Oasis will definitely reunite. That’s what we know so far.
My text messages and DMs this weekend were filled with reports that Oasis — arguably the best rock band of all time (or at least of the ’90s) — would be reuniting for a series of concerts next summer. The band, whose long-fearing frontmen are Liam and Noel Gallagher, broke up on August 28, 2009. In 2022, Liam told me the last time he saw his brother was at a football game “about ten years ago.” For fans of the group, which has sold more than 75 million records, making it one of the highest-grossing acts of all time, a reunion would be a massive event. Think of it as the Eras Tour for middle-aged men.
The moment looming is this Tuesday. On Sunday, both Liam and Noel tweeted a video showing the date: August 27, 2024. The band’s official Twitter account also has that video. What does it mean? We don’t know. There’s a lot of information out there about the potential reunion – some of it is true, much of it is speculation at this point – so let’s dive into what we do know.
The facts.
This is how the speculation began: Last Thursday, Noel gave a video interview to experienced British music journalist John Robb, which was based on the 30th Anniversary of the release of the band’s first album, Definitely maybeA new edition of the album will be released on August 30th. In the interview, Noel particularly remembers Oasis and says nice things about his brother. This is unusual, because over the last 15 years Noel has mostly spoken badly about Liam. Noel has also denied rumors that the band would play together again. Two years ago he said in a podcast that a reunion “made no sense.”
Here is Noel’s interview with John Robb:
Noel’s new tone in the interview caught the attention of fans. Then, on Saturday, the Just The London newspaper published an article saying that the brothers had put aside their differences and were working toward a reunion:
Oasis are expected to conquer Manchester and London in the summer of 2025. Several major concerts are planned at Heaton Park and Wembley Stadium. According to a rumour, the latter venue is fully booked for ten nights.
The newspaper cited “industry insiders” as its source.
To fuel the rumors, Liam tweeted on Sunday: “I’ve never liked the word FORMER.”
Unlike his brother, Liam has long wanted the band to get back together. In fact, he wishes they had never split up. In his 2022 interview with me, he said: “There was still a lot of work to do, so we shouldn’t have split up because we could have made more records. It’s a shame. I’m talking about Oasis.”
He added: “I like to think Oasis will get back together, but not this week.”
Both brothers have released solo albums and albums with other groups. Liam has toured regularly and his shows consist mainly of Oasis songs. This summer he played 12 shows in the UK and Ireland, attracting around 30 million fans.th Anniversary of Definitely maybe.
The speculation.
Fans have long hoped for a reunion, and rumors of one have been rife for at least a year. Earlier this year, I was convinced they would get back together to celebrate three decades since their first record. But “industry insiders” told me Noel didn’t think so. What’s changed? Maybe age has softened him. Maybe their 81-year-old mother Peggy brokered a truce. And then the money: I’m sure they have plenty of it – they’ve sold more than 75 million albums – but a tour of this magnitude would more than fill their bank accounts. British tabloids reported in January that Noel’s divorce from his wife cost him £20 million last year.
Timing could also play a role. Noel said of a reunion: “Timing is everything.” This week, the new edition of Definitely maybeand the 15th anniversary of their separation. Next year is the 30th.th Anniversary of the band’s second album, (What is the story of Morning Glory?which includes some of his biggest hits, including “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova”.
The band played their most famous series of concerts in the summer of 1995, when they played two nights at a concert hall outside London called Knebworth to 500,000 people. A long-running debate among fans is whether Oasis should have broken up after these concerts. For many fans, looking back, Knebworth was the band’s high point, although they released five more studio albums before their split. One question that looms with a reunion is which musicians who played on those records would complete a lineup.
And then, of course, there is August 27, 2024. Something is happening on that day. I will be holding my breath until then and preparing to buy a plane ticket to England.
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