it was just endless blokes in plaid trudging around each other, occasionally galloping heavily on the spot
(I am a fan of most of NY’s output, but this was tedium beyond belief)
“There’s a 1970s film of NY & CH and in my minds eye it’s about two hours of thickset blokes (and Neil) in lumberjack shirts pacing around each other in slow motion, trudging through mid-paced jams that never seem likely to resolve.”
That’s what clips from his 2024 tour of the USA looked like, too. I suppose it’s better than tracks from “Trans”, which might now cause come confusion, if not controversy.
Well I saw them in Toronto and it was fucking brilliant, monumental, so there. Very unwise to judge stuff purely from YouTube clips.
I wasn’t complaining. I quite like the noodling, as it feels for a moment when it takes off, and I find that better than than it all being on tape and “just like the record”.
Ok you are forgiven 😉
And my first Neil gig was on the Trans tour, was pretty baffling (before the album came out I believe), I did come to like the album though.
I heard “Trans” once. On acid. I enjoyed it.
@Vincent
Can you send me your address so I can scratch it off my Xmas card list?
See above. Am I back on it?
In pencil.
Sacrilege! Neil and the Horse are transcendental live. I could admit that like Oasis they aren’t the greatest musicians ever but they gel completely and take the songs to another level. Oasis just trundle though them. Naturally Neil’s songs are much better to begin with
As I said, ‘at least NY&CH gave the impression of yearning, not sneering, and of ‘trying to get somewhere’ rather than ‘nailing something to a floor’.’
Even if they didn’t get there, trapped in a languid Moebius strip of torpid country-rock jams in F, we felt their efforts were well-intentioned and that underneath the self-indulgent plodding there was some sort of value system that involved at least vague ideals and the greater good.
But with Oasis, there’s just a sneering boor standing there whining in a daft anorak and a decent chat show guest with big eyebrows and a handful of pliable chords gleaned from mid-period Beatles B-sides and 70s Coke adverts, chugging away at mid-tempo with amps at 11 in a stadium where people will sell overpriced burgers to overweight burghers from Manchester trying to relive their youth. The only value system involved is the value of Liam’s bank account. Come on if yer hard-up enough.
Well I think they did/do get there. As recently as May this year. But I get your point about on stage ambition
One thing that I think nobody here has mentioned. The state of Liam’s voice, decades of cigarettes and alcohol and god knows what else has certainly taken it’s toll.
His voice got noticeably worse in the last days of Oasis and during Beady Eye
*apparently* he now gargles with honey before concerts and doesn’t pull all nighters like before and indeed when I saw him live and on various vids recently he seemed much better
You know though once it all gets going again there’s bound to be a night where he blows it completely
Colin, singalongs are OK. And that will be the thing at the Oasis gigs.
I’ve already heard Smashee and Nicey – Steve Lamacq (sounding about a century older than W.C. Handy) and Miranda Sawyer – on the subject, so Shite Generations ‘R Us are all over this.
We need to stick together as a community. Seriously. This is bad.
Luckily, I suffer from FONMO – Fear Of Not Missing Out.
To be fair, Dezza, I always assumed W.C. Handy would be dangerously modern for you.
Oasis:
/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /
noun
1 an infertile patch in a musical desert occurring where the talent table never approaches or reaches the ground surface.
2 a potential argument for eugenics.
Very good! 😀
Ey, our kid, who’s this fookin’ Eugenic bloke…
They have nice sing-a-long-able tunes with crap lyrics.
I have decided not to go because the idea of standing in a field for a few hours puts me off.
If Shed Seven, The Verve and Cast were confirmed as support acts I might change my mind though.
On hearing the news I decided to play Definitely Maybe tonight – a full run through at high volume (Mrs D was not impressed, and I’m not sure the neighbours were either.)
After that, I’m feeling 24 again – full of piss and bluster (except I’m 54, and now there is the addition of “short of breath, and wondering when the bins go out).
A moment in time? Definitely
Best left there? Maybe
but I can get why some may want a last goodbye/hurrah moment – I just can’t bring myself to shell out £100+ for a ticket (tight git that I am), and stand in a field watching a miniature vision on a stage surrounded by beered up knobheads shouting for Wonderwall all night, and will stick with the CDs and memories (in my dotage)
Note: I’m not sure I have the same warm recollection of “What’s The Story” – an album of reputation rather than content (it’s a 50/50 album – 50% worthy, 50% filler).
Actually … that might be nearer 40/60
You just need to watch the documentary that accompanies the Familiar To Millions DVD to see the type of 50+ year old knob heads that will try and attend with their 20+ year old offspring.
I am not going having just watched that.
Nurture not nature always rules.
I have stood amongst them – not something I want to repeat to be honest
(PS they also appear at other events – seen similar at Madness shows where a bunch of no-necks spent the first 20 minutes of the set shouting for “Baggy Trousers”, and then 5 minutes after it was played, shouting for it again)
(jeez – that makes me sound like a right middle-class snob …)
Nothing wrong with that. I would also self identify as one of them!
I prefer to call it “discerning”. More tactful.
I know exactly what you mean. I’d love to see Madness, but their audience would put me off. I feel a new thread coming on…
I’ve seen Madness twice: Hove Cricket Ground and The Brighton Centre and I don’t recognise this behaviour. Maybe at smaller venues?
You’ve probably guessed, I won’t be seeing Oasis…….
True, it is wrong of me to brand the whole crowd as such. Seen Madness 4 or 5 times, and it was the two open air events where I got stuck in the middle of that bunch.
Indoor shows never had that problem.
It was a rather good venue maybe for bands stopping on the way to Australia … I saw some good gigs there over the years Human League, Charlatans, Doves, Happy Mondays, Paulo Ntini, Madness … errr the farm
I saw them play a pub in Dubai to probably a thousand people I’m not a fan but they stormed it.
I don’t doubt it.
But they attract the lager-swilling coke-snorting football-shirt-stretched-over-beer-belly bald-headed terrace-chanting arsehole contingent, who also enjoy Oasis and Farage.
Am I a middle-class snob? Absolutely!
I saw Madness recently. Although the audience might have been troublesome back in the day, most of them were too ancient to even walk without assistance these days
The most recent onstage line up of High Flying Birds is pretty nimble. And given that many of them were in the most recent Oasis line up, I think the 2025 band will be a lot better than the Guigsy/White/Bonehead years. Oasis is probably the most notable example of a band whose line up and sonic palette got better while the songs themselves got worse.
(I’m making the no brainer assumption here that part of the agreement will be that Noel is in charge of the band. I don’t imagine he’ll be letting Liam’s current backing musos be Oasis.)
There’s been a fair bit of ‘doing it for the money’ commentary; I’m currently ironing a shirt at 6 AM to go teach a bunch of 14 year olds. Nowt wrong with that.
Anyway, living in Australia, all of this is academic as there’s fuck all chance of them playing here.
And of course, half of HFB was Beady Eye anyway
They’ve been interchangeable in the last decade
Might this mean Chris Sharrock is surplus to requirements so the full on Icicle Works reunion will happen?
Sharrock is ace. Or was 30 odd years ago..,
@DanP
150 years ago they’d have been sent there
Bahahahahaa
Walking through the streets of sunny Brighton yesterday I heard three separate conversations -“Yeah, we’re applying for tickets, it’ll be great!”
I therefore assume all concerts will sell out immediately and that suggestions the Gallachers will earn £50 million each turn out to be true.
In other news, we had a fab lunch in 64 Degrees, highly recommended.
Somebody (or some bodies) are doing their utmost to make this reunion “an event”.
It will be lucrative, for the Gallagher brothers, the promoters and the various others involved.
Tickets will sell and be resold, at extortionate prices.
Some of the faithful will be ecstatic at the concerts and others will be disappointed.
Some music journalists will sell articles and perhaps another biography will be scribbled and bought by those of the faithful who buy such stuff.
This doesn’t signify a revival of the “rock band” concept. The music-streaming majority and the gig-going minority will continue to ignore bands they have not previously heard/seen online.
Liam & Noel’s coffers will be replenished and they’ll be able to resume their bickering, but with a sizeable wad of dosh in their bank accounts. Highly unlikely any of that dosh will be mine.
@Mike_H
Another reason why bands are dying is that those paying through the nose for these enormodome shows are unlikely to be attending gigs in the smaller venues where bands like Oasis got their start.
Indeed, some music journalists will. I don’t always like Price’s stance on things, but I hear him on this.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/28/stop-the-celebrations-oasis-are-the-most-damaging-pop-cultural-force-in-recent-british-history?CMP=share_btn_url
I thought it a snobby wanky article.
Exactly the type of “let’s not let people enjoy something we don’t like” stance the paper takes about much of what normal people (ie. Not Middle class Guardian readers) like
I am MCGR myself so clearly I’m a glutton for punishment sticking with them
Is it snobby to highlight some of the history of comments by the Gallagher brothers? And, as Price makes clear, he is not writing from some lofty middle class perspective himself.
The whole article was looking down his nose at them
He’s also just written that article for click bait and let’s face it it worked.
I look forward to his similar article about his beloved Manics, who’ve done a few questionable things over the years
I prefer to separate the art from the artist though
I only separate the art from the artist when the art is worth separating.
Good article.
I like some of their songs, Aquiesce is very good indeed.
But you can’t move to them, even a little, and they don’t engage your brain in any way. They’re terrace anthems, which is why they’re popular, but I like either my brain or my body to feel something in my music.
I think he wrote that because Neil Kulkarni couldn’t, he absolutely loathed them
Slightly more nuanced pro article from today’s Graun
https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/31/oasis-britpop-band-reunion
I don’t know about snobbery, they brought it on themselves really. They do seem to get people going though, both for and against. I admire how they acted with their mum and supported her. Their relationship with her says a lot in their favour. They have wit and are entertaining interviewees. Not fools by any means. It’s nuanced but the criticisms are fair to a degree. But are they any worse than many other rock stars and their entitled, pemanent state of adolescence?
Scribbled ‘my’ biography just now. Any good?
**Oasis: A Biography**
**Formation and Early Years (1991-1993)**
Oasis was formed in Manchester, England, in 1991, initially under the name “The Rain.” The band was created by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist Liam Gallagher, along with Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs on rhythm guitar, Andy Bell on bass, and Tony McCarroll on drums. The Gallagher brothers’ shared passion for music and their turbulent upbringing in the working-class suburb of Burnage would lay the foundation for their songwriting and stage presence.
Noel had previously worked as a roadie for the British rock band Inspiral Carpets, which provided him an insider’s perspective on the music industry. He later wrote many of Oasis’s most iconic tracks, drawing inspiration from classic rock influences, including The Beatles, The Stone Roses, and T. Rex. The band quickly started to gain traction within the Manchester music scene, and in 1993 they signed with Creation Records, a label known for its innovative and influential acts.
**Breakthrough and Popularity (1994-1996)**
Oasis released their debut album, *Definitely Maybe*, in August 1994, which became an instant success, debuting at number one in the UK charts. The album included hit singles such as “Supersonic,” “Shakermaker,” and “Live Forever.” *Definitely Maybe* is often regarded as one of the greatest debut albums in rock history and marked the beginning of the Britpop movement.
Oasis solidified their status as a leading band with their second album, *(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?*, released in 1995. The album was a monumental success, selling millions of copies worldwide and featuring timeless tracks like “Wonderwall,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Champagne Supernova.” The band’s popularity soared, and they became known for their energetic live performances, often characterized by Liam’s distinctive vocal style and Noel’s intricate guitar work.
**Peak Years and Tensions (1996-1999)**
In 1996, Oasis headlined the iconic Glastonbury Festival, further cementing their place in rock history. However, with success came internal tension, particularly between the Gallagher brothers, who were known for their volatile relationship. Their personal conflicts often played out in the public eye, leading to numerous controversies.
Oasis released their third album, *Be Here Now*, in 1997, which debuted at number one and sold exceptionally well. However, the album received mixed critical reviews. While it produced hits like “D’You Know What I Mean?” and “All Around the World,” some critics argued that it fell short of the quality of its predecessors. This reception marked the beginning of a gradual decline in both critical and commercial success.
**Struggles and Resurgence (2000-2009)**
The early 2000s saw multiple lineup changes, with drummer Alan White being replaced by Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr) in 2004. Despite these challenges, Oasis released albums like *Standing on the Shoulder of Giants* (2000) and *Heathen Chemistry* (2002), showcasing a shift in sound but struggling to recapture their former glory.
In 2005, Oasis released *Don’t Believe the Truth*, which was well-received and indicated a resurgence in their creative energy. The album featured singles like “Lyla” and “The Importance of Being Idle.” The band embarked on a successful world tour and regained some of their previous acclaim.
In 2008, the band released *Dig Out Your Soul*, which showcased a more mature sound and included hits like “The Shock of the Lightning” and “I’m Outta Time.” This album was a return to form, highlighting the Gallagher brothers’ enduring songwriting prowess.
**Disbandment and Legacy (2009-Present)**
Despite their renewed success, tensions between the Gallagher brothers continued to escalate. In August 2009, just days before a scheduled performance at the V Festival, Liam and Noel had a public falling out, resulting in Noel announcing his departure from the band. Oasis officially disbanded shortly after, with both brothers pursuing solo careers.
Noel Gallagher formed Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds, while Liam embarked on a solo career, releasing albums that showcased their differing musical styles. Despite their separation, both continue to attract dedicated fanbases and remain influential figures in the music world.
Oasis left an indelible mark on rock music and popular culture in the 1990s, shaping the Britpop era and influencing countless artists that followed. Their anthemic melodies and relatable lyrics resonate with fans worldwide, and the band’s legacy endures through their timeless music, live performances, and the ongoing fascination with the Gallagher brothers’ tumultuous relationship. As of 2023, the question of a reunion continues to spark interest, and the impact of Oasis remains a defining chapter in the history of British rock music.
Just two edits. Remove the ridiculous statement claiming “often regarded as greatest debut albums in rock history” and cut the “timeless tracks ” remark. Hyperbole is one thing, stretching the bounds of believability is another. Otherwise, fine for the back cover of the inevitable CD-reissues with the Sunday Mail, currently planned for the year after next.
It was of course written by AI as Jaja Gotheridge ‘biographer’ extraordinaire.
not sure who the cover band is.
My earliest memory of the band was when a promo one sided 12″ single of Columbia was sent to my cable radio show in 1993 I think. It sounded AMAZING and I could tell they were destined to be popular as the energy and oomph of what was just a demo version of a song blew me away. I lent it to one of the indie afternoon shows and never saw it again, it’s worth an easy grand+ now. The promotion companies carried on sending me their early singles, usually on promo CDs and by WTS(MG) album I’d lost interest in them but I saw them live a few times. Once in a competition prize, another a free ticket blag and one afternoon at Glastonbury, they had their moments but they are long gone.
For Noel they were the last of the proper bands. More like an imitation of course. Fresh at the time with early appearances on TOTP. Something a lot of people wanted, like the classic bands returning, what we craved, yet somehow following on from the Stone Roses, another of Noel’s proper bands. He used to say his first two albums versus anyone else’s. Now it’s, well, the first one stands up, but the rest are lacking, his words. Now he’s a bit like his celebrity mates who went a bit right wing. All part of playing the part of what an ageing rock star is meant to be. He can still be funny but has become something of a reactionary bore, always conservative, naturally.Now I think even the first album and best stuff just sounds too simple. You can’t keep getting something out of such plain, basic fare. You need layers and details of interest that don’t reveal themselves all the time.
Think I the only one who’s excited about this. I was a fan and saw them three times (Newcastle Riverside & Arena and Loch Lomond). Am chuffed I might get to see them again after all these years.
Well done for braving it out on here! I hope you can get tickets and have a lovely time.
I won’t be going, however.
I’m with @fentonsteve on this one. A friend of mine is really excited about the reunion & it seems churlish to dampen her enthusiasm. Good luck with getting tickets, enjoy the build up & anticipation, then give a review here,
I like them but I’m not sure we needed a reunion. I really enjoyed the only time I saw them – my then sixteen year old daughter was a big fan so I went with her to Slane Castle in 2009. The supports were excellent and the crowd were buzzing, so that helped. I’ll try for tickets on Saturday but most likely not for myself. Best of luck with the ticket queue, @sarah !
Thanks fentonsteve, Timbar and Max. After a 5 hour wait, I’ve managed to get tickets for Wembley.
Bravo!
Congratulations.
Well played … no sticking them on a resale site at vastly inflated prices
(not that you were going to, so me typing that advise ia a bit pointless)
Have fun!
Congratulations!
After exactly no wait at all, I logged onto Dice at 10:53am and bagged two tickets to Sunday Driver at the Blue Moon, Cambridge. A fiver each and no booking fee. I know the gig’s nearly a fortnight away, but you can’t be too careful when it comes to beating the touts.
Probably because you asked politely, rather than demanded.
I got two tickets today too for Lauire Anderson in Manchester, a bit more than your fiver £15 each and a £2.50 booking fee.
Jealous, much! Is that for the forthcoming Ark, United States V show?
It is, it’s one of the preview shows.
Off very shortly to the Royal Albert Hall, Elgar Room to see the Christ-Stéphane Boizi Sextet play a lunchtime gig for the princely sum of £10.
https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2024/christ-stephane-boizi-sextet/
That’s great! Go and sing your heart out.
Like the band or loathe them, the timing of the band’s reunion tour announcement
during the middle of the UK media’s traditional silly season downturn has been a piece
of masterful PR
They have been pretty solidly brilliant at PR from the get go.
Remarkable. The mania has already begun. FOMO kicking in with the enthusiastic help of the media.
It’s obvious that this was decided quite some time ago and the announcememt held back until Taylor was off the continent and Coldplay (just about) finished their jaunt. Perfect timing to create a sensation and have people thinking of Oasis tickets as Christmas Presents (ie., me). I don’t want to be manipulated to sit in front of the laptop on Saturday morning but I will probably be there, cursing the queue in front of me and swearing that this is definately the last time I’ll ever use the Ticketmaster site. It’s to be admired, really.
Christmas presents in August? Oh my goodness!
@Dai
Preston Sturges was ahead of his time in more ways than one
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032338/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Lengthy gaps between each city so lots of scope for more gigs on either side, M.
After barely seeing and hearing Bruce there in 2016, no amount of money in the world would persuade me to go and sit through another gig there again
Agree with you there, J. Dreadful experience…
The last half of the last sentence of Simon Price’s article sums Oasis up pretty well for me.
“A rock band that doesn’t rock.”
Anyone know what became of old NME warhorse Charles Shaar Murray who’s normally wheeled out for this sort of stuff.
Last tine I saw him on the box a few years back he looked awful and his teeth looked even worse
CSM shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a piece on Oasis ever since his fawning gold-star review of Be Here Now in Mojo. Let’s see if I can dig it out…
Ahem:
“Don’t Go Away and Stand By me may well be the most poignant things they’ve ever done. The Girl in the Dirty Shirt is a classic. All Around the World is extra classic… Bro Noel is an instinctive postmodernist, utterly in tune with the sampler aesthetic… forever assembling new and distinctive creations…This is the Oasis World Domination Album. Dem a come fe mess up de area, seeeeeeeerious. This time around, the Yanks will get it’.
I am not making any of this up.
Their music does absolutely nothing for me but they seem to be immensely popular and bring much joy to those who do dig them so that as always is a good thing. Many of the denizens of this site like music that leaves me cold. So what? As long as I get to listen to the music I love I couldn’t care less what other people dig. Personally I’m looking forward to the live listening party on Bandcamp scheduled for 6:00 pm GMT on October 11th of Bleed the next release from The Necks something I expect many folks couldn’t care less about and that is just fine.
Mr P has articulated my view, on this and many other threads – essentially, each to their own.
It’s the end of the Word as we know it….
Am certainly looking forward to the new Necks album in October. They’ve been on red-hot form these past few years.
Tru dat. I guess we know in advance of hearing even a few bars of it what to expect and I wouldn’t have that any other way. I listen to something from their back catalogue most days. Yesterday it was Mindset and a little earlier today it was See Through and Mosquito. It’s gone a bit Ian Carr & Nucleus now though. Not totally unexpected it’s the kind of thing that happens around these here parts.
Manchester Evening News saying £148 a ticket.
There is a statement, purportedly from Morrissey, doing the rounds on Twitter which claims that a Morrissey/Marr tour under the banner of The Smiths was mooted for 2025. Moz was up for it, Marr not. Hats off to Johnny is my reaction, though I was never the biggest of fans.
I love JM just that little bit more now.
Yep, here it is.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp352111wyxo
Ocean Colour Scene were a far, far better band.
Loving that “Largely” in front of sold out …
Another hamper looms…
Do. not eat the chicken!
My dog died yesterday and my wife ran off with the postman this morning.
It would be just my luck to be saddled with a Quoasis ticket tomorrow.
That’s it! “We’d like to bring on a special guest…Francis Rossi”
@deramdaze
If your dog’s antipathy towards the postman is anything near as bad as our pair’s, I think it likely the two events could be related.
On a side note, have you ever thought of a career in country music, d?
I believe here are several wonderful correspondence courses you can sign up for.
Watched that Supersonic documentary yesterday as it came up on play because of events. Most entertaining. I had an initially pleasurable response to certain songs but then it’s that chugging, humdrum backing that kicks in that’s mostly the same. Intros are often promising I should say. The song that made my ears prick up was a Stone Roses tune. Now that’s more like it. Oh. Noel has a bit of a soppy voice. Liam’s was much more impressive early on. He looked so good. Even by Maine Road it had gone too nasal.
Just some musings on the byways.
For AWers of a certain vintage, there is -only ever can be – one Supersonic
MM’s transformation into a leading human rights lawyer is every bit as astounding as Tom Robinson’s Damascene conversion from a gay rights activist to a racist bigot
There’s four of us in a whatsapp group; we’ve been mates since almost day one in college in Limerick. Earlier today I asked if anybody was thinking about trying for Croke Park tickets. I had pitched in for the ballot thing and have got a code (but no guarantee of anything).
Two of the lads responded that they were, indeed, going to try their luck, in both instances because their kids (late teens) would *really* love to go.
How did you get on with the pre-sale,
Ivan? I was reluctantly going to buy for my kids butI was not invited. I tried to buy this morning and not too disappointed that there was no chance. Something like 412,000 in the queue. Some people were behind me believe it or not.
But I was introduced to a new category in the lexicon of ticketing…’In-demand standing’ I think it was – same as regular general admission standing but three times the price. Criminal.
It needs to be remembered that ticketing shenanigans like the one mentioned above are not just the likes of the evil Ticketmaster fleecing the poor old fans.
The artists and their managements are fully in cahoots with the milking process.
Agree.
I got on well, Max . I clicked the TM link at around 6.15 and was prompted to a waiting room thingy, so i pottered about doing other stuff staying the heck away from the computer for fear i’d balls things up.
At 7 on the dot i was 3900 or something in the queue. At just after 7.10 I was invited to pick tickets. I went for the default and was offered (he said, checking the group chat!) two seats in block 333 ( https://mayoclub51.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/level-3-croke-park.png ) for €206 each.
With the kind of zen and calmness for which I am singularly *not* noted I clicked ‘release’ and went to try and get pitch tickets. they weren’t ‘hidden’ but they weren’t easy to find; there was a myriad of options, lots of VIP and premium level stuff and, as i say, the default was 2 tickets.
I found pitch and clicked to see would the thingy go to 4 and it did, and I clicked select.
It was by incredible luck that on thursday I had updated my credit card details on ticketmaster and so the purchasing process went smooth ish but that card verification always puts the crap sideways in me.
Anyway – yeah – my two mates’ kids are each bringing a friend to see Oasis in Croke Park next year. In my own life, we’ve had a few challenges with the older lad and thankfully the last few months, the clouds have parted significantly and I felt I owed the universe some good vibes back.
Mind you, i was in the shop buying milk an hour ago and told Ken behind the counter of my good fortune and he offered me a grand for 2 of them…
Glad to hear you got what you needed, Ivan.
I was not so calm last year when I got through to buy Coldplay tickets. I wanted two for my daughters and one for myself and a friend had asked me to buy one for her if I’d got through. As you say, the default was set at two and I immediately panicked and clicked to accept them. I was afraid to even try to change the quantity so ended up with just the two tickets and my daughters went to last night’s concert and kindly sent me a couple of videos this morning…
Meteorologists shocked at the lack of rain 4 days on the trot in Dublin 3, i understand…
all who’ve been to Coldplay have only had good things to say and hopefully ‘ver kids had a ball!
Will try to make it to one of these shows, holidays permitting.
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what happens on the stage. It’ll be tens of thousands of people communally reliving their youth, hugging their mates, punching the air and shedding a tear. Which is the stuff that Oasis always delivered, only now they’ll be doing it through the bittersweet haze of nostalgia for something lost. Can’t really see how that’ll be anything other than a good time.
I’ve been in Cornwall this week, in the exact same town I was with my teenage mates during the Battle of Britpop back in 1995. Seeing Oasis on the news and hearing their music float from the cafes and surf shops brought back some really powerful memories, and it made me happy.
As for the live qualities of the band, it doesn’t really matter, does it? They’re old, they’ll play the hits. It won’t be as electric as seeing a bunch of 20 somethings breaking through, but it’ll be good in a different way, because it’ll come with memories attached. Which is the precise reason people have been going to see the Rolling Stones for the last 30 years, and why people can enjoy an 80 year old headlining Glastonbury. Take away the emotional connection and see what you’re actually left with in each case: it ain’t much.
I’m glad they’ve done this, I think it’ll add to the gaiety of nations and even if it doesn’t I’m enjoying all the piss boiling. Particularly the Guardian’s characteristic horror at the concept that the great unwashed might show up and enjoy themselves to something so uncouth when they should be home listening to Beyoncé and educating themselves 👌
With certain subjects like this you have a fair idea of what certain people (some) might say. I find myself thinking why did I write that when I could have written this. It could have gone either way. You are right that what will be great is that all this good feeling will emerge, regardless.
I go and see The Stones because they are (still) a bloody great live band. And there were all ages at the last show I went to, my 17 yr old loved it.
It occurs to me that, like Donald Trump, when I list all the things I don’t like about this lot and then look at what I’ve written, I realise that all of these ghastly qualities are exactly what their substantial rump of fans like about them.
The admirers of one may succeed in rewarding him with another opportunity to unleash all manner of bedlam from the big seat and the admirers of the others will reward them with an extra 30 to 50 million quid but, more importantly, they are likely to continue to be a presence right up in in my face way past the point when they should, on merit, have f**ked right off.
But I am glad that Bingo and thousands of others are going to have a good time – I just wish it could all happen on a separate planet..
We managed to get tickets for the Sunday Dublin show at Croke Park.
We were actually there last night for Coldplay which was spectacular.
Did they play Yellow, did they, did they!
You might enjoy this one…sorry it’s X – couldn’t find it anywhere else. Chris Martin is one of the good ones I think…
They are the 1990s Status Quo.
Great intro to get you engaged, nice chorus to sing along to, and surrounded by three minutes of dire guitar strumming,
That was the insult. Quoasis. It’s actually a compliment. I think Quo at their best really had it. Songs like Caroline. A groove called the boogie. Oasis didn’t have that groove.
As I recall, Damon (or someone from Blur) coined Quoasis as a dig and Oasis has T-shirts printed up and made even more money from it.
Quo up to the first live album had it in spades. Rossi knows his way around the pentatonic scales and was very nifty. And If you want to play Quo songs just like the record you’re going to need to stretch your hands. He plays big barre chords often up at the top of the neck. Caroline is in F and if you have stumpy fingers doing it right will make you wince.
But behind those wide stretches and the boogie, there was melody sitting on top at the vocal. Perhaps not Cole Porter or Hoagy. Carmichael but tunes nonetheless.
Despite being the front man lead guitarist Rossi was then very much more into pop than rock. Bassist Alan Lancaster was insistent that the songs had the harder edge and the signature sound was maintained. After they fell out with him and he was sacked then Rossi and Parfitt were unrestrained. Magarita Time, In The Army Now, Burning Bridges and all that schmaltz happened because Rossi likes to sing tunes.
I have one Quo album, On The Level, and I didn’t feel I needed another. It is though, better than those two Oasis mega hits.
@kalamo
Sounds like a very healthy equolibrium
I’ve been surprised at the scramble for tickets, especially at the quoted prices but then I thought Oasis only had a handful of decent tracks and I’ve given up on stadium gigs, due to price, inconvenience and general lack of atmosphere when viewed from tier 9, row Z. Hopefully for those that have tickets, they’ll have a great time, I’ll be genuinely interested to see the reviews.
Interesting take in todays Sunday Times as the reasons for the reunion concerts – apparently in 2025 Noel G gets full ownership of the publishing rights for his songs and the concerts are seen as a way to raise profile / Spotify streams / etc etc as a pre cursor for selling the back catalogue for a huge sum……
“In recent years record labels and investment companies such as Hipgnosis have paid vast sums to buy rights to the back catalogues of well-known musicians and bands. Queen recently sold theirs for £1 billion. Phil Collins and his Genesis bandmates received about £269 million for theirs.
Noel is acutely aware of the goldmine he could be sitting on. “[Bob] Dylan just sold his back catalogue,” he said three years ago. “What do you do? Leave it to your kids? They don’t value music. Or do you take the £200 million and buy the superyacht and the Learjet and go, ‘F***ing have it, come on!’ I think the latter.”
How valuable are Oasis’s song rights? Those who buy back catalogues keep a careful eye on how often artists are streamed on platforms such as Spotify. That is ultimately where the bulk of revenues are expected to flow from.
Oasis’s streaming numbers, however, have hardly been supersonic. Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac and even Gorillaz — Damon Albarn’s successor band to Blur — all have far stronger digital sales numbers than Oasis.
But a high-profile tour and perhaps even new songs have the potential to introduce the band to a new generation of music buyers and pump up the value of the Oasis back catalogue. Some years ago, Noel identified 2025 as the first time such a sale could take place: that is the year he said that the songs’ publishing rights will be fully owned by him, as outlined in their record contract.
A sale of Oasis song rights for hundreds of millions of pounds sounds like Noel’s masterplan. He just needs to keep things cordial with his brother for another 12 months.”
Given the amount they are raking in from surge / dynamic pricing, thye might not need to bother selling the any rights to songs.
That aside, it’s striking that even the regularly priced standing and seated tickers at Wembley are more expensive than for Taylor Swift. Setting aside subjective preferences in terms of the music, I can’t help thinking that the Swfties will have got more for their money in terms of a show
I don’t see their song catalogue fetching hundreds of millions ever.
Even with the present hype.
The sort of people who snap up major artist catalogues are not mugs and will base their offer, should they make one, on what the streaming figures were prior to this tour announcement, which is about where they will be, or even less, the year after next.
And it’s also a bit rich talking about the ‘catalogue’. After What’s the Story how many of their songs made into most people’s conscience, let alone the wider public, and are still there today? Their catalogue is basically Don’t Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall and a few of the Definitely Maybe singles. And the fact they were never huge in the US would no doubt also play a part in a purchaser’s thinking.
Oasis trivia learned today: the registration of the Rolls Royce in the swimming pool on Be Here Now is the same as the Black Mariah on the cover of Abbey Road
I listened to The Masterplan early B sides compilation in full last night for the first time in maybe 20 years. It’s bloody good! And also surprisingly diverse. Sound quality was awful, but they did manage some interesting arrangements in there
Hilariously, the Daily Mirror has reported an increase in sales for their back catalogue. Haven’t you had a chazzer near you for the past two decades!
So good news for Oxfam, Sense and the British Heart Foundation, though I bet they’re still making more money on Gary Glitter 45s and signed Jimmy Savile photographs.
They (Oasis) currently have 3 albums in the top 5 (UK album chart). I am guessing most of this is down to streaming. However there is a 30th anniversary edition of Definitely Maybe coming out.
That two of those albums are Definitely Maybe and What’s the Story and the other a greatest hits shows that for the vast majority Oasis begins with DM and ends with WTS. Without a quick Google who knows how many more albums they put out and what they were called? I certainly don’t.
I used to put Oasis cd’s in a 50p box at car boots and they wouldn’t shift now they’re going for ££ on the bay, well the first album, crackers. If you have any of their singles on vinyl, NOW is the time to sell.
I’m afraid I’ve got far too many 60s James Brown albums to listen to for this garbage, but can anyone on the Afterword monitor eBay for the first reference – if it hasn’t happened already – to an Oasis album on CD as ‘rare’.
Get one for 20p, bung it on eBay for £20, saying something about ‘… bought on the first day of release in Manchester, I remember it vividly, it was raining, I bumped into Tony Wilson on the way, and I was ‘aving it large’.
It’ll be worth a chuckle to see it, and if you can’t laugh at this, you can’t laugh at anything!
Who saw the ticket fiasco happening? Not me, I was completely shocked.
What about CD singles? I have quite a few of them including the ones collected in horrible boxes that look like disgusting cigarette packets. I will let them go if someone offers me a few hundred dollars for them, that is if I can find them!
Would anyone in NA buy them?
Someone who posted a list of apparent dates for their NA tour remarked that they would have trouble filling the listed venues
Did Oasis ever crack America? I remember colleagues returning from a trade show in Vegas in c. 1997, and being amazed to find them playing in a tiny club. They were reportedly stroppy, crap, and didn’t go down well with the audience.
I never got to go to Vegas as I went to the European show in Amsterdam and told a customer the new model was “less crap” than the previous one. I couldn’t quite bring myself to describe it as “better”. Engineers were told not to hang around the display stand any more…
“They’re pretty dead to me now”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74jdxle935o
Oh no – “Brat summer is officially over”. I suppose I’ll be getting into the attic to fetch the C*******s decorations presently..
@sewer-robot You’ll be pleased to know that C*******s starts officially on Thursday as that’s when one tv channel starts its C*******s wall to wall films.
Though C*******s stuff is in the shops already.
Bollocks to C*******s until D******r
At least the rather bonkers obsession with Halloween here means no room on the shelves in stores for C******** stuff until Nov 1st.
Now Nicolas Maduro wants to start festivities three months early. They suspected he was Caracas They just didn’t realise it was C*******s Caracas
A turkey if ever I saw one*
* Too soon?
Noel and Liam rowing back desperately hard to distance themselves
from the tsunami of public opprobrium following the dynamic pricing
shambles
All the fault of TM, their management and the promoters it seems
Oddly no mention of a refund. Just two more money-spinning Wembley
shows
On the basis that it takes one to know one, this seems conclusive.
What have you got against Peter Kay?
Apart from the fact that his O2 show was terrible, self aggrandising, unfunny nonsense (like a greatest hits show of catchphrases), he appears to have an iffy reputation with people in the biz.
But mainly because his show was insufferable, phoning it in nonsense. Two peas in a pod him and Liam.
Anyway, perhaps time fpr a reminder that Paul Heaton is charging something like £35 for his his forthcoming arena shows. Bigger band playing better songs.
I’m always interested in the economics of bands: touring, recording etc and I know CD sales are pitiful for most these days but the prices of stadium and arena shows just seem crazy these days. Yes, the standard of everything from the PA to audience safety is much higher but £150 to stand in a stadium seems excessive and dare I say it, greedy on the part of the artists, not just Oasis either.
It’s a horrid experience, I paid something like 50 quid to take Offspring the Elder to see 21 Pilots five or six years ago at Wembley Pool. Never again.
She really wants to see Sunday Driver at the Blue Moon with me next week, but she’ll be working.
I have a similar interest in the business side of music. It’s the bit where artistry and avarice often collide unhappily.
It’s up to Joe Public to pay what a gig is worth to them. I have similar sentiments to yours. I’ve looked at a variety of gigs and sports events over the last 10 years and mostly decided they were having a laugh. I think my years of being willing to sit in a seat that a child would be challenged to find leg room are long gone, as is the fortitude to stand for a couple of hours.
But there have very occasionally been circumstance where the stars align. I’ve lobbed out £300+ on 3 occasions for tickets for gigs where I really, really wanted to go. It was worth it either to get a seat in the first 3 rows or because I’d got tickets for the first two nights and and secondary ticket (at 4x the original sales price) was the only way I was getting into the last night. And yes, it was worth it.
What stinks here is the bait and switch deployed by Ticketbastard. £150 when you log in, 4 hours or so in line and then £358 at check out. It’s clearly taking the piss. As is Ticketbastard’s pious “we don’t set the prices”. But you decide when and how much the dynamic price kicks in. And you you agree the use of surge pricing with Live Nation who are co promoting these gigs. Who also happen to own Ticketbastard.
This was quite informative. Ticketmaster have fingers in many pies.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmw0l30vk0o
That’s a really interesting read. Had no idea they were involved in security and merch.
They also own Ticketweb, one of the two major ticket sellers for small local gigs in the UK, the other one being Eventbrite.
Be interesting to know if *anyone* paid the advertised price or was it just a way of doubling or more the ticket price for everyone.
The thing that gets my goat is the way TM and the acts are deflecting people;s outrage by saying that the dynamic pricing system for gigs is the same as that used when booking a flight or hotel night.
Totally ridiculous comparison.
The biggest difference is that hotels/flights aren’t sold in a matter of hours like gigs. While the prices being charged do indeed vary over time, you know exactly how much you are going to pay when you click onto the site and make your reservation.
With TM, you spend several hours waiting in line only to pay way over the odds. You then theoretically take your seat at the gig to find the person sitting next to someone who paid a fraction of the price you did
Yep. One nice thing is to occasionally get a bargain when they have overpriced tickets. Am going to see “Jeff Lynne’s” ELO next week. Got the ticket on StubHub for half the price TM is charging
Quoted in today’s FT
“Bill Zysblat, business manager for the Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and U2, said that it was “just brutal” to see users of StubHub “charging 10 times the face value when the artist could be earning that”.
“Rather than have the scalpers make the money, of course we want the artists to make the money and have nicer buses to sleep in,” he added. “On the other hand they don’t want to be charging a fortune for tickets — it’s a really, really hard decision.”
Love it Bill. Mick and Keef on a tour buss. Driven by a unicorn I presume?
In MIck, Keef & Co’s case it would surely be a golden tour carriage drawn by a team of unicorns.
Mick’s too much of a tightwad to pay for unicorns
I find it hard to get steamed up about any of this. Tickets to concerts are luxuries. If people don’t want to pay the ticket price they don’t have to. If the performers and others are trying to sell tickets at prices the market won’t stand they’ll presumably drop the prices. So what?
Agree with that. People propensity to throw a lot of money to see an artist at the other end of a football pitch is entirely a matter for themselves. I do think a process that requires people to invest 5 hours of thier time to buy a ticket that was advertised at £135 for £350 is a pretty dispicable process though. The price should be fixed at the point you join the queue not the point when you finally get through.
Presumably if you have a standing ticket you can be front row if you get there early enough. I would expect row Z tickets are much cheaper.
My first point was really about the expense of going to see a stadium acts in general rather than Oasis in particular.
My second point was that queuing to buy a ticket for £150 and, whilst being held in the queue, the ticket prioce had increased to £350 is pretty shabby. Imagine that happening in a restaurant. Or when you turn up at you htel having reserved a £150 room.
And whilst the standing tickets can be close to the stage, a good number of standing punters are not at the front. And the cheapest Oasis tickets were £73 at the start and became £205 after being in a queue for 5 hours. With no prior indication that the ticket you are queing for is increasing in price at a rate not seen since the Wiemar Republic.
I agree completely with your points about flex pricing. But it does annoy me sometimes when people just assume you will automatically be 100 yards away at any stadium gig. I have been to many and am invariably within 10 yards of the stage, preferably in a front pit, or have a decent seat fairly close, often a side view which can be relatively good value. If I can’t get a ticket in one of those areas I won’t buy one. I normally manage it though.
I agree Steve but what sucks here is the switch and bait. Lots of people in the queue didn’t see the true price until they got to the front of the queue. It’s the sunk cost fallacy where a rational purchase decision gets skewed because of time and effort already invested. Having had to be in line for hours to get the chance to buy, you then either have to pay well above what you were led to believe the price was, or write off all the time and effort.
I wouldn’t pay £5 to see Oasis but what Live Nation and Ticketmaster have done here sucks balls.
I paid £14 to see Oasis at Earls Court in 1995. Got the ticket from HMV on Oxford Street I believe. No queueing. Seemed quite steep at the time.
Really? I seem to remember the going rate around then was 35 quid.
I am wrong, tickets for Cardiff were listed at 17.50 for Be Here Now tour. Inflation means it would be 35 quid now so I was half right!
The Competiton and Markets Authority are having a look. I rather like Noel and Liam’s position that it wasn’t them but the promoters and their managers. The problem with that position is that there are a fair few artists that give much more of a shit and stop this happening – so it is something that they could have stopped if they care enough (or even a bit). Rockstars blaming the man doesn’t really work when each gig is raking in £10m plus.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg3l5j8r8lo
Oasis in “staggered invitation only ballot” scandal
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/oasis-extra-wembley-shows-reunion-tour-ticketmaster-dynamic-pricing-b1180127.html
Not staggered enough to refund those punters who paid the inflated price after joing the queue to buy at the list price. They could find it from the profits from the additional dates (or some of the profits).
They would do better to say nothing or do something. Saying something and doing nothing is the worst. Some might say.
Liam still aggrieved as a result of the government’s continued lack of response to
his application for a job in he diplomatic corps
https://www.nme.com/news/music/liam-gallagher-returns-to-twitter-x-jokes-about-tickets-oasis-3791308
If I were thinking about coining it next summer, in the spirit of Dynamic Pricing I’d be reviewing some of my offers right now…
Official programme – maximum 24 pages – £30. Hmm, maybe £40.
Can of cola – I’d be doubling the original estimate – £6.
Water – ditto.
If very hot, they both go up to £8. If people are passing out through heat exhaustion, £10.
‘Look after your car, mister’ merchants, presumably looking at a tenner for the acquisition of their services, must be eyeing up a minimum of fifty sovs.
I mean, you’ve paid £350 for an Oasis ticket, you want your car to still have hubcaps and a windscreen when you get back to it, right?