Oasis reunion tour: follow the first gig at Cardiff - live!
Date: 2025-07-04T15:24:21.000Z
Title: Welcome to our Oasis liveblog!
Content: The bucket hats are on, the pints are flowing and the sun is sheeeeiiiining – Cardiff is getting ready for a gig being closely watched by a truly global cohort of fans: the return of Oasis. The BBC counted up that it's been 5,795 days since the band were last together, when it all kicked off backstage at a Paris festival set and Oasis broke apart. In that time we've had numerous solo albums, new bands and tuber-based insults. But finally, whether it's down to fraternal love or a number with a lot of zeros on the end of it, the band are back together.
We'll be documenting the whole of the first night as it happens. I'm sat in the decidedly un-rock'n'roll environs of my bedroom, but deputy music editor Laura Snapes and chief rock and pop critic Alexis Petridis will both be inside the stadium this evening and will be feeding back everything that happens. In the runup we'll have plenty of analysis, photos and semi-random predictions. Hope you're mad fer it all.
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Scottish Sun
32 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Reunited Oasis were the best I've seen since 1997 – it's a big call, but I'm making it and here's why
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Kentish Town 1994. Earl's Court 1995. Maine Road and Knebworth 1996. Now add Cardiff Principality Stadium 2025 to that glimmering list. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 The Oasis reunion gig in Cardiff will go down in legend Credit: Getty 6 Fans from around the world gathered for the momentous occasion Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Dominic with Liam during Oasis' 90s heyday Credit: Supplied Friday night's unveiling of the unforeseen Live '25 tour is right up there in the pantheon of classic Oasis shows I've been privileged to witness over the past 31 years. They were deafening, bombastic, supreme, commanding and unleashed, with that trademark brooding arrogance, delivering the tunes we wanted but feared we would never hear again, dispatched with no nonsense or histrionics. This was the best I've seen Oasis since 1997. I know it's a big call but I'm making it. Let's analyse why. There is no new material to promote so this was a brazen playlist of the Oasis anthems - the most recently penned track they performed was Noel's Little By Little from 2002. It was if 21st century Oasis had been erased from memory and we were treated to a raucous 90s set, largely served from the peerless 1994 album Definitely Maybe and 1995's (What's The Story) Morning Glory? The Gallaghers granted us our deepest wishes and, with those ticket prices, so they should. The latter Oasis albums had some gems but their live shows declined as the years rolled by because they were laden with new tracks that didn't measure up to their meteoric early canon. Not on a balmy summer's evening in Cardiff, where anticipation and exhilaration hung in the warm air. One of the biggest worries ahead of these shows was Liam's voice. Oasis kick off historic reunion tour as Noel & Liam reunite for first show in Cardiff Fear not. As he sang as if his life depended on it, his vocals sounded more honed than they have for many years and eclipsed recent solo shows. Let's hope it holds. The outfits are the same and the swagger still there but his engagement with the audience more courteous and respectful, a contrast to the barrage of drunken abuse and gobbledegook audiences would often face. We were treated with a classy, gleaming, professional and more mature set by brothers on their best behaviour. I met fans from Japan, South Korea, Italy, Peru and Canada who had flown in to join us on this holy pilgrimage to hear Noel's stirring council estate hymns, which defined our wild youth, and served as reminder of simpler and more colourful times when we were blissfully unaware of pandemics, iPhones and TikTok. Outside, it felt like the build up to a World Cup knockout game, Cardiff's pubs packed from lunchtime and communal singing echoing around the buzzing streets. There's something about Cardiff when a massive event like this is staged, the gargantuan stadium rising from the riverside and overshadowing a city centre stuffed with thronging bars and restaurants. A logical choice for such an anticipated reunion, 16 years in the making. 6 Oasis' set list for their return gig in Cardiff ended with Champagne Supernova Lager-swilling once-lads, clad in Stone Island, CP Company, football shirts and Adidas, dominated proceedings but there were also starry-eyed groups of young men and women present, being seduced by a Gallagher onslaught for the first time. We mingled with football managers Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper, Noel's ex-Meg Mathews and daughter Anais, Johnny Vaughan, Danny Dyer, Kasabian and Alan McGee. It was like the glorious 90s were back. Inside, Cast, who I first saw supporting Oasis in 1994, and The Verve's Richard Ashcroft set the tone with engaging performances, again shunning new material and the latter delivering all the classics from his band's creative highpoint Urban Hymns, closing with a peerless Bittersweet Symphony which felt like a headline act's encore. There was no messing about from any of the acts that night. Instrumental F*****' In The Bushes, from Standing On The Shoulder Off Giants, then exploded from the speakers, a video montage of newspaper and online headlines flashing on the gigantic screens, the first of many goosebump moments triggered by Noel's masterful songwriting. Witnessing the feuding brothers then stepping onto the sweeping stage, Liam's left arm on his older sibling's shoulder and his other aloft clutching maracas, is something that will live long in the memory, the Cardiff roar heralding the burying of the hatchet, the biblical brothers back together in front of their families and a worshipping congregation. What a moment - and one I felt I had to witness after documenting the highs and lows of Oasis for The Sun, thirty years of mad encounters, unforgettable interviews, reviews, run-ins and joy, seeing them perform in Tokyo, California, Manchester, Oslo, Milan, Majorca and even Exeter. This was up there with the best. We debated whether they would open with Hello, it seeming apt with a singalong chorus of It's Good To Be Back, but concerned about its controversial association with Gary Glitter, who has a songwriting credit on it. But it was impossible to resist, followed by that stirring anthem of brotherly love, Acquiesce, a song Noel tossed away as a b side, when his songwriting seemed unstoppable. 6 Liam's left arm on his older sibling's shoulder and his other aloft clutching maracas, is something that will live long in the memory, These spiritual paeans capture a moment in time and unleashed something within 74,500 souls, transfixed and on our stomping feet throughout a polished two hour set under the roof in this cavernous arena. Yet it somehow felt intimate - there was hugging of strangers, arms held aloft with lifelong friends and the spilling of expensive drinks as we joined the thundering choruses of Slide Away, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova. It felt like this was a climax to sixteen years of soul-searching by the brothers, a coming to the senses about their relationship, their inimitable band and what the British public want, even giving a respectful on-screen nod to their former drummer Tony McCarroll and the Water Rats venue where they debuted in London, on Rock 'n' Roll Star. A realisation that life's too precious and short for tantrums and feuding, this encapsulated touchingly on Live Forever, accompanied by a tribute to Liverpool ace Diogo Jota, killed in a car crash aged 28. Noel's fabled guitar solo pierced the mesmerised stadium and we were all 24 again. At times, the crowd - particularly on the pitch - seemed a little passive and static particularly during Supersonic which was surprising, something I don't anticipate being repeated in Manchester or at Wembley. I'd rather have heard Shakermaker, Stop Crying Your Heart Out or Columbia, a fans' favourite and setlist no-brainer over the years, than Fade Away but I'm maybe, no definitely, nitpicking here. Andy Bell, Gem Archer and Joey Waronker were workmanlike and took care of business but our tired eyes were only on two people. 6 Liam blasting out Oasis hits for the crowd There was less prowling from Liam, with bouncer Bonehead a barrier separating the siblings, between whom there was little interaction during the set itself. Noel dispatched Talk Tonight and Half The World Away with aplomb but the climax of Don't Look Back In Anger, Wonderwall and Champagne Superova is one of the great closing trilogies in the history of modern music. We were left spellbound after witnessing the biggest British rock reunion of all time, never likely to be eclipsed. I'm confident that the Gallaghers' professionalism, newly-found maturity and several hundred million other reasons, will see them sail through this tour, which will surely stretch into 2026. That would mark the 30th anniversary of their pinnacle, celebrating an era where music, fashion and art was better, life was less complicated and the world was a more contented place. That's the story.
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Reunited Oasis were the best I've seen since 1997 – it's a big call, but I'm making it and here's why
Kentish Town 1994. Earl's Court 1995. Maine Road and Knebworth 1996. Now add Cardiff Principality Stadium 2025 to that glimmering list. 6 6 6 Friday night's unveiling of the unforeseen Live '25 tour is right up there in the pantheon of classic Oasis shows I've been privileged to witness over the past 31 years. They were deafening, bombastic, supreme, commanding and unleashed, with that trademark brooding arrogance, delivering the tunes we wanted but feared we would never hear again, dispatched with no nonsense or histrionics. This was the best I've seen Oasis since 1997. I know it's a big call but I'm making it. Let's analyse why. There is no new material to promote so this was a brazen playlist of the Oasis anthems - the most recently penned track they performed was Noel's Little By Little from 2002. It was if 21st century Oasis had been erased from memory and we were treated to a raucous 90s set, largely served from the peerless 1994 album Definitely Maybe and 1995's (What's The Story) Morning Glory? The Gallaghers granted us our deepest wishes and, with those ticket prices, so they should. The latter Oasis albums had some gems but their live shows declined as the years rolled by because they were laden with new tracks that didn't measure up to their meteoric early canon. Not on a balmy summer's evening in Cardiff, where anticipation and exhilaration hung in the warm air. One of the biggest worries ahead of these shows was Liam's voice. Fear not. As he sang as if his life depended on it, his vocals sounded more honed than they have for many years and eclipsed recent solo shows. Let's hope it holds. The outfits are the same and the swagger still there but his engagement with the audience more courteous and respectful, a contrast to the barrage of drunken abuse and gobbledegook audiences would often face. We were treated with a classy, gleaming, professional and more mature set by brothers on their best behaviour. I met fans from Japan, South Korea, Italy, Peru and Canada who had flown in to join us on this holy pilgrimage to hear Noel's stirring council estate hymns, which defined our wild youth, and served as reminder of simpler and more colourful times when we were blissfully unaware of pandemics, iPhones and TikTok. Outside, it felt like the build up to a World Cup knockout game, Cardiff's pubs packed from lunchtime and communal singing echoing around the buzzing streets. There's something about Cardiff when a massive event like this is staged, the gargantuan stadium rising from the riverside and overshadowing a city centre stuffed with thronging bars and restaurants. A logical choice for such an anticipated reunion, 16 years in the making. 6 Lager-swilling once-lads, clad in Stone Island, CP Company, football shirts and Adidas, dominated proceedings but there were also starry-eyed groups of young men and women present, being seduced by a Gallagher onslaught for the first time. We mingled with football managers Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper, Noel's ex- Meg Mathews and daughter Anais, Johnny Vaughan, Danny Dyer, Kasabian and Alan McGee. It was like the glorious 90s were back. Inside, Cast, who I first saw supporting Oasis in 1994, and The Verve's Richard Ashcroft set the tone with engaging performances, again shunning new material and the latter delivering all the classics from his band's creative highpoint Urban Hymns, closing with a peerless Bittersweet Symphony which felt like a headline act's encore. There was no messing about from any of the acts that night. Instrumental F*****' In The Bushes, from Standing On The Shoulder Off Giants, then exploded from the speakers, a video montage of newspaper and online headlines flashing on the gigantic screens, the first of many goosebump moments triggered by Noel's masterful songwriting. Witnessing the feuding brothers then stepping onto the sweeping stage, Liam's left arm on his older sibling's shoulder and his other aloft clutching maracas, is something that will live long in the memory, the Cardiff roar heralding the burying of the hatchet, the biblical brothers back together in front of their families and a worshipping congregation. What a moment - and one I felt I had to witness after documenting the highs and lows of Oasis for The Sun, thirty years of mad encounters, unforgettable interviews, reviews, run-ins and joy, seeing them perform in Tokyo, California, Manchester, Oslo, Milan, Majorca and even Exeter. This was up there with the best. We debated whether they would open with Hello, it seeming apt with a singalong chorus of It's Good To Be Back, but concerned about its controversial association with Gary Glitter, who has a songwriting credit on it. But it was impossible to resist, followed by that stirring anthem of brotherly love, Acquiesce, a song Noel tossed away as a b side, when his songwriting seemed unstoppable. 6 These spiritual paeans capture a moment in time and unleashed something within 74,500 souls, transfixed and on our stomping feet throughout a polished two hour set under the roof in this cavernous arena. Yet it somehow felt intimate - there was hugging of strangers, arms held aloft with lifelong friends and the spilling of expensive drinks as we joined the thundering choruses of Slide Away, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova. It felt like this was a climax to sixteen years of soul-searching by the brothers, a coming to the senses about their relationship, their inimitable band and what the British public want, even giving a respectful on-screen nod to their former drummer Tony McCarroll and the Water Rats venue where they debuted in London, on Rock 'n' Roll Star. A realisation that life's too precious and short for tantrums and feuding, this encapsulated touchingly on Live Forever, accompanied by a tribute to Liverpool ace Diogo Jota, killed in a car crash aged 28. Noel's fabled guitar solo pierced the mesmerised stadium and we were all 24 again. At times, the crowd - particularly on the pitch - seemed a little passive and static particularly during Supersonic which was surprising, something I don't anticipate being repeated in Manchester or at Wembley. I'd rather have heard Shakermaker, Stop Crying Your Heart Out or Columbia, a fans' favourite and setlist no-brainer over the years, than Fade Away but I'm maybe, no definitely, nitpicking here. Andy Bell, Gem Archer and Joey Waronker were workmanlike and took care of business but our tired eyes were only on two people. 6 There was less prowling from Liam, with bouncer Bonehead a barrier separating the siblings, between whom there was little interaction during the set itself. Noel dispatched Talk Tonight and Half The World Away with aplomb but the climax of Don't Look Back In Anger, Wonderwall and Champagne Superova is one of the great closing trilogies in the history of modern music. We were left spellbound after witnessing the biggest British rock reunion of all time, never likely to be eclipsed. I'm confident that the Gallaghers' professionalism, newly-found maturity and several hundred million other reasons, will see them sail through this tour, which will surely stretch into 2026. That would mark the 30th anniversary of their pinnacle, celebrating an era where music, fashion and art was better, life was less complicated and the world was a more contented place. That's the story.
Times
37 minutes ago
- Times
What the makers of the greatest true crime podcast did next
Few podcast series have been as deservedly successful as West Cork. A critical smash and word-of-mouth phenomenon seven years ago, like Serial it dealt with a historic murder, one that still haunts a community. In December 1996 the body of the French film-maker Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered outside her Irish holiday home. She had been bludgeoned to death. More than two decades later, nobody had been convicted of her murder. Yet for locals and the Irish garda there had always been one prime suspect, another 'blow-in', an Englishman still living amid neighbours who reviled him. What marked out West Cork was the thoughtfulness of the reporting of its husband-and-wife narrators, Sam Bungey and Jennifer Forde. This was true, twisty crime with journalistic integrity, a painterly sense of place and sensitivity to a community. Louis Theroux said it was 'possibly the best ever true crime podcast'. Patrick Radden Keefe hailed it 'a masterpiece'. It reportedly remains Audible's most successful podcast. If you haven't listened, do. So what have Bungey and Forde got up to since? In May 2021 there was a follow-up episode relating to court proceedings. But that was more than four years ago. It turns out the pair were recruited by the BBC to explore one of the deepest rabbit holes of our times: Havana syndrome. • The best podcasts and radio shows of the week If the term 'Havana syndrome' is a mystery to you, then Forde and Bungey offer a clear explainer in the ten-part Havana Helmet Club (four episodes on BBC Sounds and now airing on Radio 4). But for me the puzzle is why this promising podcasting pair chose to tackle a subject that is as well trodden as it is highly disputed. Still, it is a doozy of a story. To recap: in December 2016 American diplomatic personnel in Cuba began to report a wave of weird ailments. All said that symptoms had begun with stabbing head pressure. Most also experienced a sonic assault: a head-splittingly intense grating noise that often led to nosebleeds and nausea. When sufferers started comparing notes, they referred to the noise as 'the Thing'. In the weeks afterwards many began to experience vertigo, brain fog, migraine with aura and debilitating exhaustion. Quietly the embassy began to fly sufferers to the United States to undergo medical investigation, where scans showed signs consistent with brain trauma when there had been no injury. Meanwhile, the CIA sent a medic to investigate — who also became ill. Rumours grew about some kind of hostile action, possibly using microwave technology. But who would be the perpetrator? The US and Cuba had only just restored full diplomatic relations after decades of hostility. The Obamas' visit in spring 2016 was meant to have ushered in a more neighbourly, also potentially capitalist era. The Cubans denied any wrongdoing, but the US repatriated all but essential staff. Two rival podcasts, fronted by respected investigative journalists, went head-to-head in 2023. Havana Syndrome, from Vice, was presented by Jon Lee Anderson and Adam Entous, whose reporting for The New Yorker first brought this story to a wider audience. Their podcast investigated subsequent claimed incidents around the world and reported on CIA efforts to shut the story down — deemed gaslighting by those still struggling with long-term health needs. • Read more radio and podcast reviews The Sound, presented by Nicky Woolf (Finding Q: My Journey into QAnon; Fur and Loathing) opened in bravura style using spiritual music to invoke the Bible story of the Israelites' trumpets' blast tumbling Jericho's walls. 'Sound … as a weapon,' Woolf surmised. There was also an endearing gonzo episode in which he roped in a physicist pal to help him build a microwave device. So what does the well-narrated Havana Helmet Club have that these do not? Well, the advantage of following up. Also, for UK audiences, potentially arriving fresh at this story, an informative grounding in US-Cuban relations. This compelling podcast is well executed, but halfway through I am questioning whether there will be a smoking gun — most of their talking heads, including the wired-sounding Anglo-American they identify as 'Adam' and 'Patient Zero', have featured in others' reporting. While it is great to have Forde and Bungey back, this is not a podcast series that feels as original, or uniquely their own, as West Cork. What podcasts have you enjoyed recently? Let us know in the comments below
