All the contradictions in Oasis’ reunion
It’s easier to imagine an Oasis reunion than the end of capitalism. Some Internet genius twisted the famous quote from Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek. It’s all about money?
On August 27, 2024, almost 30 years after the release of their debut album Definitely Maybe, Oasis announced a (so far) 17-date tour across the UK and Ireland for the summer of 2025
It’s easier to imagine an Oasis reunion than the end of capitalism. Some Internet genius twisted the famous quote from Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, replacing “the end of the world” with the musical event of 2024. After a sudden end in 2009 (though long foreshadowed by decades of feuds), the Gallagher brothers buried the hatchet and revived the family business. On August 27, 2024, almost exactly 30 years after the release of their debut album Definitely Maybe, a 17-date tour across the UK and Ireland was announced for the summer of 2025. The band has hinted that these concerts will likely extend globally, but for now, the UK and Irish dates are the only ones, and they sold out immediately.
The EU and UK governments have launched an investigation into TicketMaster’s dynamic pricing after the Oasis incident
The first controversy began here. Most people started refreshing booking sites to grab tickets, first during pre-sale and later during general sale. After several hours waiting in the queue, many of these fans were kicked out with a dry message: “Error 503 – Service Unavailable,” mistakenly flagged as bots after hours of waiting.
Those few who managed to access the purchase were faced with TicketMaster’s dynamic pricing system. This algorithm raises ticket prices as the number of users in the queue increases. In layman’s terms, as the Independent reported: for a ticket to the Manchester gig, which was supposed to start at a sterling price equivalent to €177, prices soared above €420. Latest news: the EU and the UK government have opened an investigation into TicketMaster’s dynamic pricing after the Oasis incident.
Someone pointed out that in 1996, for those two concerts at Knebworth Park in front of 250,000 people, entry tickets cost just over £22, roughly €26.
TicketMaster was also sued by the US antitrust body in May for its overwhelming monopoly on ticketing
One could blame TicketMaster alone, which was sued by the US antitrust body in May for its overwhelming monopoly on large event ticketing (it’s owned by LiveNation). The band is aware of the dynamic pricing mechanism and is making more money precisely because of it. It’s true that they have teamed up with Twickets to avoid reselling tickets at high prices. But the early fans, the ones who packed Knebworth Park, felt betrayed again by this turbo-capitalist world.
Oasis have never hidden their wealth
Is this reunion just about money? Primarily, yes. Not exclusively. Oasis have never, before or after their breakup, hidden their wealth. In fact, they’ve always taken pride in it. This working-class street mentality is now perfectly normalized in rap/trap, but in rock history, few have had the honesty to say in their songs or publicly what everyone was really thinking. Elvis was the father of hustlers, making his motto “Well, it’s one for the money, two for the show” one of his greatest hits.
An interview from the late 90s remains legendary, where Noel, clearly under the influence of his favorite vice, cocaine, euphorically declared: “Are you asking if I’m happy? Look, I’ve got £87 million in the bank, I’m about to join the Manchester City board [there was a time when he wanted to buy his favorite football team, ed.] and I’m part of the biggest band in the world. Am I happy? No! I want more!”
Money is always the main reason for reunions
Birmingham City University calculated that with just these 17 dates in the UK, Liam and Noel have already pocketed £50 million, with total ticket sales likely to reach £400 million. Add in the revenue from the upcoming world tour, and the numbers become astronomical.
It can’t just be about money. First of all, the Gallaghers are already millionaires. What helped their reconciliation was their family bond and, above all, a competitive rivalry that paradoxically played a role. Noel’s farewell message to the band in late August 2009 read: “It’s with sadness and great relief… I left Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they want, but I simply couldn’t work with Liam for one more day.”
The video interview with journalist John Robb, published on Oasis’ official YouTube channel
It took 15 years of detox from the most chaotic and, arguably, childish element of the band for Noel to finally say, a month ago, long before the reunion: “It’s hard to explain: when I sing a song, it sounds good, but when [Liam] sings it, it sounds great.” This statement, in a video interview with journalist John Robb, published on Oasis’ official YouTube channel, raised many eyebrows among fans. And indeed, what happened next was no surprise.
More than making peace, Noel forgave Liam for 15 long years (not to mention their whole life before the split) of public insults, mostly on Twitter (now X). From that point on, it was clear that the younger brother’s jabs stemmed from the frustration of denying Liam, the world, and himself of Oasis.
Both Gallagher brothers have successful solo careers since the split
As Alex Taylor and Bonnie McLaren of the BBC rightly point out, each Gallagher brother has had a respectable and successful career since the breakup. Noel with his High Flying Birds, and Liam first with Beady Eye and then as a solo artist. Neither returned to the fold humiliated by an embarrassing solo career. Their subsequent success as a band would have been half-success without the other brother, merely a continuation without ever reaching their full potential.
The competitive nature of the Gallaghers would never have allowed either to leave the Oasis name to the other. The fact that Liam did those famous two nights at Knebworth Park solo, after yet another blowout with his older brother, showed Noel that the only way to reunite Oasis was to exercise great patience and move forward.
There is a difference between the recent comebacks of other English groups from the 90s
Neither Blur, Take That, nor the Spice Girls have truly engaged new generations. Oasis is recruiting hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of new followers not only thanks to their contagious pop, which has aged well, but also because of their evergreen aesthetic. The acetate tracksuits and Adidas Handball Spezial sneakers, the John Lennon-style round sunglasses, and the military parkas are all making a comeback, thanks to the TikTok content boom and the increase in Spotify streaming, which saw a 350% spike for the Greatest Hits album after the reunion announcement. Both TikTok and Spotify are platforms dominated by users under 30, making this a significant generational refresh. Some of the bravest will even adopt the classic mod haircut that has always been synonymous with the band. Time will tell.
It’s worth noting that no new music has been announced. The great fear of new singles and albums following a reunion has been avoided for now. The danger of making the same mistake as the Stone Roses, who released insignificant, outdated music after a successful tour only to break up again, looms large. Even Oasis’ eternal rivals in the battle for Britpop supremacy, Blur, suffered a similar fate. They lasted a few albums, which weren’t bad at all, but then the fuel ran out—for good this time.
It’s much better to do what The Police did in 2007: embark on a massive reunion tour with 151 dates, rake in $362 million, and then go their separate ways. For a mind that has always thought in terms of Greatest Hits like Noel’s, this should be an easy and effective choice.
The 1995 interview where Noel and Liam spend the whole time insulting each other
There’s this historic interview from 1995, about 15 minutes long, where Noel and Liam spend the entire time insulting each other, making the interviewer’s job practically impossible. Noel scolds Liam for being kicked off a ferry due to his usual drunken antics, while Liam responds by saying it’s part of rock ‘n’ roll, enraging Noel even more. He snaps back, saying that rock ‘n’ roll is about music, not behaving like rude hooligans. The entire interview was pressed onto vinyl and CD and released by Fierce Panda Records. It’s available on YouTube with subtitles—just search for “Wibbling Rivalry.”
Will our heroes make it to summer 2025 without falling out?
I believe they will. I think before reaching a peace agreement, there were endless months of lawyers, clauses, and meetings. Everything is written down, documented to the smallest detail by legal teams to ensure Liam doesn’t drive Noel up the wall. It may not be very rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s probably the only way to enjoy Oasis. After all, haven’t they always been a living contradiction? Definitely Maybe.
