
As Oasis return to Edinburgh – a new book and a new film are released
And as the band returns to Scotland, a new book is also being released.
When The City of Edinburgh Council commented unfavourably on Oasis fans relating to their three sell-out concerts at Scottish Gas Murrayfield – the band's frontman responded quickly.
Fans were described by the council as 'rowdy' who would 'take up more room' and drink to 'medium to high intoxication'. Gallagher posted on X: 'To the Edinburgh council, I've heard what you said about OASIS fans and quite frankly your attitude f**king stinks. I'd leave town that day if I was any of you lot.'
Journalist, musician, and cultural commentator, John Robb – whose grandparents came from Edinburgh – has released a new book: Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis, which details the band's history.
John Robb's book
He responded: 'I think it's snobbery, and I have a connection to Edinburgh through my grandparents. If they can't cope with the Oasis concerts because of the Fringe, they should have let it go to Glasgow. There are always a few idiots in crowds of over 60,000 at a concert, but I think the problem here is that everyone gets tainted by them. It's one of the problems with the country as people look down on people. It's a working class band and culture and for decades, there has been a sneering attitude, a kind of 'look at them' which is horrible. It was great that Liam stuck up for his fans.'
Robb attended one of Scotland's most mythologised gigs, later writing about it in his book about The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop). Their concert under a hot, sweaty tent in Glasgow Green, as Robb suggests, paved the way for Oasis.
He said: 'It was the classic Roses gig. They sounded like a cross between The Beatles and the Sex Pistols, it was a much heavier gig than Spike Island. Oasis was almost a continuation of that sound and they took those references and ran with them.'
It's 31 years since Oasis played their first gig in Edinburgh back in April 1994 at La Belle Angele. By the end of that year, they were headlining the Glasgow Barrowlands, attended by this writer. The gig was seen as a major turning point for the band.
Robb said: 'You had to prove it at the Barrowlands. It was one of those gigs. Oasis were seen as an overnight success but they had two years of being ignored. Most bands have to take baby steps doing three support tours, but with Oasis, after that it was really quick.'
The show didn't run smoothly with Liam Gallagher walking off stage due to throat problems. It was left to Noel Gallagher to play an acoustic set while promising to return with Liam two weeks later. The promise was fulfilled, but there was something special about the first night despite Liam's absence.
Robb said: 'It's almost like two different bands.
'Noel was doing demos a few years before, and that's almost like his style with those more introspective acoustic songs that appeared on the single B-sides, along with the more raucous tabloid band on the A-side, it was like two different bands. While there was this tabloid version of the band, the truth is both brothers are super-smart.'
Tim Abbot
Liam Gallagher with Tim Abbot (middle) and Oasis producer Owen Coyle. PHOTO Tim Abbot
Tim Abbot was the label manager for Creation Records and he is hosting a special event in Edinburgh one day ahead of the first Oasis gig in Edinburgh since 2009.
The author and filmmaker also comes from Scottish roots in Dundee. He explained: 'I shot twenty hours of footage which began in 1993 and ran into 1994. I'd say 20% of the Supersonic film is my material. It's all hand-held stuff that includes Noel playing an early version of Don't Look Back In Anger and there's footage of them working on the overdubs for Champagne Supernova. The film is the early story of the band surpassing everyone and their life on the road. I'm the man in the middle of it all with a video camera backstage in places like Earl's Court'.
Tim has also been working on a new version of his 1996 book, Oasis Definitely, which includes photos being published for the first time. What was it like to be in the eye of the storm during the band's rise?
'It wasn't chaos,' suggested Tim, 'if it was, then we managed to control it, we kind of harnessed it … we were all holding on for grim life. In truth, we were a functioning team and we were all Celts, there was myself and Marcus Russell, who was Welsh. Maggie Mouzakitis was the band's tour manager, and she was a bit of a star.
'When the wheels did come off after the gig at the Whiskey-a-go-go in L.A. I did have to go and find Noel and bring him back into the flock.'
Noel disbanded Oasis in 2009, so I asked if his return to the flock this time was a surprise? 'It was to be honest' said Abbot, 'but I always thought they would when you looked at The Stone Roses getting back together. Liam has always wanted it and when Noel became a free bird again he thought, 'let's get it on' and why wouldn't you?'
Tim Abbot will appear in person alongside a showing of The Lost Tapes: Oasis Like Never Before at Cineworld on 7 August.
For more info click here oasisdefinitely.com
John Robb's new book Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis is out now
Tim Abbot's book about the band
Photo Tim Abbot
Photo Tim Abbot
Photo Tim Abbot
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Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Oasis in Edinburgh 2025: Times, road closures and setlist
The Britpop group, which rose to prominence in the 1990s, is best known for hit songs like Don't Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall and Live Forever. If you're going to see the band live and in the flesh, here is everything you need to know about their tour dates in Scotland. When are Oasis playing at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium? Oasis will play at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium for three gigs on Friday, August 8, Saturday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 12. Doors for all three events will open at 5pm, according to Ticketmaster. Are there still tickets for Oasis at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium? Sadly, there are no tickets available for those wanting to see Oasis in Edinburgh, with these selling out very quickly. Who is supporting Oasis at their Edinburgh gigs? Richard Ashcroft and Cast will both support Oasis for their UK and Ireland tour dates. Richard Ashcroft is an English singer and songwriter who is best known for being the frontman for the legendary rock band, The Verve. Hailing from Liverpool, Cast is a band founded by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after leaving their respective groups, The La's and Shack. See the Oasis setlist for Edinburgh The band has used the same setlist for all of its UK shows so far, according to Time Out magazine. Here is the predicted setlist for their Scottish shows: Hello Acquiesce Morning Glory Some Might Say Bring It On Down Cigarettes & Alcohol Fade Away Supersonic Roll With It Talk Tonight Half the World Away Little by Little D'You Know What I Mean? Stand by Me Cast No Shadow Slide Away Whatever Live Forever Rock 'n' Roll Star The Masterplan Don't Look Back in Anger Wonderwall Champagne Supernova How to get to Murrayfield Stadium from Edinburgh's city centre Bus According to the Scottish Rugby website, there are a number of bus routes that take passengers to Murrayfield. Lothian Bus services 1, 22 and 30 take riders to Westfield Road, Services 3, 25 and 33 stop at Gorgie Road, while services 12, 26 and 31 take passengers to Corstorphine Road. First Bus also operates services, including the 23, 24 and 38. There is also the 900 Service from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Tram and train Fast and frequent tram services travel to and from the entrance of Murrayfield Stadium. The Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park Station, Haymarket Station and St Andrew Square tram stops are a short walk from Waverley Station. What are the age restrictions in place for the Oasis shows at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium? Age restrictions for the concerts state that no persons under the age of 14 are permitted onto the pitch (standing area), with those aged 14 and 15 needing to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. In the seating zone, no persons under the age of eight are permitted, with those aged eight to 15 needing to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over at all times. See all the banned items for Murrayfield Stadium Customers will not be permitted to bring the following items into the Scottish venue: Bags larger than A4 size (unless required for medical or childcare purposes) Alcohol of any kind (customers must dispose of this at bins provided at the entry points) Cans, opened bottles and any kind of glass or metal container Sealed plastic soft drinks or water bottles larger than 500ml Fireworks, flares, smoke bombs and any kind of Pyrotechnic items (possession of these may constitute a criminal offence, with those found with these being referred to police) Knives, weapons and other hazardous items Banners or flags with slogans which are offensive, abusive, racist, homophobic or of a discriminatory nature Animals (except for guide dogs) Golf or large umbrellas Cameras that do not fit comfortably into pockets or handbags Tripods, selfie sticks and iPads Other items deemed to pose a risk of injury and annoyance It should be noted that Murrayfield does NOT have bag drop-off facilities, so customers will be required to take their offending items and deposit them in a safe place before entering the stadium. Recommended Reading: What road closures and restrictions will be in place around Murrayfield for the Oasis gigs? According to Edinburgh City Council, there will be road closures before and after the events. These closures will affect the roads around the Roseburn, Murrayfield and Haymarket areas, with West Approach Road also closing. This is usually the case when there is a major artist playing at the stadium. Drivers and pedestrians passing through should be aware that these delays will be in place for all three concert dates (August 8, August 9 and August 12).

Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Heathrow Express slashes fares to mark epic Oasis reunion
With just days to go until one of the biggest reunions in British music history, Heathrow Express - the non-stop, 15-minute service from London Paddington to Heathrow Central - is cutting fares to mark the return of Oasis at Wembley Stadium. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... More than 90,000 fans are expected on Friday 25th July, with many flying in from around the world. To support the surge of travellers, Heathrow Express is offering 8% off full fare tickets from 25th July to 3rd August. The move comes as resale ticket prices top £200 and hotel rates across London continue to rise ahead of what's being dubbed Britpop's resurrection. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 8% discount - a tribute to the band's eight UK number-one singles - applies to both Express Class and Business First fares. It's available when booking online or via the Heathrow Express app with the code OASIS8. The discount also extends to additional passengers booked on the same journey. Heathrow Express offers 8% off all tickets from 25th July - 3rd August 2025 to celebrate Oasis reunion Aoife Considine, Business Lead at Heathrow Express, said: 'We know this is more than just a gig - it's a major moment for thousands of fans around the world. People are travelling hundreds of miles, often at great personal cost, to be part of it. We wanted to do something practical to support them. Whether you're flying in from Manchester, Madrid or Melbourne, your journey into London should be as easy and affordable as possible - it should start on the right note.' With the countdown on and the capital bracing for a Britpop takeover, Heathrow Express is giving fans one less thing to worry about on their way to Wembley. Discounted tickets can only be purchased between 25th July and 3rd August 2025, and not before. Full terms and conditions can be found here.


New Statesman
4 hours ago
- New Statesman
This England: Stop eating your heart out
If a lack of tickets to the Oasis reunion is eating away at you, cheer yourself up with Liam Gallagher lasagne. Liam sang about eating the pasta dish in the song 'Digsy's Dinner' on the band's debut album, Definitely Maybe. The 2ft-wide special was unveiled at Asda in Pilsworth, along with a Digsy's Dinner deal. Fans shopping there will receive a free portion of strawberries and cream, also mentioned in the song, if they buy any lasagne. Manchester Evening News (Amanda Welles) And now we move on to liars… A parish priest has written one hell of a farewell letter after stepping down from the Holy Family Catholic Church in Coventry after nine years. He's hit out at 'unfriendly' parishioners giving him 'disdainful' looks and 'tutting for a living'. In a poem called 'Not I Lord Surely!', Father Pat Brennan suggested the number of people attending his church, which has dwindled over the years, could be due to 'gossiping' parishioners. In the church newsletter he said he was leaving the parish, noting: 'You can't please all the people'. BBC News (Adam Robertson) Müller investigation In the midst of a third heatwave of the summer, Ben Roberts, a senior lecturer at Loughborough University, said applying yoghurt to the outside of windows can lower the temperature by 3.5°C. He told the BBC the yoghurt smells for '30 seconds when drying' and reflects some solar radiation. BBC News (Robert Colls) [See also: The Palestine Action crackdown] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related