For many, the storm of hedonism that accompanied Oasis’ 90s heyday seemed to capture the peak of rock-and-roll stardom.
And, as they prepare to hit the road for their £350million reunion tour, the band’s vast following may be hoping to see a return to the days where the warring brothers set the nation alight with their devil-may-care approach to fame – and life itself.
None more so than former insider and the Gallaghers’ biographer – who was by the pair’s side on the road as they revolutionised the British music scene.
Paolo Hewitt, speaking to MailOnline, revealed his excitement as he waits for Liam and Noel to ‘make things interesting again’.
Thinking back to the peak of the band’s success, he said: ‘Between 1994 and 1996, Oasis were the most exciting, the most talented, the most chaotic, and, yes, indeed, the most interesting band in the world.
‘The twin engines that had catapulted them into the nation’s consciousness were Noel’s ability to craft highly memorable songs and his brother Liam’s ability to sing them in a unique and powerful way.
Liam and Noel Gallagher Oasis at the Knebworth Festival in August 1996
Paolo Hewitt, speaking to MailOnline, revealed his excitement as he waits for Liam and Noel to ‘make things interesting again’. Pictured: The pair in 1996
Liam Gallagher of Oasis performs on stage at Glastonbury in 1994
Noel Gallagher performs live at the Astoria in London, on August 19 1994
Fans of the pop group Oasis at the height of their powers at Knebworth Festival in 1996
Paolo Hewitt, pictured, who spent the greater part of his life between 1994 and ’96 on the road with the Wonderwall rockers, was once described by Noel as ‘the only person to speak about what it was like on the road with us because he’s been there’
‘Add to that the band’s openness about wishing to bed beautiful women whilst taking industrial amounts of hard drugs, their seemingly devil may care attitude to their career, their image as a gang with unbreakable bonds, their antagonism towards other bands, and their general sense of humour, and you had a musical force that completely turned the music world on its head.’
Far from the trappings of fame seen with current celebs, Hewitt recalls the days when he laughed with the singers as they walked together to some of Oasis’ most famous gigs.
In telling anecdotes, he watched on as Liam and Noel reveled in their success together – never losing the joking common touch that shot them to stardom.
Oasis fans feared they may never see the Gallagher brothers in the same room again following their astonishing backstage bust-up at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009.
But the author and journalist wonders now if a yearning to recapture the hedonistic, furious joy of those days could have sparked the duo’s effort to mend their relationship.
Announcing the Oasis Live 25 tour, the legendary band broke the news by saying: ‘The guns have fallen silent’, before adding: ‘The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised’.
Hewitt continued: ‘It was very telling that in a recent interview, Noel mourned the passing of those incredible early years when the band reached out to so many people with real meaning, ‘I would give anything to get those days back,’ he sighed.
‘I know what he means. I was lucky enough to be there when it took off, having bonded with Noel over music and football. Noel, at that point, was level-headed and fun and simply refused to take things seriously.
Noel and Liam Gallagher proved they had buried the hatchet on their 15-year feud as they met up this summer to pose for a photo together to mark Oasis’ comeback tour
Liam (R) and Noel (L) Gallagher reportedly met in secret to plan their rumoured Oasis reunion, with staff present forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (pictured 2008)
During his headline slot at Reading Liam performed a number of Oasis hits from their debut album Definitely Maybe to celebrate its 30th anniversary
Announcing the Oasis Live 25 tour, the legendary band said: ‘The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised’
‘I remember him picking up his guitar and walking up the road to a prestigious MTV appearance to play Don’t Look Back In Anger.
‘No bodyguards, no blacked-out cars. On the way he said to me, ‘I wish I had never written that song.’ Why? ‘Because for the next year everyone is going to ask me who the hell ‘Sally’ in the chorus is.’
‘He had a light touch and so enjoyed sparring with his brother. I recall an instore appearance they did at the Virgin Megastore, after the launch of Morning Glory, where the champagne had been flowing like crazy.
‘In front of an adoring audience Noel bet Liam he was so drunk, he could not remember the words to the new songs. Liam said of course he could. And a minute later was handing a triumphant Noel a £50 note.
‘I recall Noel meeting the actor Dennis Hopper, when Oasis were top of nearly every chart in the world. Noel said: ‘I’m in Oasis.’ Hopper replied: ‘What the f**k is Oasis?’ and walked away.
‘And Noel turned to me and said: ‘That’s the best encounter I’ve ever had with an actor.”
Hewitt, who spent the greater part of his life between 1994 and ’96 on the road with the Wonderwall rockers, was once described by Noel as ‘the only person to speak about what it was like on the road with us because he’s been there’. The star continued: ‘He’s been there, he’s seen it, he’s done it.’
The biographer says that the pair are already national treasures – but their new tour could lift them to a new level of stardom.
The black and white images, their first photos together in several years, were taken by Mr Emmett, a photographer who has previously worked with Liam for El Pais Icon magazine in 2019 and Noel for the cover of Esquire in 2015
The Gallagher brothers look away from each other in this photo from the shoot
In this shot, Liam is positioned behind Noel, leaning back slightly with his hands in his pockets
He believes that the nation-wide performances – which will take in Manchester, London, Cardiff and Edinburgh – could unlock a whole new fanbase of younger listeners.
He said: ‘Liam and Noel’s eagerly awaited announcement that after 15 years of hurling deadly insults at each other since their split in 2009, that they are reforming for a UK tour in July and August of next year, has sparked a level of excitement and anticipation not seen in the music business for a long time.
‘This has a lot to do with the band’s rebel image – a commodity in very short supply these days – and more pertinently, the staying power of the band’s early music.
‘Check the statistics. Morning Glory, the band’s second – and many would say their best – album, has chalked up a staggering 650 weeks on the charts.
‘This means that the Gen Z audience are discovering the band in huge numbers and explains the band’s pronouncement today that: ‘The stars have aligned.’
‘A new younger generation will now experience Oasis for the first time. Expect tickets to fly out.’
The 14-show tour will run from July 4 to August 17, kicking off at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium before the brothers pack out Heaton Park in Manchester, Wembley in London, Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Croke Park in Dublin.
Despite speculation that Oasis will be on the bill at Glastonbury 2025, it’s understood the band will not be performing at Worthy Farm. However, plans are underway for Oasis to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year.
Announcing the Oasis Live 25 tour alongside the brothers’ first picture together in years, the legendary band said: ‘The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.’
The Oasis website crashed immediately after the announcement as fans were sent into a frenzy. The reunion comes a day before the date the band split on August 28 2009.
During his headline slot at Reading Liam performed a number of Oasis hits from their debut album Definitely Maybe to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The brothers suggested an announcement could be made on Tuesday at 8am after a cryptic and identical post was shared to their social media accounts
In recent years, Liam has been keen to make amends with his brother and reform the iconic Britpop band, but his older brother poured cold water on the idea (pictured 2008)
Introducing Half The World Away – a 1994 B-side that also featured as the theme tune to sitcom The Royle Family – he told revellers: ‘I wanna dedicate this song to Noel f**king Gallagher.’
Liam continued to keep fans guessing by dedicating his rendition of Cigarettes & Alcohol at the Reading Festival to people who hate Oasis.
The track, written by his older brother, was the final single on their 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe.
As he closed the set, Liam suggested an announcement could be made on Tuesday at 8am. A short clip of a sign in the style of Oasis logo was projected on a large screen above the stage and subsequently shared to Oasis, Noel and Liam’s official Instagram and X accounts.
The white rectangular box which a black block in the centre had the date ‘27.08.24” written in the middle where the band’s name is usually seen. It then flickered and changed to read ‘8am”.
In recent years, Liam has been keen to make amends with his brother and reform the iconic Britpop band, but his older brother poured cold water on the idea.
But after Noel’s £20m divorce from ex-wife Sara MacDonald last year, the elder Gallagher is said to have been persuaded of the financial merits of getting the band together for dates at Glastonbury and Wembley Stadium.
It is expected to be the most popular tour in British concert history, with industry insiders saying the deal negotiated between the brothers will net them £50 million.
Oasis have announced a series of dates in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin
Four per cent of the UK population applied for tickets to see Oasis at Knebworth in 1996
The 1996 Oasis gigs at Knebworth saw the largest ever demand for gig tickets in UK history
It comes as Liam sent Oasis fans into frenzy, as he appeared to confirm the Don’t Look Back In Anger singers would next year tour the country.
Asked on X, formerly Twitter, about the planned Oasis shows, Liam wrote: ‘See you down the front’.
He later told his 3.6m followers on the platform: ‘I never did like that word FORMER’.
Despite the thawing in their relations, the younger Gallagher couldn’t resist a dig at his brother. When asked what he would say to Noel when they return to the stage, he said: ‘Keep up’.
The Oasis reunion tour will give the UK economy a ‘supersonic’ boost with soaring demand for accommodation and hospitality in cities hosting gigs, experts have said.
Hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants near venues hosting the concerts are all now set to benefit from fans wanting to make the most of the band’s hotly-anticipated return.
Payment provider SumUp estimated today that the tour will boost the UK and Irish economy by £350million, adding that each fan will spend about £350 per concert.
Aside from the ticket and merchandise spend, the firm projected an overall spend of £112million on travel, £76million on hotel rooms and £22million on food and drink. It also estimated that the total capacity across all tour venues would be 1,007,888.
(From left) Gem Archer, Noel Gallagher, Andy Bell and Liam Gallagher pose for a photo in 2006
Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are pictured performing live on stage in 2001
Average travel costs of £111 are expected per person, plus hotel rooms priced from £111 in Cardiff to £158 in London based on two adults sharing, £40 on merchandise and £22 on food and drink at the venue – on top of an estimated £100 cost per ticket.
It comes after Taylor Swift’s Eras tour was cited for boosting restaurants and hotels in the UK cities where she performed this summer amid elevated inbound tourism.
Research by analysts from Barclays predicted earlier this summer that the American pop star could bring a £1billion boost to the UK – although experts said today that spending by Oasis fans would be high but ‘might not reach those heady heights’.
Ticket prices will be released this Thursday before going on sale on Saturday at 9am, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that they are expected to be priced at more than £100 and possibly near the £140 mark, but this is not yet confirmed.
Tickets for Liam’s Definitely Maybe tour this year were between £53 and £108; while those for Noel’s High Flying Birds gig in Wigan last month were from £60 to £110.
And research by MailOnline has found some hotels have quadrupled rates for when Oasis gigs are scheduled, with fans having to pay nearly £700-a-night for rooms.
Music industry expert Professor Jonathan Shalit said the reunion would gross more than £400million, with an income for Noel and Liam of more than £50million each.
And Thomas Pugh, an economist at RSM UK, said the tour will ‘undoubtedly be a phenomenal sellout, which will also cause a spike in demand for accommodation and hospitality in those cities lucky enough to be hosting a gig.
Liam Gallagher of Oasis swigs from a can of lager as he performs on stage at Glastonbury in 1994
Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher (left) and his brother Noel performing during a concert at the Cardiff International Arena in 1997
‘This potentially presents a very profitable opportunity for the hospitality industry, especially hoteliers.
‘For example, Taylor Swift and the Foo Fighters saw hotel prices in Cardiff, which will also host an Oasis gig, rise by up to 500 per cent.’
Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, estimated the band’s run in the city would benefit the city’s economy by more than £15million.
‘The impact of welcoming 80,000 people each night for the four planned gigs at Heaton Park cannot be underestimated,’ she said.
‘Events aren’t just about ticket sales, they have huge impacts on the local area and our hotels, pubs, bars, restaurants will all see the benefit, including extra hours for staff, as well as renewed global attention on the region and its cultural history.’
Meanwhile music expert Kevin McManus has claimed the battle for Oasis tickets will ‘absolutely dwarf’ that seen for Swift.
More than 4 per cent of the population applied for tickets to see Oasis at Knebworth in 1996, the largest ever demand for concert tickets in UK history.
Some 250,000 people got to see the band over two nights – also a record – but Oasis could have sold out a further 18 shows at the Hertfordshire venue.
Oasis before their Knebworth Park concert in 1995. Pictured left to right: Drummer Alan White, rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, lead singer Liam Gallagher, bass player Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan and guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher
Although the brothers are seen scowling down the camera lens with their hands tucked in their jeans pockets, the chemistry was reportedly ‘electric’
Liam, who is seen with a buzzcut, is wearing a black waxy jacket, while Noel is in his traditional short trade jacket
Mr McManus told the Mirror: ‘It was a ridiculous amount of people who tried to buy tickets (for Knebworth), they were that huge. But this, because people have been talking about it for the past decade, it’s going to be even bigger.
‘I think everybody is going to try and get a ticket. Taylor Swift was obviously the big deal this summer, I think it’s going to absolutely dwarf that, just because it’s them and there’s that talk.
‘And there’s always going to be that ‘Are they going to do it? Are they going to fall out before the first show, are they going to fall out after five shows? Will they do the rest?”
Confirming the Oasis Live 25 tour, the band said: ‘The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.’
The band’s website, oasisinet.com crashed around the time of the announcement.
Susannah Streeter, an analyst at the financial firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said: ‘Websites crashing on the announcement shows how desperate fans will be to get their hands on tickets to see the brothers reunite, and if they are successful, they are unlikely to hold back on spending.’
Ms Streeter added: ‘The spending power of Swifties was estimated to have brought a £1 billion boost to the UK economy, and while spending by Oasis fans might not reach those heady heights, they are unlikely to hold back from splashing the cash to celebrate the brothers’ return.’
The UK and Ireland tour will start at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and also visit Manchester’s Heaton Park, London’s Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin’s Croke Park throughout July and August next year.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade group UKHospitality, said: ‘It’s clear the pull of live music is as strong as ever. Hotels will get booked up quickly as fans secure tickets, and pubs, bars and restaurants will all be packed next summer with concert-going fans.’
While there are also plans for tour dates outside of Europe, Liam clarified on X that the UK and Ireland leg of the tour is ‘the band’s exclusive European appearances’.
Joss Croft, chief executive of tourism trade body UKinbound, said major music events are ‘not only beneficial for the UK music industry, but a super boost for our inbound tourism, drawing visitors from around the world to experience the best of what the UK has to offer’.
