Oasis fever grips Edinburgh as 70,000 fans cram into the city for the band's first Scottish show in 16 years

Daily Mail​

21 hours ago

Oasis fever has gripped Edinburgh as 70,000 fans crammed into the city for the Gallagher brothers' first Scots show together in 16 years.
The atmosphere in the Scottish capital was electric, with pubs and bars in the area crammed full of gig-goers ahead of the concert.
Bucket hats, parkas and Oasis-branded T-shirts were the order of the day as fans celebrated the much-anticipated reunion show.
Lucky ticket holders for the sold-out gig could be heard singing Oasis hits as they made their way to the first Scottish appearance in the band's 41-date worldwide tour.
Such was the demand that tickets on resale site Viagogo were going for up to £2,500.
As the swarms of fans made their way to the home of Scottish Rugby, they met with Liam and Noel Gallagher lookalikes. Meanwhile, Joel Rushton, 20, and 22-year-old Euan Fraser, from Stirling, played Oasis tunes on the bagpipes and guitar outside the stadium.
Some came along to soak up the atmosphere despite not having tickets.
The group's generation-spanning appeal was clear from the hordes of parents taking their children to the gig to share in the excitement together.
TV and radio presenter Gordon Smart was among them, accompanied by his 15-year-old son Jimmy.
Also going to the sell-out concert was Sam Bidder, 36, with his wife Nicky, 37, and their girls Luna, 11, and Libby, nine.
Mr Bidder, who lives in East Lothian, said: 'We were probably just a bit too young to go the first time round when we were teenagers.
'So it's great to have the chance when they're still hopefully young enough to put on an amazing show and we're still young enough to really appreciate it.
'They're the songs that we grew up listening to. And the girls are really into their music – I want them to experience a band like Oasis.'
It was announced in August that – having fallen out after a major row in 2009 – Noel, 58, and Liam, 52, would reunite.
Some 900,000 tickets were sold for the tour, which is expected to net £600million for the brothers and their bandmates.
An official fan shop selling licensed merchandise opened on Edinburgh's George Street on Monday and is said to have already welcomed thousands of customers.
Support at the concert was provided by 90s indie band Cast and former frontman of The Verve, Richard Ashcroft.
The gigs mark another chapter in the band's links with Scotland. Spotted performing at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow by Scottish record executive Alan McGee, the musicians signed to Creation Records in 1993.
Three years later, an 80,000-strong crowd watched Oasis perform a legendary gig at Balloch Castle, on Loch Lomond, following the success of their first two albums.
The latest three gigs, which are expected to bring in huge sums for the local economy, come at the height of Edinburgh's festival season, with the population of the city nearly doubling over the course of the month.
Among those travelling from overseas for the gig was Marta Marrero, 28, from Tenerife. She said: 'I've been a fan since I was a teenager. I never thought I would be able to see them live, so when they said the news they are going to go do a concert I tried to book anywhere to see them.
'I'm so happy because – Scotland – I love this country. I've been before and fell in love, so when I could have Scotland and Oasis together it was great.'
Liz Wachtler, 35, and Helena Schuller, 32, travelled from Vienna.
New mother Ms Wachtler said she had left her eight-month-old daughter Louisa in the care of her father because she 'had to come' and watch the Gallagher brothers perform in Edinburgh. She said: 'It's unbelievable they are together again and that we got tickets.
'It's a night to remember for always.
'We'll explain it to my daughter when she's older: 'Mummy had to go, mummy had to go'.'
Yosuke Karamsto and Takashi Nagano had come from half a world away – Japan – to attend.
Closer to home were Scots Caroline and Barrie Dunn.
Mrs Dunn was celebrating her 43rd birthday, with her husband having scooped up a ticket as a present for her.