Oasis Play Wembley: 5 Takeaways From Liam and Noel Gallagher's Nostalgia-Packed Return to Stage
He and brother Noel finally decided to make amends after years of familial feuding in a move that prompted frenzy last year.
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In September, Oasis confirmed their reunion gigs were set to take place across the U.K. 'This is it, this is happening,' they had said, as fans prepared to spend hundreds — maybe even thousands — of pounds on tickets. Then, North America dates were released. The duo announced they were playing Toronto, Chicago, L.A., New Jersey and Mexico City across August and September.
Earlier this month, the year-long wait ended: the brothers kicked off the year's buzziest tour in Cardiff, playing together for the first time in over 16 years for a vast crowd in Wales.
On Friday, it was London's turn. The famed Wembley venue was practically vibrating with excitement ahead of their arrival on stage, and The Hollywood Reporter was witness to all of it: the decade-old hits, the cheeky one-liners and all the bucket hats in England ferociously bobbing up and down.
Below, we take you through some of the biggest takeaways from Oasis' reunion tour, as the edgy Manchester-born duo return to epic form, and the dizzy heights of Britpop notoriety, in style.
1. It's a Crowd-Pleaser
Let's state the obvious first. This was always going to be a 'best of' tour, filled with all of the music that fans have been dreaming of hearing live again for a decade-and-a-half now. The brothers performed their biggest hits and then some: 'Don't Look Back in Anger,' 'Slide Away' and, of course, 'Wonderwall,' which was aptly introduced by Liam: 'It's that song again…' They closed with 'Champagne Supernova,' the entire 90,000+ crowd still hanging on to every lyric after two straight hours of passionate dancing. The '90s visuals up on screen were every bit as nostalgic as you'd hope: clips of the two, in their heyday, messing around at the height of their fame.
None of this came as a surprise, but the emotion palpable in that arena was nothing short of overwhelming. The atmosphere was contagious, and on some occasions the ground shook from the weight of a sea of standing fans bouncing up and down (especially during 1995's 'Roll With It'). What was even more evident, however, was how meaningful this concert was to those in attendance. Couples kissed, strangers hugged and fist-bumped, men screamed like they were at a soccer match. Some were even crying. This was a homecoming for thousands of people… even if a lot of alcohol was consumed.
2. They're Still the Same Boys From Manchester
One thing about Oasis? They're patriotic when it comes to their native Manchester. Northern accents as strong as ever, the long-time Manchester City Football Club fans were joined by a cardboard cut-out of team manager Pep Guardiola on stage. 'The greatest manager of all time!' Noel said before dedicating the next song to fellow Man City supporters, to which he received a chorus of boos (there's likely to be far more fans of rival teams in the crowd at this venue).
A montage of family photos, snaps of where they grew up, baby photos and more loomed over Wembley behind Liam and Noel as they played 'Fade Away' and 'Stand by Me.' Manchester tower blocks and rows of houses featured, as well as buzzing bumble bees — the city's symbol — crawling over the visuals. There was no shying away from the origin story of Oasis, no matter how tumultuous their childhood was. Only celebration here.
3. Noel Gets His Time to Shine
This isn't to say Liam (and his maracas) didn't get to be his outrageous self. 'Every time I open my mouth these days I seem to get myself in fucking trouble,' he said early on in the set. 'So I'm just gonna sing.' There were, of course, moments where Liam did do exactly what he does best: poking and prodding the audience. 'Sort it out,' the younger brother told some tussling crowd-members. 'Fighting at this fucking time of the day? At least wait until it gets dark.' Later, as Wembley settled into the evening, he told the fans: 'You're looking better as the night goes on. Turn those fucking lights off!'
But Noel, in fact, was the only brother to perform every song — and got some epic guitar solos in, too. As Liam took a couple of breaks throughout the performance, Noel delighted fans with songs he'd taken the lead on over the years, including 'Little by Little' and 'Half the World Away.' Noel even dedicated 'Don't Look Back in Anger' to the staff at Chiltern Firehouse, the luxe celebrity hotspot in Marylebone that partially burned down in February. 'In London, there have been many tragedies,' he began. 'The plague, the great fire of London, the blitz. And this year a tragedy happened that was bigger than all of them combined, which was my favorite bar the Firehouse fucking burned down.'
4. Liam Pays Tribute to Ozzy
Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath frontman who died aged 78 on Tuesday, was on Liam's mind as 'Rock 'N' Roll Star' kicked off. Before playing the opening track on their debut album Definitely Maybe, the singer proudly declared: 'I want to dedicate this next song to Ozzy Osbourne,' prompting cheers across the stadium.
A picture of the heavy metal singer was projected behind them as they began to play. His death, just less than three weeks after Black Sabbath's last performance in Birmingham, shocked the world earlier this week. A myriad of stars, including Elton John, Judas Priest and fellow English band Duran Duran, payed tribute via social media.
5. The Feud is Quashed — For Now
The brothers were constantly exchanging jabs over the years, with Liam especially taking pleasure in calling Noel 'a potato' and slamming his musical talent. Noel, on the other hand, famously told The Guardian not long ago: 'I liked my mum until she gave birth to Liam.' So when the news broke that the pair had patched things up — at least, long enough to go on tour — a lot of people were surprised.
Yet, there was no trace of ill-feeling on stage Friday. Liam and Noel walked out hand-in-hand, after an opening montage played that poked fun at the years-spanning press coverage on Oasis. In the moments that Liam was being particularly cheeky — such as, when he told the crowd to sort out their 'sulky faces' — his older brother could be seen giggling in response. Concerns over Liam's vocals should also be overruled; Oasis are back to their best, and so obviously missed playing together.
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