UK rock legends Oasis kick off 'historic' comeback tour
The Manchester rockers, who shot to fame in the mid-1990s Britpop era, reeled off a string of their biggest hits in front of a 74,000-strong crowd in the Welsh capital, leaving those there in raptures.
'It was fantastic — everything we dreamed about,' said Sebastian Vyrtz, 37, from Denmark. 'Great songs, no nonsense. It was like a hit parade.'
Frontman Liam Gallagher told the crowd packed into the Principality Stadium it had 'been too long' as he spearheaded a two-hour set featuring classics like 'Champagne Supernova', 'Stand By Me' and 'Supersonic'.
The once-warring Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel also sang together on 'Roll With It'.
The band thanked fans for 'putting up with us over the years' as they closed out a jubilant first night of their Oasis Live '25 tour.
They play a second night in Cardiff Saturday, kickstarting 41 concerts around the world that includes five hometown gigs in Manchester starting July 11.
Further sold-out British and Irish concerts will follow at London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield and Dublin's Croke Park, before visiting other countries.
The band's 1990s gigs are the stuff of legend but the chance to see them perform again was long seen as a remote prospect, following one of music's bitterest break-ups.
Carnival atmosphere
Fans travelled from far and wide, including from across the Americas and various European and other countries, to pack the stadium from late afternoon, and were not left disappointed hours later.
Frank Gonzales, 49, from California, told AFP he was struck by how 'emotionally' impacted he was.
'I've seen them several times before, but (there was) something about them being back together again that I never thought I'd see. It was brilliant.
'It was more than just a show… I had my arms around complete strangers.'
A carnival-like atmosphere had built in Cardiff through the day, with hordes of fans in Oasis t-shirts filling the streets as the sound of the band's various hits drifted through the air.
Crowds packed pubs and outdoor terraces also bellowed out the band's anthems, while merchandise stands did a brisk trade.
The tour is expected to be a boon for the struggling UK economy, with fans spending on tickets, transport and accommodation.
Oasis announced the comeback tour last August, days before the 30th anniversary of their debut album 'Definitely Maybe'.
The Gallagher brothers maintained a war of words about each other for more than a decade, performing individually over those years but never together.
They now appear to have put their differences aside.
Although the duo did not engage in any on-stage banter Friday, they briefly high fived and hugged each other's shoulders following their closing track.
'Amazing'
Last summer's reunion announcement sparked a chaotic clamour for tickets that devolved into outrage over sudden price hikes and saw Britain's competition watchdog threaten legal action.
Resale tickets costing thousands of pounds have surfaced, while fans have also been targeted by online scams.
Liam appeared to make light of the furore Friday, reportedly telling fans: 'Are you having a good time? Was it worth the £40,000 you paid for the ticket?'
Leaving the arena, Debbie Bonfield, 65, from Wales, said 'what they charged the fans was a rip-off' but added 'the atmosphere and everything made up for it.'
'It was amazing — loved it,' she told AFP.
During the final bars of 'Live Forever' a picture of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident Thursday, was displayed, with the crowd cheering and applauding the gesture.
Oasis are being supported in the UK by Richard Ashcroft, frontman of British rock band The Verve, as well as 1990s indie band Cast.
Starting his debut tour performance, Ashcroft said he was 'proud to be here on this historic night', joking that he felt like he was in Oasis.
He then launched into 'Sonnet', the 1997 hit song he released as frontman of The Verve.
The Principality Stadium has its roof closed for both nights, adding to what fans described as an 'incredible' atmosphere, with attendees bonding strongly.
'I've never experienced anything like it,' said Parisian David Mace.
Oasis reportedly began jamming together months ago, before rehearsing in London more recently.
The band has welcomed several new members for the tour, including a keyboard player and drummer. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘We're freaking out!': Oasis fans storm Manchester for the ultimate homecoming show after 16 years
MANCHESTER, July 12 — Bathed in sunshine and feel-good vibes, 80,000 fans gave Oasis a hero's welcome on Friday as Manchester's favourite sons returned for their first hometown gig in 16 years. Fans young and old flocked to see the Gallagher brothers rattle through their back catalogue, singing along to every word of epic hits such as Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger and Supersonic. Around 500 fans were already lined up three hours before doors opened for the first of five sold-out gigs at Heaton Park, four miles (six kilometres) north of the northern English city. Some were fortunate enough to be shaded by trees, while others fanned themselves to keep cool in the 30-degree Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) heat. Fifteen places from the front was Lisa, a 23-year-old who had travelled from Saint-Etienne in France with a group of friends. 'It was like the biggest opportunity of our lives, we never thought we could ever see them live,' she said, having lined up for six hours. The city has been bracing for 'Oasis Day' ever since the Gallagher brothers, singer Liam and guitarist Noel, announced last year they had buried the hatchet and were reforming the band. On hearing the reunion news, 17-year-old student Jack Johnson said 'we were phoning each other going, 'oh, my God, oh my God, what's happening'?' 'We're still in awe that we're here,' he added. Most kept cool with water and ice creams, although others were keen to get the party started. 'I'm rehydrating with a bit of gin, a bit of vodka and a little bit of lemonade,' said Sarah Fisher, 45, from Loughborough in central England. 'As a ginger, the heat is a little bit too much, but I've got my lotion on, got my bucket hat,' she joked. Fisher compared the atmosphere to the band's legendary 1996 gig at Maine Road in Manchester, which she attended as a teenager. Fans took over Manchester city centre 24 hours before the show. — Reuters pic 'Freaking out' Around 400,000 people are expected to attend the Manchester gigs in total. Among them were electrician Alan Clarke, 50, and Paul Smith, 41, who bonded in the queue. 'We're new best friends,' said Clarke, who was wearing an Oasis T-shirt from a gig he attended in 1996. 'It still fits me, even though I'm older and fatter,' he said. It was not just at the venue where excitement was spilling over, as fans took over Manchester city centre 24 hours before the show. 'All the people are freaking out,' said Andre Meyer, who had flown in from Hamburg for the gig. 'The city is full of fans, so many great vibes,' he added, his long beard obscuring an expletive on his Liam Gallagher T-shirt. 'I'm gonna cry' There was nowhere to hide from the Gallagher brothers, whose faces glowered down from banners on lamp-posts and a giant mural in the city's Northern Quarter. Nico, 28, who travelled from Los Angeles for the gig, was one of those posing in front of the artwork. He did not know what to expect from the gig, other than predicting: 'I'm going to cry.' He admitted to being in tears after hearing footage from the opening Cardiff gig last week, adding: 'I was like, oh my God... It sounds amazing.' But for hometown teenager Jonah Shaw, singer with a band called Unit 17, the local connection was 'totally it'. 'I've come out the womb listening to Oasis, I'm just so excited,' he said. Shaw, from near Burnage, where the Gallaghers grew up, was brought up with tales of legendary Oasis gigs from his father Gary, who was also in line, and hopes he can one day pass on the torch. 'I'm hoping it'll be the 60-year reunion in about 30 years' time and I'll take my kids, Noel and Liam,' he laughed. — AFP
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Funny old world: the week's offbeat news
PARIS: From a hero lapdog Lassie to why tennis stars can't stop pinching Wimbledon towels. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world. --------------------------------------- A chihuahua saved a hiker who fell eight metres (26 feet) into a glacier crevasse high in the Swiss Alps. The lapdog's "extraordinary" heroics surely saved his master, the Air Zermatt rescue service said, refusing to leave the spot where the man disappeared into the crevasse, leading rescuers straight to him. While the man was able to call for help with a walkie-talkie, rescuers struggled to locate him. "The glacier surface was wide and the hole was barely visible," they said. But then they spotted the tiny shivering Chihuahua perched on a rock, refusing to budge. "Thanks to the dog's behaviour, the crew was able to abseil down to the casualty and save him." --------------------------------------- In the past, stricken alpinists could count on a sup of warming brandy from a St. Bernard dog. But these days, the gentle giants are more likely to be getting a massage, a manicure or a spot of hydrotherapy at the new Barryland theme park over the mountains at Martigny, where Switzerland's national dog is a major tourist attraction. Helicopters have now taken over their mountain rescue role, allowing the St. Bernards to enjoy their retirement as pampered pensioners or care dogs. --------------------------------------- Life can get a little dull on the flat Friesian polders, which may explain why the Dutch came up with one of the world's maddest sports, "fierljeppen." This involves crossing canals by clambering up a 12-metre (40-foot) pole – roughly the height of a four-storey building – so you can land (or be catapulted) to the other side. The uniquely Dutch sport combines pole-vaulting, long jump and, when misjudged, some unplanned swimming in the soup. Farmer and fierljeppen world record holder Jacob de Groot told AFP that the sport may not have caught on elsewhere because "in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy." --------------------------------------- Polish tennis ace Iga Swiatek powered through the women's singles at Wimbledon, bagging as many of the tournament's trademark towels as she could carry. "No one talks about it, but we love your towels," she admitted after dispatching Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday. "Every time I come back 10 members of my family want the towels. Sorry Wimbledon, I am not sure if I'm allowed." But the 24-year-old makes sure to keep some for herself. "I have lots at home. If I play on the circuit for another 15 years, I will have to build another room to keep them in," she laughed. - AFP
Malay Mail
21 hours ago
- Malay Mail
China cracks down on women writing gay erotica, some face up to 10 years in jail
BEIJING, July 11 — Chinese women who publish homoerotica online say they are being threatened with fines and jail time, as increasing enforcement of vague obscenity charges targets a rare space for LGBTQ identity and feminism. In recent months, Chinese police have detained dozens of writers on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-based website known for publishing serialised Boys' Love, a genre of erotic fiction mainly written and read by heterosexual women. Originating as a strand of Japanese manga comics in the 1960s known as 'yaoi', the genre has attracted a cult following in Asia and beyond, leading to popular screen adaptations and web series. The stories defy social stereotypes about the roles of men and women, a 22-year-old writer who asked to go by the pseudonym Miu Miu, told AFP. 'It's a kind of resistance... resisting a male-dominated society,' she said. The latest crackdown ensnared mostly amateur writers who earned little to nothing for their work. Under Chinese law, profiting from 'spreading obscene content' can lead to fines and prison. 'Serious' instances can carry jail terms of up to a decade. The obscenity law applies when someone's work gets at least 10,000 clicks or is 'used' to collect fees exceeding 10,000 yuan (RM5,935). While the law excludes 'artistic works or works of artistic value', that distinction is usually left to police. 'The rules are outdated,' said a lawyer representing one of the authors and who asked not to be named due to the risk of repercussions. 'The general public's attitude towards sex is no longer the same as it was 30 or 40 years ago,' the lawyer added. One author phoned by police earned 2,000 yuan for two books with a total of 72 chapters that, combined, drew around 100,000 clicks. 'Are there really 100,000 people who have seen my work like they said? Are they really going to sentence me to three to five years?' the author wrote on Weibo. 'Don't they know how precious three to five years of life are?' Censors without borders The investigations have also renewed criticism of a practice known as 'distant water fishing', cross-provincial policing by cash-strapped local governments. The profit-driven enforcement typically involves authorities travelling to another jurisdiction and seizing a suspect's assets. 'Police find this kind of stuff can make them money,' Liang Ge, a lecturer on digital sociology at University College London, said of the targeting of Boys' Love authors. In one case, a policeman from northwestern Lanzhou travelled 2,000 kilometres (more than 1,200 miles) to investigate a writer in her coastal hometown. She was driven to the police station and questioned for hours about her writing. She is currently on bail but could face criminal charges, which would disqualify her from taking China's civil service exam and positions in some hospitals and schools. Another 20-year-old author received a police summons which prompted her to travel hundreds of miles from the city of Chongqing to Lanzhou. On arrival police urged her to 'return the illegal income' she had earned from her writing to reduce her sentence. 'It's a very dirty practice,' said the lawyer, noting the central government in Beijing has issued several directives against it. 'Social awakening' Activists see the crackdown on alleged obscenity as part of a wider push to suppress LGBTQ expression — an effort that has expanded under President Xi Jinping. China classified homosexuality as a crime until 1997 and a mental illness until 2001. Same-sex marriage is not legal and discrimination remains widespread. The Boys' Love genre — often lightly erotic but sometimes overtly explicit — has become increasingly censored as its popularity has boomed. Television adaptations have rewritten male lovers as friends, as same-sex relationships are banned from the screen. In 2018, a writer known by her pseudonym Tianyi was sentenced to over a decade in prison for earning US$21,000 (RM89,400) from a homoerotic novel about a teacher and his student. Last year, a court in Anhui province heard 12 cases involving spreading obscene content for profit, according to public records which do not give outcomes of the trials. Many in China 'feel less and less space to express themselves freely', said Ge, the lecturer and a longtime reader of Boys' Love. 'It's not just about posting something on social media, it's about reading something in their private life.' As news of the crackdown spread, Haitang users rushed to cancel their accounts. But writer Miu Miu said she has not given up hope she might be able to finish her favourite stories. 'Sexual knowledge has become taboo,' she said. 'This is a social awakening.' — AFP
