Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits such as “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, are reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-running feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
The guitar band will play 14 concerts in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland next July and August, Oasis announced on Tuesday. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Saturday.
“This is it. This is happening,” the band said.
Oasis split up in 2009 after years of disputes. Noel Gallagher officially left the band shortly before a performance at a festival near Paris. Even before the split, the brothers had a long antagonistic relationship and reportedly did not speak to each other for years after the split.
“People write and say what they want, but I just couldn’t work with Liam for another day,” Noel Gallagher, the band’s guitarist and songwriter, wrote in a statement at the time.
Although the Gallagher brothers have not performed together since then, both regularly play Oasis songs in their solo performances. They have also criticized each other in the press.
Noel Gallagher accused his younger brother of having a hangover that forced them to cancel a concert in 2009. The frontman denied the allegation and filed a lawsuit, but later dropped the case.
But now the brothers are preparing to reunite. The band says their fans will experience “the spark and intensity” that only comes from sharing the stage together.
The tour begins on July 4 and 5 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, England on July 11, 12, 19 and 20; at Wembley Stadium in London on July 25 and 26 and August 2 and 3; at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on August 8 and 9; and at Croke Park in Dublin on August 16 and 17.
The band alluded to past tensions in the tour announcement.
“The guns are silent,” Oasis said. “The stars are aligned. The long wait is over. Come and see it. It won’t be televised.”
In 2011, Noel Gallagher told the Associated Press in an interview that he left the band after an incident in which Liam Gallagher started swinging a guitar “like an axe… and he swung that guitar around and, you know, he kind of ripped my face off with it, you know?”
In 2019, Liam Gallagher told AP he was ready for reconciliation.
“The most important thing is that he and I are brothers,” he said. “He thinks I’m desperate to get the band back together for the money. But I didn’t join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and see the world.”
“I don’t know what his problem is,” he continued. “I think he just wanted to go out and have his solo career, make all the money and be surrounded by all the yes-men who you can fire and hire at any time. I can’t do that.”
With this announcement, the Britpop forefathers ended several days of fan speculation. A short video on the band’s social media accounts on Sunday evening had revealed the date “27.08.24” and the time “8am”, written in the same font as the well-known Oasis logo. The brothers shared the same on their individual accounts.
Of course, fans have long theorized that a reunion could be imminent: Following the 2017 bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Oasis’ hometown of Manchester, Liam Gallagher performed at a benefit concert that fueled speculation of a reunion. He criticized his brother’s absence, but a spokesman said Noel Gallagher was unable to attend due to a longer-planned family trip. Organisers of the benefit said Noel Gallagher had consented to the use of Oasis’ music and donated royalties from “Don’t Look Back In Anger” to the British Red Cross’s One Love Manchester fund.
Read more: Crowd in Manchester sings “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis after bomb attack
Later that year, Liam Gallagher tweeted to his brother, which some thought was made up: “I want to wish Team NG a very Merry Christmas. It’s been a great year. Thank you for everything. I look forward to seeing you AS YOU WERE tomorrow. LG x”
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Oasis had already planned to release a new collection titled “Definitely Maybe – Deluxe 30th Anniversary Editions” to celebrate the anniversary of their debut album.
Rumors of a possible reunion were fueled last weekend when Liam Gallagher took to social media to respond to unconfirmed reports that the band would play at London’s Wembley Stadium and Manchester’s Heaton Park. When some social media users criticized Heaton Park and the band, the Manchester native wrote, “See you up there,” calling the users a vulgarity. In another standalone post on X, he joked, “I’ve never liked the word FORMER.”
“Tell me, man,” Liam Gallagher replied when asked what he was talking about. He also responded to several negative tweets about the possible SHUTUP reunion. Noel Gallagher, on the other hand, remained silent apart from releasing the teasers.
—Danica Kirka reported from London. Maria Sherman reported from New York.
