Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like 鈥淲onderwall鈥� and 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Back in Anger,鈥� is reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably,
The guitar band will play 14 dates in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland next July and August, Oasis said on Tuesday. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday.
鈥淭his is it. This is happening,鈥� the band said.
Oasis split in 2009 after many years of infighting, with Noel Gallagher officially leaving the band just before a performance at a festival near Paris. Even before the dissolution, the brothers had long had an antagonistic relationship and reportedly did not speak to each other for years after the breakup.
鈥淧eople will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer,鈥� the band鈥檚 guitarist and songwriter, wrote in a statement at the time.
While the Gallagher brothers haven鈥檛 performed together since, both regularly perform Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They鈥檝e also each fired off criticisms of the other in the press.
Noel Gallagher accused his younger brother of having a hangover that forced them to cancel a 2009 concert. The frontman disputed the accusation and sued, later dropping the lawsuit.
But now the brothers are preparing to reunite, with the band saying fans would experience 鈥渢he spark and intensity鈥� that occurs only when they appear on stage together.
The tour will begin July 4 and 5 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, England, on July 11, 12, 19 and 20; Wembley Stadium in London on July 25 and 26 and Aug. 2 and 3; Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Aug. 8 and 9; and Croke Park in Dublin on Aug. 16 and 17.
The band alluded to past tensions in the tour announcement.
鈥淭he guns have fallen silent,鈥� Oasis said. 鈥淭he stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.鈥�
In 2011, Noel Gallagher told The Associated Press that he left the band after an incident where started wielding a guitar 鈥渓ike an axe 鈥� and he鈥檚 swinging this guitar around and he kind of you know, he took my face off with it, you know?鈥�
In 2019, he was ready to reconcile.
鈥淭he most important thing is about me and him being brothers,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e thinks I鈥檓 desperate to get the band back together for money. But I didn鈥檛 join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and to see the world.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what his problem is,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 think he just wanted to go away and do his solo career, get all the coin and be surrounded by all the yes men you can fire and hire whenever he wants. You can鈥檛 do that with me.鈥�
With the announcement, the Britpop progenitors ended a few days of fan speculation. A short video on the band鈥檚 social media accounts Sunday night had revealed the date 鈥�27.08.24,鈥� and time 鈥�8 a.m.,鈥� written in the same font as the well-known Oasis logo. The brothers shared the same to their individual accounts.
Of course, fans have long theorized a reunion might be on the horizon: In the wake of the in Oasis鈥� hometown of Manchester, Liam Gallagher performed at a benefit concert that fueled speculation of a reunion. He criticized his brother鈥檚 absence, but a spokesperson said Noel Gallagher couldn鈥檛 attend because of a longstanding family trip. Benefit organizers said of Oasis鈥� music and donated royalties from 鈥淒on鈥檛 Look Back In Anger鈥� to the British Red Cross鈥� One Love Manchester fund.
Later that year, Liam Gallagher tweeted at his brother, leading some to believe they made up: 鈥淚 wanna say Happy Xmas to team NG it鈥檚 been a great year thanks for everything looking forward to seeing you tomorrow AS YOU WERE LG x鈥�
Prior to Tuesday鈥檚 announcement, Oasis was already teed up to release a new collection, 鈥淒efinitely Maybe - Deluxe 30th Anniversary Editions,鈥� celebrating the anniversary of their debut album.
Rumors of a potential reunion were amplified this past weekend when Liam Gallagher responded on social media to unconfirmed reports of the band playing London鈥檚 Wembley Stadium and Manchester鈥檚 Heaton Park. When one social media user criticized Heaton Park, the Manchester native wrote, 鈥淪ee you down the front,鈥� calling the user a vulgarity. In another stand-alone post on X, he teased, 鈥淚 never did like that word FORMER.鈥�
鈥淵ou tell me man,鈥� Liam Gallagher replied. He also responded to several negative tweets about the potential reunion with 鈥淵our attitude sucks鈥� and 鈥淪HUTUP.鈥� Noel Gallagher, on the other hand, remained silent other than posting the teasers.
