Music

The rumor has been spreading for a few days on social media and was officially confirmed this morning. Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher put their grudges aside and reformed Oasis, the most iconic band born in Manchester. With all due respect to Joy Division and New Order…

Given the two borther's formidable reputation, the official announcement of their upcoming tour (see all the dates below) was immediately went viral on social media. All concerts after Cardiff were canceled due to yet another spat between these two hot-blooded temperaments. However, since their first steps into an outstanding career in the wake of the emblematic "Definitely Maybe" in 1994, Liam and Noel have managed to stay together and perform more than 900 concerts in 30 countries. 

This August 30th, we will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the essential 'Definitely Maybe' with the epic 'Rock'n Roll Star', a mix of arrogance and I don't care attitude, which continues to characterize the duo so well. As such, this morning's announcement, could not have come at a better time.

I have some personal memories, inevitably a little crazy, of Oasis, starting with a sold-out concert (their third in Belgium) at the La Luna theater in Brussels on October 31, 1995, after the release of their second album "Morning Glory". There was certainly electricity in the air. But the elctric energy didn't serve the melodic power of tracks such as "Champagne Supernova" or "Cigarettes And Alcohol". Even back then, Noel took the lead for a more acoustic interlude with the iconic "Wonderwall" and "Morning Glory". The atmosphere wasn't always great between the two brats crowned with glory! 

At the time, well before streaming was a thing, artists sometimes had to bow to the will of their label and follow direction for promotion. On September 9, 1997, a few weeks after the release of their third album "Be Here Now", the record company wanted to take advantage of the second date of the tour of the same name at the Globe in Stockholm (Sweden), to invite a few dozen European journalists to chat with the two brothers. In essence, this kind of practice is perilous and frustrating for both artists and journos. But that day, we reached a peak of incommunicability. Despite their physical presence and, it must be added, the lack of interest in our questions, rumblings and onomatopoeias were on the agenda. A painful moment. 

Nearly three years later, a few days before the official release of "Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants", I was invited to meet Liam in a luxurious hotel near Hyde Park in London. One-on-one, please. I had gotten up at dawn to board the first Eurostar from Paris where I was covering haute couture shows. In fact, the day before, I had met the man in the company of Patsy Kensit, his sweetheart at the time, at a Versace couture show at the Ritz. But I should never have started the interview by asking him if he had enjoyed the evening. He gave me an icy look, mumbled a few incomprehensible words and my interview went down the drain. No way to get things back on track!

During our last chance meeting at the Hear Hear Festival in Hasselt (Belgium), I did however see Liam crack a smile. It wasn’t meant for me, seeing as he was about to go on stage, a kid asked him for an autograph. The singer complied without hesitation and even exchanged a few words with the blond head. You see, Liam, it’s not that complicated!

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Currently, Oasis reunion or not, no new recording seems to be planned…

Concerts in 2025:
July 4/5: Principality Stadium - Cardiff (Wales)
July 11/12/19/20: Heaton Park - Manchester (England)
July 25/26: Wembley Stadium - London (England)
August 2/3: Wembley Stadium - London (England)
August 8/9: Murrayfield Stadium - Edinburgh (Scotland)
August 16/17: Croke Park - Dublin (Ireland)

(MH with AK - Photo: Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Liam Gallagher at a press conference at the Globe in Stockholm (Sweden) on September 9, 1997 (© Etienne Tordoir)