‘We got up at midnight in Canada to get tickets': international fans descend on Dublin for Oasis
Dublin
on Thursday wearing his Bohemians-Oasis jersey collaboration. He said many people on the flight from Belgium were wearing it. The deep blue triangles complement the logo well – so much so that he wore it again the next day.
In 2000, he bought a ticket to see the Gallagher brothers live for €25, and as an diehard
Oasis
fan he was happy to spend 20 times that price to see them again in
Croke Park
.
'It's the memory of a childhood,' he says, standing outside the band's pop-up merchandise shop on Dublin's St Stephen's Green. 'It was the mid-'90s, difficult times I think for everybody, and it was the sound of England. It was very important to us.'
He and his partner were behind four computer screens for five hours the day tickets for the comeback tour went live. He had tabs open for Dublin, London and Manchester in an attempt to hedge his bets. Morale eventually slipped, and they left their house to bring their dog out for a walk. When they returned, 'Croke Park' was on their screens.
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'I was the 400,000th person in the queue, so I thought we'd never get a ticket... We then had to give an address that is not correct, because we are from Belgium but they needed an address in Ireland, so I said: 'Let's suppose we live in Limerick!''
He said the concert is now a nice excuse for a quick city break, although he will not be visiting the Shannon Riviera.
'I think the special thing about Oasis is that when the fans come together, it's a community ... We are proud of being an Oasis fan,' he says.
While the queue moves quickly at the pop-up, it keeps growing longer on Friday afternoon, on the eve of the concert, as concertgoers arrive in town.
[
'Seeing Oasis live in 1996 changed everything ... I changed my clothes, hair and walk'
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]
The reunion tour has been lucrative for the Gallagher brothers, and is expected to bring
benefits to the hospitality industry in Dublin and beyond
. Some transatlantic visitors have planned long stays in Ireland around the Croke Park event.
Craig, from Canada, said: 'We got the concert tickets last August and booked our vacation around it.
'I was so pumped to hear when they were getting back together. We got up at like midnight back in Canada to get tickets,' he said, facing a queue of 180,000 at one point.
'You get in line and go through all the emotions, thinking 'Can you get tickets, can you not'. And then it all worked out, so yeah, we're pretty excited.'
Emerging from the pop-up shop, he said: 'It was pretty calm but it's mayhem now, you can see the excitement.
'I'm sure Oasis are doing pretty good on merch sales right now.'
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Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
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It will be Oasis's first time playing on Irish soil since 2028. Michael recalls his first meeting with group. 'Tony McCarroll, who was the drummer at the time, brought me backstage and introduced me to the lead singer Liam. Liam was quite hyperactive and had an amazing energy about him. It was obvious he was on a trajectory. He told me that I should talk to his brother because 'he writes all the songs',' he said. Noel told me that his influences were the Stone Roses and the Beatles. It was really nice to hear a young person flag these bands as musical influences. They were a breath of fresh air He described Noel and Liam at the time as 'your typical brothers'. 'They were like any other brothers really. One minute they were sitting with their arms around each other, the next they were having a cut off one other. They've had their ups and downs of course but that night, for me at least, it was like chatting with my own people. 'Liam was very personable and full of character. Noel was that little bit more introverted. It was while talking about music that he suddenly livened up and became a comedian. ' A lot of his lyrics were like jokes or punchlines. You can tell from his television interviews that he's a funny guy.' The band left an indelible impression on Michael. 'The first thing Tony McCarroll did was put a pint in my hand. For a penniless Irish student like me, a pint at that time was a fortune.' 'They had the humility but also that working-class confidence. They had huge belief in their songs. I think the band bought into it as an opportunity to get out of Manchester, play music, and just explore the world. 'They embraced that opportunity early.' Oasis fan Michael Fitzgerald said it was obvious the Gallagher brothers and the rest of the band were destined for stardom after he spoke with them for his college newspaper. Michael said it was obvious the Gallagher brothers and the rest of the band were destined for stardom. 'Six months later, their first single came out. I couldn't believe all the t-shirts and merchandise with their name. It inspired me to pursue a lot of my own dreams, even if they didn't involve music.' So how does he feel about this weekend's gigs? 'I've already been to Wembley. There is always an unbelievable atmosphere at Oasis concerts. 'It's like going to a match with 80,000 friends where everyone is singing for the same team. You have grandparents, mums, dads, and children. It's quite special actually.' Michael, who will be attending the concert with his sister, was determined to attend as many Oasis concerts as possible. It's like waiting for a bus for 16 years, and all of a sudden seeing three come along at once. I want to enjoy every minute Also making the pilgrimage to Croke Park this weekend will be Shane Farmer, who has been a superfan of the band for as long as he can remember. He will be attending Sunday night's gig. 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I decided against it in the end, because I felt it would just be stressful and take the fun out of it for me. 'I'm far from having a good singing voice, but Liam Gallagher has a very distinct sound that I did my best to try to recreate. I always dressed like him. He wore a zipped up top with a bucket hat, which is quite easy to put together. I've been wearing bucket hats since the nineties, so much so that friends often laugh at me. It's all about the image. Even though I was a lot heavier than Liam Gallagher, it still worked out for me. I still wear the bucket hats to this day.' Shane has enjoyed many Oasis highlights over the years. 'I was lucky enough to shake hands with Liam in Slane in 2009. It only lasted a few seconds, but I'll always remember it. Another highlight was standing outside the front window where the album cover photograph for Definitely Maybe was taken. 'It was that song that kicked off my whole love affair with Oasis so to be standing outside that window was surreal.' The 44-year-old's love for the band has rubbed off on other family members too. 'My five-year-old son Kelvin knows their music because I play it in the garden all the time. He likes wearing bucket hats, but I don't think he knows where that came from.' Shane says he is well known locally for his love of Oasis. 'If you mention Oasis in Midleton, my name will always come up. If there's ever a karaoke session I'll be pushed up to sing Oasis. 'Friends told me I was foolish not to have gone for Stars in Their Eyes, but I just do it for the pure enjoyment.' Kelvin Farmer with his Oasis superfan dad, Shane Farmer, proudly rocking a Liam Gallagher jacket. Picture: Dan Linehan Meanwhile, many fans who weren't lucky enough to secure tickets for Croke Park gigs have made alternative plans to mark the reunion tour. 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4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
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