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Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Oasis in Cardiff: This was emotional, for the Manchester-Irish diaspora – it's like family'
Up in the nosebleed seats of Cardiff's Principality stadium in Wales, watching Oasis reunite for their first gig in 16 years was a sight. Fans were overcome with joy; on their feet, dancing, questionable amber liquid spraying through the air. It was pure emotion for what feels like the biggest music reunion of my generation. The crowd bellowed the moment brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher arrived together on stage for the first time since breaking up in 2009. On hearing the din from the stadium corridor, I could have killed my brother. I was stuck in a queue for his pint. But in the spirit of great sibling reunions, look, it's water under the bridge. For us, this concert was a Big Deal. At 28 and 30, we had never seen Oasis perform live before, but their music was always around us growing up in Manchester; those first nights out in school years when Wonderwall was always the DJ's last tune, and in the car on Irish summer holidays in counties Roscommon and Mayo. As my brother put it, it's like a time capsule. READ MORE Nostalgia poured in not just from the set-list, but from the stadium screen visuals too. The home of Welsh rugby was transformed with thick memories of Manchester's redbrick terrace roofs and high-rise flat blocks. It looked just like the scenes from the area where my grandparents raised their six children in Old Trafford and later Stretford. My aunt once said the Gallagher brothers got chatting to her on a night out in The Conti Club, or New Continental club (now gone), in Manchester in the early 1990s. She says she doesn't remember the brash brothers painted in the press, but a polite pair – who would have then been in their early 20s – with big dreams for their band. Oasis: Giant screens show press coverage teasing of the band's possible reunion at the back of the stage on the opening night of their Live '25 Tour at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Photograph:Oasis: Liam and Noel Gallagher hold hands as they take to the stage at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, for the band's long-awaited reunion tour. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Another familial connection appears on screen in images of Charlestown, Co Mayo . The Gallagher brothers' mum, Peggy, is from the same cohort of Charlestown emigrants as those of my grandad, John Finn, who settled in Manchester. My grandad was later repatriated, alongside my grandma, Margaret, to St James's church, near the town. Meanwhile, in the town centre is John Finan, who runs JJ Finan's, one of Charlestown's pubs where Liam and Noel Gallagher have visited and performed. He has been kind enough in the past to humour our curiosity about the brothers and share his memories, as he also did on the band's Supersonic documentary . Safe to say, Noel's performance of Half the World Away found its mark all the way up in the Principality stadium's high-altitude rows. As someone growing up in the Manchester-Irish diaspora, it feels like family. Although I thought there might be a nod to the Royle Family's Caroline Aherne , with whom the song is now synonymous. It was notable too, that Liam's shout out to fans from home soil was met with mild booing: 'Anyone from Manchester here? Anyone from Burnage?' Burnage must be saving itself for the hometown dates. [ Oasis: There are reasons why they are last great working-class band to conquer the world Opens in new window ] Oasis have proved their appeal to fans has huge international reach. . Their Live '25 tour was reported as the biggest concert launch ever in the UK and Ireland, with more than 10 million fans from 158 countries queuing to buy tickets after they went on sale last summer. A South Korean fan told me on the flight back from Bristol to Dublin, that the band is particularly popular with younger listeners and teens there. For me, it was the best gig I've ever been to, and coming from the same neck of the woods made it even more special. And you know what? That questionable amber liquid was probably just beer.
Al Arabiya
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
British rock band Oasis reunite in Cardiff, thrilling fans
British rock band Oasis reunited in Cardiff on Friday as the Gallagher brothers put more than 16 years of acrimony behind them to deliver a hit-packed set that took thousands of fans back to the optimism and swagger of the 1990s. The Manchester band defined the Britpop revival of guitar music, before tensions between Noel Gallagher, the band's main songwriter, and his younger brother, lead singer Liam, led to its split. The group walked onto the stage in the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium and launched into 'Hello,' sounding as tight as at the height of their fame. Interaction with the audience was minimal during the two-hour performance. Interaction between the brothers was nonexistent — until a very brief hug at the end. The crowd, largely comprising middle-aged fans revisiting their youth, sang along to hits including 'Cigarettes & Alcohol,' 'Supersonic' and 'Roll With It.' At the end of 'Live Forever,' a picture of Liverpool and Portugal footballer Diogo Jota — who was killed in a car accident on Thursday — was shown on the screens behind the band. Oasis ended with 'Don't Look Back in Anger,' 'Wonderwall' and 'Champagne Supernova,' all pulled from their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the biggest-selling record in Britain in the 1990s. 'Thank you for putting up with us over the years,' Liam said. Adam Williams, 42, from Wrexham, North Wales, last saw the band in 2008. 'They were probably better than they were then,' he said. Oasis had announced the shows nearly a year ago, setting off a frenzy for tickets. 'The thing that makes the Oasis reunion special is the thing that makes any reunion special: it has to be something that people really want and something that people thought they'd never see. And Oasis ticks both those boxes,' music journalist Mark Sutherland told Reuters. Fans started to gather early outside the stadium, where official Adidas-Oasis football shirts were on sale for £85 ($116). 'They're more than a band, it's almost like a movement,' said Matt Hobman, 48. 'It's like a piece of Britishness.' The Gallaghers were joined by original member Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs, as well as Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Joey Waronker on stage. Many fans waited for hours in online queues to buy tickets last year, only to find prices had jumped when they finally had a chance to get them. Britain's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over the sale, including the use of 'dynamic pricing' to hike costs at the last minute. 'Are you having a good time?' Liam asked the crowd. 'Was it worth the 40,000 pounds you paid for the ticket?' Oasis play one more show in Cardiff before the tour moves to the Gallaghers' home city of Manchester. It continues in Britain and Ireland, followed by shows across North and South America, Asia, and Australia.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Noel Gallagher's ‘excellent condition' 1990s super saloon up for sale for eye-watering seven-figure price
A BEEFY super saloon that once belonged to Noel Gallagher has recently hit the market - for a supersonic sum of £1.2million. A gorgeous Bentley Turbo R was listed on Auto Trader, having once been the pride of joy of the Don't Look Back in Anger singer. 3 3 3 The four-door saloon, which was first registered in 1997, was owned by Gallagher despite the fact he couldn't drive it. The Turbo R - with the 'R" standing for "roadholding" - boasts a 6.8-litre V8 engine and is good for 0-60mph under seven seconds, as well as a top speed of 143mph. Not only built for speed, the Bentley boasts all the trimmings you'd expect from a luxury set of wheels of its time - featuring a cream leather interior, complemented by a wood trim. Described as being in both "excellent condition" and "surprisingly reliable", the Turbo R has clocked some 100,000 miles in its 28-year life. The snazzy motor also has the number plate 'OASI6 2', in reference to the Britpop band, which is set to reunite to play a run of gigs this year in the UK and Ireland. This includes shows at Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, and Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium, throughout July, August and September. The reunion made history, with more than 10million fans trying to get their hands on the British shows alone. Every performance, including those in the US, South America and Australia, sold out within minutes of going on sale. Famously, the Manchester-born musician has never passed his driving test - but seemingly hasn't stopped him owning or, indeed, driving cars. In 2023, he was handed six penalty points and ordered to pay a court £1,000 for failing to tell police who was driving his Range Rover - which was clocked speeding at 41mph on a 30mph stretch of the A40 in Edgware Road, West London. Speaking about the Bentley's sale, Erin Baker, editorial director at Auto Trader, said: 'Cars listed by music legends don't come around very often, and Noel Gallagher's Bentley Turbo R is certainly one for the Auto Trader history books." Auto Trader's Catherine King recently spoke to Sun Motors with advice on the best second-hand convertibles drivers can pick up at a pinch in time for the summer sun. Naturally, their picks included the evergreen Mazda MX-5 - dubbed the poster child for convertible cars.
