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Metro
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Disaster struck when I went to see Oasis perform 16 years ago'
It was 16 years ago that Oasis dramatically split up – the biggest British band of their era shocked fans everywhere when they called it quits. Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel were due on stage at V Festival 2009 in Chelmsford when fans discovered that the band had unexpectedly pulled out as a result of Liam coming down with laryngitis. Oasis was over just a few days later. In the crowd at Chelmsford was 31-year-old Oasis enthusiast Tom, who was one of millions delighted when Liam and Noel patched things up in 2024 and announced a reunion tour. A string of live dates was announced for the summer of 2025, with the first of those coming on Friday, July 4—a 75,000-capacity sold-out show at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Metro spoke to Borehamwood native Tom to see whether he forgives the Manchester Britpop band after all these years or if he still looks back in anger on the day they broke his heart. On the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, 2009, V Festival was proceeding just like the 13 successful previous years… but soon, disaster struck. Tom explained: 'I was incredibly excited. V Festival was my first ever festival. I went with my sister and my parents and had two of my favourite bands headlining—The Killers, then Oasis.' Still on a high from seeing the Mr. Brightside hitmakers the night before, Tom began Sunday eager for Oasis to cap the weekend off—only for the bad news to make its way to him just 10 minutes into the afternoon. 'It was devastating. Whispers went around. We even saw a guy draw an 'N' before the Oasis logo on his shirt, so it read NOASIS. Then the official message came through—Snow Patrol were now headliners instead. 'Everyone rushed to see Lady Gaga instead. It got so busy they had to close it off, so we didn't see her either—we were stuck with Snow Patrol.' Now, 16 years on, Tom's been lucky enough to land tickets not just for the Wembley Oasis show but for their homecoming show at Heaton Park as well, just 10 miles from their birthplace of Burnage. He can scarcely believe it. 'I always hoped [a reunion] would happen one day. But even now it still feels like a dream. In seven days, I'll be standing in a field with my mum, my sister, and my fiancée, crying my eyes out to Champagne Supernova.' Somebody who was lucky enough to catch the Importance of Being Idle chart-toppers was 31-year-old Craig, who saw one of their last-ever shows before the split. Driving down from his hometown of Perth, Scotland, Craig caught Oasis at Edinburgh's Murrayfield, paying just £44 to see them alongside Reverend and the Makers, Kasabian, and The Enemy. Those were the days. 'Seeing them in 2009 was absolutely incredible; the tickets were actually my 15th birthday present from my dad—they were an incredible surprise, and it really was an incredible gig. As a young 15-year-old kid, it was absolutely life-changing.' But did he know that Oasis was just 15 more gigs away from the very end? 'I didn't know it was nearly the end, [but] I remember Liam making a comment on-stage to the sound guys—he wasn't best pleased. There had been power issues at the Manchester show [the week before]. 'Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, it felt like they were done. The chemistry between Liam and Noel was off. It makes even more sense when you hear about them travelling separately.' Craig was hurt when Oasis called it quits just weeks after the Edinburgh show, but seeing offshoot bands like Liam's Beady Eye and Noel's High-Flying Birds live put a band-aid over the wound. In the 16 intervening years, Craig 'didn't think they'd ever play live together again, at least not in the UK'—but now he gets to pass Oasis on to the next generation in his family. More Trending 'My cousin, who's five years younger than me, when I was a teenager, I kept saying to him that Oasis are the greatest band ever. We've seen Liam and Noel solo, and it'll come full circle when we see Oasis next month.' Before Craig catches the Gallaghers at Murrayfield, Tom will get to live out his dream of finally seeing Oasis in the flesh, barring any last-minute fallouts or laryngitis issues. What will it mean to finally see them? '[The comeback shows] mean everything. I was born in 1994, so my mum and me waited 15 years to see them together. That 15-year wait has now become a 31-year wait. 'I still won't believe it until I see them walk on stage together at Heaton Park.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Geri Halliwell only Spice Girl to snub Mel B's wedding to Rory McPhee MORE: Oasis fans deliver unanimous verdict on reunion tour after agonising 16-year-wait MORE: Oasis setlist in full and stage times after Gallagher brothers' first triumphant show in 16 years
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Oasis album with 'poor production' still divides fans two decades later
The album, which celebrates 20 years since its release this week, is still a source of debate among fans - with some arguing it's their best album since the 90s. Now 20 years on, there's still one lesser-known Oasis album which still causes a stir among fans. Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher are all prepped for their sell-out worldwide gigs later in the year. The iconic reunion will see the brothers take to the stage for the first time in 16 years, with shows in Edinburgh Murrayfield, London and Manchester. Despite coming together after nearly two decades, debate continues among one of their albums. Whether any of the album's tracks will grace the setlist of their upcoming gigs is unknown, as their fanbase remains split. Don't Believe the Truth, which was released 20 years ago today, 30 May back in 2005, continues to spark discussion on its quality. Rapidly becoming one of Britain's quickest-selling albums, it received positive reviews upon release. However, discussions have been heating up on Reddit, where passionate Oasis fans deliberate the album's merit, with some branding certain songs as lacklustre "filler" material, reports the Mirror. One fan threw out the question: "Opinions on Don't Believe the Truth? What are everyone's thoughts and opinions on Don't Believe the Truth? I've only listened to the album start to finish once and it really bored me. It's an album I really want to like and I'm considering giving it another chance, should I?". The album continues to divide opinion among listeners, with some feeling it doesn't measure up to the initial critical acclaim. One listener voiced their disappointment with the album's lesser-known songs. They stated, "Singles are very good but fillers are boring and bland, Heathen Chemistry is a better album overall despite having some weak moments. I still prefer Don't Believe the Truth singles to those on Dig Out Your Soul though." A further supporter expressed reservations about how the tracks were handled in production: "I love the album, but I just think it suffers from poor production. The songs are good, but they all sound muffled and don't have that wall of sound the first two albums did." Another admirer took a more favourable view, considering it a standout, as they noted "It's the best one of the last three albums." They continued their praise, suggesting it signalled a resurgence, "It did feel like a 'return to form'. Importance of Being Idle was massive, and had a spark of clever and original songwriting again." When discussing specific songs, production value once again came under scrutiny: "A Bell Will Ring had that Beatles 'up in the sky' vibe." One critique focused on how the album has weathered over time: "The retro production, stripped back to just support the songs, was a revelation after the dreary, distortion dad rock-by-numbers approach of HC imo. However, it has aged extremely badly." One listener bluntly stated: "The production sounds like muffled sh** now, the backing elements added to each tune are laughable and sound terrible (like the backing vox on Love Like a Bomb) and Liam is doing a Liam caricature throughout. In retrospect it feels like it was all a bit of a con job, the title quite apposite." Sharing the same sentiment about the album's failure to stand the test of time, another user expressed: "I think this album is the most dated of any Oasis album tbh, it's just totally unremarkable for the most part. "The songs are fine but not spectacular and Dave Sardy's production style of this album is just dreary (much like Noel's first solo album). Any life the songs had is sucked out by Sardy's chosen approach."
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lesser-known Oasis album still splits fans' opinions 20 years on from release
Oasis released their sixth studio album on this day 20 years ago - and it still splits fans on whether it is a quality release, with some fans calling it an underrated gem Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, a lesser-known Oasis album still divides fan opinion. Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher are gearing up for a series of sold-out gigs around the globe later this year. The brothers' first joint gig in 16 years will see them hitting stages at London's Wembley Arena, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium, and Manchester's Heaton Park. Although the Gallagher's are reuniting onstage after such a long hiatus, debates continue among fans regarding the merits of their less celebrated album. Whether tracks from this album will feature on the upcoming tour remains to be seen. Fans remain split on the quality of the album, though. Don't Believe the Truth, released on this day, 30 May, in 2005, still stirs up divided opinions amongst fans over its excellence. The album raced to become one of the UK's fastest-selling records and was met with critical approval when it dropped. Oasis enthusiasts have been voicing their thoughts on the r/Oasis subreddit, debating whether the album holds up, with some critiquing its "filler" tracks as "boring and bland." A subreddit user posed the question: "Opinions on Don't Believe the Truth? What are everyone's thoughts and opinions on Don't Believe the Truth? I've only listened to the album start to finish once and it really bored me. It's an album I really want to like and I'm considering giving it another chance, should I?" The album remains contentious amongst listeners, with some arguing that it doesn't quite live up to the praise it received from critics back in the day. One fan was unimpressed by the album's lesser-known tracks, remarking: "Singles are very good but fillers are boring and bland, Heathen Chemistry is a better album overall despite having some weak moments. I still prefer Don't Believe the Truth singles to those on Dig Out Your Soul though." Another Oasis enthusiast chimed in with their concerns over the production quality: "I love the album, but I just think it suffers from poor production. The songs are good, but they all sound muffled and don't have that wall of sound the first two albums did." A third devotee saw things a bit more positively, applauding the album among the band's later efforts: "It's the best one of the last three albums. "It did feel like a 'return to form'. Importance of Being Idle was massive, and had a spark of clever and original songwriting again." Criticism emerged over the production choices for one particular track: "A Bell Will Ring had that Beatles 'up in the sky' vibe. "The retro production, stripped back to just support the songs, was a revelation after the dreary, distortion dad rock-by-numbers approach of HC imo. However, it has aged extremely badly. "The production sounds like muffled sh** now, the backing elements added to each tune are laughable and sound terrible (like the backing vox on Love Like a Bomb) and Liam is doing a Liam caricature throughout. In retrospect it feels like it was all a bit of a con job, the title quite apposite." Echoing the sentiment regarding the album's lack of timelessness, another user professed: "I think this album is the most dated of any Oasis album tbh, it's just totally unremarkable for the most part. "The songs are fine but not spectacular and Dave Sardy's production style of this album is just dreary (much like Noel's first solo album). Any life the songs had is sucked out by Sardy's chosen approach."
