Fifteen years after disbanding in chaos, record-breaking Britpop band Oasis are seemingly on the verge of a reunion.
The band, fronted by Mancunian brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, have teased an announcement at 8am on Tuesday 27 August, which is widely expected to herald a reunion.
Known for hits such as “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova”, Oasis split up in 2009 following a backstage fracas at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.
Since then, the Gallagher brothers have been estranged, and a reunion long seemed unlikely. Both Liam and Noel have continued to release music with their own projects, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
However, in recent months, there have been a number of hints that a comeback could be on the cards, with Liam’s Sunday set at Reading Festival convincing many fans that a reunion is imminent.
On Sunday night, both the Gallagher brothers and the band’s official Instagram account then shared a message bearing the date 27 August, and the time 8am.
See below for the latest updates on the prospective Oasis reunion…
Both Gallagher brothers have continued to play Oasis hits during their time apart, but have tended to only perform the songs they originally sang themselves. Here’s Mark Beaumont’s review of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Glastonbury 2022, during which he notes Noel “sticks to the acoustic singalongs and soaring anthems – ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Whatever’, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’, ‘Half the World Away’.”
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 05:09
In the decade-and-a-half since Oasis last performed together, rumours of a potential reunion have sometimes seemed like little more than wishful thinking. Back in 2016, The Independent spoke to Mat Whitecross about his Oasis documentary Supersonic and when asked whether the brothers would ever reform the director responded: “I don’t think they know themselves.”
Read the full interview here:
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 04:08
One reason Noel Gallagher could be looking forward to getting the band back together? As of last December he’s newly single again, and declared at the time he was ready to return to some Nineties-style partying.
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 03:07
Earlier this year, Liam Gallagher and former Stone Roses guitarist John Squire sat down with The Independent’s Laura Barton to discuss their collaborative record Liam Gallagher John Squire.
At the time, Liam was entirely open on the subject of his brother. “Haven’t seen him for ages, man,” he said. “But I think he was at me mam’s the other weekend. He seems to be doing well, man. Seems to be a lot happier in his skin. Surprise sur-f***ing-prise.”
He added he that he felt “all my f***ing olive branches have gone. I’ve got none left,” but said that if Noel were to reach out to him, he’d be delighted. “One hundred per cent. He’s my brother, I love him.”
Read the full interview here:
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 02:00
Could it be that Noel Gallagher has overcome his reluctance to reunite Oasis because he’s not sure how long he has left? The songwriter, 57, recently morbidly predicted he’d be “lucky” to make it to 60.
“Just because Jagger is mincing around at 103 doesn’t mean everyone can,” he joked.
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 01:05
Oasis reunion rumours have been gathering pace since June, when we reported that a sign reading ‘reserved for Noel Gallagher’ had been spotted at Liam’s show at the O2 Academy in London. Here’s what we said then:
Kevin Perry27 August 2024 00:20
Liam Gallagher headlined Reading festival yesterday, playing Oasis’ classic 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe in full.
Our correspondent Mark Beaumont was there to witness it, writing: “As a clacker-clock on the screens clicks down from 2024 to 1994, Liam Gallagher appears on a stage bedecked with gigantic renditions of objects from the Definitely Maybe sleeve – a hanging globe, a Bacharach portrait, two giant flamingos. ‘Liam vibes in the house, Bonehead vibes in the house,’ he says, pointing out the presence of Oasis guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar as ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ begins its traditional hurtle towards greatness. The punkish set that follows – comprising all of the debut album plus a mid-set selection of B-sides and one-off singles – is a dream of a Gallagher show, delivered with just the right frisson of brittle bolshiness, and, after his years of online badgering and button-pushing for an Oasis reunion, a certain satisfied relish. An air of a great reward finally earned.”
Read the full review here:
Kevin Perry26 August 2024 23:15
As anticipation mounts for tomorrow’s announcement, here’s our music editor Roisin O’Connor on why the hype is fully justified: “But no other rock band of their time really compares when it comes to that narrative arc: the humble origins, the difficult childhoods then the rise to global fame. The partying, the excess. Then the Romulus and Remus-level fallout of 2009, when Liam squared off with his brother in a backstage room at Rock en Seine festival in Paris, wielding Noel’s guitar “like an axe”. And now, it seems, the reconciliation.”
Kevin Perry26 August 2024 22:14
Should Oasis fans be careful what they wish for? Here’s something from earlier this year – a deep-dive into Oasis’s infamous 2004 Glastonbury set.
Was 2004 the worst Glastonbury ever? If you were an Oasis fan, yes
Twenty years ago, the Manchester band headlined Worthy Farm for the second and last time. Mark Beaumont looks back at the ill-fated show, which has gone down in history as one of their worst, and argues that it marked the beginning of the end for Liam and Noel Gallagher’s Britpop dream
Kevin Perry26 August 2024 21:00
Just a few weeks ago, Liam Gallagher’s son weighed in on the prospect of a reunion – sparking hopes that something could be in the works.
Gene Gallagher, also a musician, said: “I get the feeling my dad wants it, too. Let’s hope it happens. It’s easier to speak about after a couple of pints.”
Louis Chilton26 August 2024 20:00