As Oasis return to Edinburgh – a new book and a new film are released

Edinburgh Reporter

5 days ago

Creation label boss Tim Abbot, described as the sixth member, will make a public appearance in the city the night before the Oasis concert with a new film about the band.
And as the band returns to Scotland, a new book is also being released.
When The City of Edinburgh Council commented unfavourably on Oasis fans relating to their three sell-out concerts at Scottish Gas Murrayfield – the band's frontman responded quickly.
Fans were described by the council as 'rowdy' who would 'take up more room' and drink to 'medium to high intoxication'. Gallagher posted on X: 'To the Edinburgh council, I've heard what you said about OASIS fans and quite frankly your attitude f**king stinks. I'd leave town that day if I was any of you lot.'
Journalist, musician, and cultural commentator, John Robb – whose grandparents came from Edinburgh – has released a new book: Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis, which details the band's history.
John Robb's book
He responded: 'I think it's snobbery, and I have a connection to Edinburgh through my grandparents. If they can't cope with the Oasis concerts because of the Fringe, they should have let it go to Glasgow. There are always a few idiots in crowds of over 60,000 at a concert, but I think the problem here is that everyone gets tainted by them. It's one of the problems with the country as people look down on people. It's a working class band and culture and for decades, there has been a sneering attitude, a kind of 'look at them' which is horrible. It was great that Liam stuck up for his fans.'
Robb attended one of Scotland's most mythologised gigs, later writing about it in his book about The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop). Their concert under a hot, sweaty tent in Glasgow Green, as Robb suggests, paved the way for Oasis.
He said: 'It was the classic Roses gig. They sounded like a cross between The Beatles and the Sex Pistols, it was a much heavier gig than Spike Island. Oasis was almost a continuation of that sound and they took those references and ran with them.'
It's 31 years since Oasis played their first gig in Edinburgh back in April 1994 at La Belle Angele. By the end of that year, they were headlining the Glasgow Barrowlands, attended by this writer. The gig was seen as a major turning point for the band.
Robb said: 'You had to prove it at the Barrowlands. It was one of those gigs. Oasis were seen as an overnight success but they had two years of being ignored. Most bands have to take baby steps doing three support tours, but with Oasis, after that it was really quick.'
The show didn't run smoothly with Liam Gallagher walking off stage due to throat problems. It was left to Noel Gallagher to play an acoustic set while promising to return with Liam two weeks later. The promise was fulfilled, but there was something special about the first night despite Liam's absence.
Robb said: 'It's almost like two different bands.
'Noel was doing demos a few years before, and that's almost like his style with those more introspective acoustic songs that appeared on the single B-sides, along with the more raucous tabloid band on the A-side, it was like two different bands. While there was this tabloid version of the band, the truth is both brothers are super-smart.'
Tim Abbot
Liam Gallagher with Tim Abbot (middle) and Oasis producer Owen Coyle. PHOTO Tim Abbot
Tim Abbot was the label manager for Creation Records and he is hosting a special event in Edinburgh one day ahead of the first Oasis gig in Edinburgh since 2009.
The author and filmmaker also comes from Scottish roots in Dundee. He explained: 'I shot twenty hours of footage which began in 1993 and ran into 1994. I'd say 20% of the Supersonic film is my material. It's all hand-held stuff that includes Noel playing an early version of Don't Look Back In Anger and there's footage of them working on the overdubs for Champagne Supernova. The film is the early story of the band surpassing everyone and their life on the road. I'm the man in the middle of it all with a video camera backstage in places like Earl's Court'.
Tim has also been working on a new version of his 1996 book, Oasis Definitely, which includes photos being published for the first time. What was it like to be in the eye of the storm during the band's rise?
'It wasn't chaos,' suggested Tim, 'if it was, then we managed to control it, we kind of harnessed it … we were all holding on for grim life. In truth, we were a functioning team and we were all Celts, there was myself and Marcus Russell, who was Welsh. Maggie Mouzakitis was the band's tour manager, and she was a bit of a star.
'When the wheels did come off after the gig at the Whiskey-a-go-go in L.A. I did have to go and find Noel and bring him back into the flock.'
Noel disbanded Oasis in 2009, so I asked if his return to the flock this time was a surprise? 'It was to be honest' said Abbot, 'but I always thought they would when you looked at The Stone Roses getting back together. Liam has always wanted it and when Noel became a free bird again he thought, 'let's get it on' and why wouldn't you?'
Tim Abbot will appear in person alongside a showing of The Lost Tapes: Oasis Like Never Before at Cineworld on 7 August.
For more info click here oasisdefinitely.com
John Robb's new book Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis is out now
Tim Abbot's book about the band
Photo Tim Abbot
Photo Tim Abbot
Photo Tim Abbot
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