Tom Dunne: Oasis really will make grown men cry
reunion is going to bring 'the feels'. When they hit Talk Tonight it's going to make The Shawshank Redemption look like a Disney movie.
The Shawshank Redemption is generally seen as a famously emotional movie for men. A man is falsely imprisoned. But he doesn't buckle. He endures in what is a profound story about friendship, hope, injustice and perseverance. He maintains dignity in the face of crushing adversity... just like every Oasis fan I know.
Those fans who have endured the break-ups, the fights, the long string of crushingly disappointing albums, the rumoured reunions know this Shawshank experience only too well. These years have not been easy. Holding on to hope in silence can be the most courageous act of all.
Maybe the problem was that the good times were just too good. When Oasis arrived with simple uplifting messages, telling you to Roll with It, enjoy a Champagne Supernova and some Cigarettes and Alcohol it wasn't a moment too soon. We loved Nirvana, but God were we ready to lighten up.
A man in a Parka jacket telling you to 'have a bevy and cheer up' was manna from heaven. And you can say what you want about Britpop, but what was not to like with albums every month from Blur, Pulp, Radiohead, and their ilk?
It would be fair to say our friends in the UK had a moment. The Premier League started, Tracy Emin was about, lads' mags were on the go, Fever Pitch was in cinemas. Britain seemed to be relieving the Carnaby Street era of The Kinks and the Stones. Even Bowie got in on the Union Jack act.
Here we were on fire. It was peak Father Ted. The Divine Comedy ruled. Our comedians were colonising the clubs. London was suddenly a great place to be Irish. And Oasis, more than anyone sound tracked its every moment. Until they didn't.
Global shot of the crowd attending the last show of the band Oasis in Heaton Park Manchester on Sunday the 20th of July, 2025.
For many, the Oasis retreat from the limelight coincided with their own embracing of the more serious things in life. There were careers, marriages, children. All good things and if teens later tried to shock us with teen behaviour they were barking up the wrong tree. We'd already rolled with it.
The issue of how men struggled in the real world became a topic. Not good expressing emotion was a common theme. Men talking 'shoulder to shoulder' was another. It was the beginning of the Men's Sheds movement. We needed all the help we could get.
And then in a newsflash that seemed more unlikely than MUFC getting good again Oasis reformed. It got a bit unseemly — dynamic pricing and all that — but they were back and that was all that mattered.
At last we could say: 'Taylor Swift fans, look on our bucket hats and despair.'
But this is where it gets surprising. No one seems to have quite predicted how emotional it would be. How emotional to go back to the cradle of those anthemic songs, to see Liam and Noel back together again, to see that world again in every face, every replica top, every repeated chorus.
Everyone I have talked to has said the same: 'I didn't expect the emotion.' Without giving too much away there will be a moment when you might be asked to put an arm around the person next to you. A moment when you and 60,000 people become just one big continuous mass.
And you might ask yourself 'how did I get here?' And you might tell yourself 'My God! What have I done?'
What you've done is lived 30 years of your life since you first fell in love with this band, this music, these songs. That's a chunk of life. And if you thought Half a World Away or Live Forever carried an emotional heft then, then wait till you feel it now, as you look into the eyes of the person next to you and think 'this is AMAZING!'.
So far no one I've spoken to has regretted whatever it is they paid for the ticket. One of my friends said they'd sell a kidney to see them again. The fact that they have more or less declared for Ireland in the intervening years is just a bonus. Record beer sales at Wembley I believe.
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The Journal
33 minutes ago
- The Journal
Oasis in Croke Park - what you need to know if you have a coveted ticket
IT'S BEEN A long time coming. The Oasis reunion tour that was 16 years in the making has made its way to Ireland. Oasis last played in Ireland in June 2009, to a sunny Slane Castle. Two months later and the band had broken up. One bust-up too many between Liam and Noel Gallagher led to 15 years of animosity played out primarily in the tabloids. Endless rumours of a lucrative return came to nought until last year when tensions seemed to have cooled and the tour was finally announced. The pair's Mayo-born mother Peggy has claimed she was the 'instigator' of their reunion but whatever the truth Oasis are now playing two dates in Croke Park on Saturday and Sunday. So what can fans expect and what are the details you need to know if you're heading along? What can we tell from the tour so far? The Dublin gigs are the 17th and 18th of what will be 41 concerts across 11 countries, so we already have a good idea of what the tour is about. Oasis have already played in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh and it's fair to say the reviews have been very positive, probably better than the cynics might have expected. Music website Pitchfork , an outlet not as likely to get caught up with the hype of some UK papers, said the Cardiff gig displayed a band which 'snapped back into their vintage form' and saw Liam 'ferociously on form'. Advertisement As many have pointed out, the set list for the gigs has massively focused on the band's first two albums from the mid 1990s, with famed b-side tracks from the same era, like Masterplan, Acquiesce and Half The World Away, also getting an airing. Los Madferits / X (Formerly Twitter) Can I still get tickets? Well, interesting question there. Resale tickets through legitimate sources are still being sold , but expect to pay around €500 if you go down that route. That's a lot of money but it's in the same ballpark as what fans paid via the controversial dynamic pricing model that was used when the tickets first went on sale last year. The shows are a sell out and by all accounts there aren't many tickets going spare at this point, so consulting your Whatsapp groups for any last minute cancellations might be your best bet at this rate. So I am going, who else am I going to see? The support act for Oasis is Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve, another Britpop band that have long been associated with Oasis given their shared Manchester roots. Oasis song Cast No Shadow was written by Noel Gallagher for Ashcroft. To round out the truly era-specific lineup, Liverpool's John Power who was a member of The La's (of There She Goes fame) and then later of Cast, is also on the bill. What time will it get all biblical? Doors open for Croke Park at 5pm and organisers are warning that there's strictly no camping allowed outside for hardcore queuers or anything like that. If people get there early they are being warned they will be turned away from the gates and directed to designated areas to minimise disruption for people living around the stadium. Expect the support acts to start from 6pm and the Oasis to strutt out on stage at about 8.15pm or so. How do I get there? It's Croke Park, the huge stadium in Dublin's north inner city and not hard to find, so let's not get all patronising about bus routes. Related Reads Oasis tickets bought with dynamic pricing are on 'ethical' resale websites abroad for over €560 One handy thing to know though is the correct gate and route that corresponds to where you're sitting or standing. There are four routes, here's what they look like. Be warned, gardaí have said there's no public parking nearby so if you are driving there may be a walk to the stadium. If you're heading via rail, you should know that Irish Rail has put on a couple of additional trains to Dublin from Cork and Waterford, with some special post-midnight return journeys for people not staying the night in the capital after the gigs. Despite the extra trains, these special services and the rest of the timetable is expected to be busy, so Irish Rail is advising people to book tickets in advance if they're planning on getting the train in case they sell out. Can we expect sunshiiiiiine? Obviously from Liam's famous vocal, but what about the weather? It's actually looking pretty good, with Met Éireann forecasting sun and clear skies on both days with Saturday the warmer of the two, possibly hitting 21 degrees in the late afternoon. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Oasis quiz: Can you recognise the song from the opening line?
The answers for this quiz are at the foot of this article, past the picture after the end of the last question - no peeking! 1. Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you 2. Slip inside the eye of your mind 3. I need to be myself 4. How many special people change? 5. Maybe I don't really wanna know how your garden grows 6. You gotta roll with it 7. All your dreams are made, when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade 8. Slide away and give it all you've got 9. I don't know what it is that makes me feel alive 10. I live my life in the city, There's no easy way out 11. I would like to leave this city, This old town don't smell too pretty 12. Is it my imagination, or have I finally found something worth living for? 13. When I was young, I thought I had my own key The answers for this quiz are below... Liam Gallagher, of Oasis, at the concert at Knebworth in Hertfordshire, 1996. Pic: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire ANSWERS 1. Wonderwall 2. Don't Look Back in Anger 3. Supersonic 4. Champagne Supernova 5. Live Forever 6. Roll With It 7. Morning Glory 8. Slide away 9. Acquiesce 10. Rock 'n' Roll Star 11. Half The World Away 12. Cigarettes & Alcohol 13. Fade Away
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Rolling in the years: A history of Oasis in seven Irish gigs
Tivoli, Dublin, September 3, 1994 A week after the release of their debut, Definitely Maybe, the Gallaghers arrived in their spiritual homeland for their first ever Irish show, at the 700 capacity Tivoli Theatre in the Liberties in Dublin. Speaking to reporters Noel Gallagher joked they were 'here for the Tayto' — before he and the band negotiated nine of Definitely Maybe's 11 tracks. The performance was significant for marking the first time Noel played an acoustic segment on his own — a staple of later Oasis gigs. He strummed his way through D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman — a heartfelt ballad from the perspective of a young boy dreaming of growing up and taking on the world. Reports from the time suggest the crowd was on the rowdier side: one review starts with the journalist revealing they had been threatened with a broken nose after pushing their way to the front. Oasis finished with a cover of The Beatles' I Am The Walrus while Evan Dando of the Lemonheads watched the madness from the side of the stage. Tickets cost £6.50 — the equivalent of €15 today, and a far cry from the eye-watering prices for Oasis' Croke Park shows. Slane Castle, July 22, 1995 It would be an overstatement to say Oasis blew headliners REM off stage at Slane 95 — but they were far more comfortable playing to a huge audience than the American band, who had emerged from an indie scene wary of commercial success and seemed to have their guards up throughout (it was the first date since drummer Mike Mills underwent an emergency appendectomy). Oasis, by contrast, knew they were born for this and blitzed through a set that was both a victory lap for Definitely Maybe and a foreshadowing of the acclaim to come with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, released three months later. None of this came as a surprise. The walk up to Slane Castle confirmed the day would belong to Oasis as much as to REM, with t-shirt sellers enthusiastically hawking stick-on Gallagher 'eyebrows'. The tone went from hairy to lairy as Oasis emerged from the wings, with troublesome punters up front chucking missiles at Liam. Subsequent reports claimed they were throwing stones, though some who were there remember it as coins. Either way, Liam wasn't having it, saying: 'If you don't like it, go f***ing hang yourself.' The concert is notable for featuring an early performance by Noel of Don't Look Back In Anger — which, despite its unfamiliarity, reduced much of the vast audience to silence. It was a hint of what was coming — popular though they were, Oasis were about to be a lot bigger. Páirc Uí Chaoimh, August 14 and 15, 1996 Oasis had just written themselves into British rock folklore with two concerts before a combined audience of 250,000 at Knebworth in Hertfordshire. Now they were doing likewise in Ireland with a double-helping of dates at Cork's largest outdoor venue, which had previously hosted artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson. Oasis were fighting fit, and a blistering turn by support act the Prodigy laid down the gauntlet and pumped them up further. Mindful of the setting, Noel honoured local hero — and namesake — Rory Gallagher, who had died the previous year, by playing Cast No Shadow on an acoustic guitar belonging to the Corkman. It was a fine double bill for a ticket price of £22.50. 'Many of the band's extended Irish family were present and created a celebratory atmosphere,' wrote rock photographer Jill Furmanovsky, who photographed Oasis throughout that year and has collected many of the images for her new book Oasis: Knebworth. 'Those were marvellous shows.' The Point, Dublin, December 3-5, 1997 The Gallaghers on stage at the Point in 1997. Pic: Collins Oasis's reputation for unpredictability preceded them by the time they returned to Ireland with their bloated, cocaine-fuelled third album, Be Here Now. There had been multiple bust-ups between Noel and Liam while touring the United States, and Liam had cried off an MTV Unplugged session in August 1996, claiming he had a sore throat (he still made it to the recording, heckling Noel from the balcony). His throat was bothering him again in December 1997, and he left Noel to front the band for the second and third of their three nights in Dublin. It was a reminder of how chaotic Oasis could be even at the height of their success and hinted at the tension between the siblings that would eventually threaten the group's future. Still, for those who were there, the gigs carried the novelty of Noel singing an entire set (Oasis completists highly rate the live bootleg). Moreover, things would get worse — at a show in Glasgow two days later, they would leave the stage early under a hail of bottles. Was this the beginning of the end? 'I'm bored with Oasis, and I can't wait till this tour is over so I can take a long break,' a disillusioned Noel had told an Irish newspaper backstage before the first Dublin performance. 'If someone told me that tonight was the last date and we wouldn't play again for another five months, I wouldn't give a f***....I know they're getting bored with me and Liam, and the Beatles influences, and the drug stuff, and all that other bollocks about us. I think it's time to give it a rest, give the fans some time off from us.' Marlay Park, Dublin, July 16, 2005 Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis performing at Dublin's Marlay Park in 2005. Pic: Paddy Cummins Oasis were adrift and lacking a purpose as they rolled into the joyless south Dublin venue — a purgatorial patch that sucks all the fun out of concert-going because it's such a pain to get to and from. The Gallaghers weren't feeling it, though, to be fair, they were touring the listless Don't Believe The Truth album. Liam sipped mineral water rather than lager, and Noel bored everyone senseless with indulgent new songs such as The Importance of Being Idle, a tune about lazing the day away that lives up to its name with its plodding tempo. More than 10 years on from their incendiary debut, Oasis were the elder statesmen now at a time when rock music was making a roaring comeback with younger, edgier bands such as The Libertines. It would be an exaggeration to say that the writing was already on the wall: there were no reasons to expect that Oasis would implode within five years. But the excitement had gone for them and their audience. Slane Castle, June 20, 2009 Fans cheering on Oasis while they were on stage at Slane Castle, 2009. Pic: Collins Photos There was a sense of things turning full circle, as just as in Cork in 1996, Oasis were supported by Prodigy, who once again threatened to blow the headliners off stage. Backstage, Noel and Liam weren't talking — each had their own caravan, separate from the rest of the band (and each other). The concert was fine — the gig was largely noteworthy for the massive logjams on the way back to Dublin, which meant many didn't get home until early the next morning. It was only in hindsight that Slane 2009 would become a significant moment for Irish Oasis fans, with the band going through a nasty breakup in Paris two months later. As Liam would tell the Examiner'Noel was acting like a dick, I was acting like a dick,' he says. 'Two dicks in a room — fucking hell. Band over.' Croke Park, Dublin, August 16 and 17, 2025 Oasis perform on stage during the opening night of their Live 25' Tour at Principality Stadium on July 04, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by) After years of speculation, months of anticipation and weeks of hype, Oasis are finally making their way to Dublin for their first Irish shows in 16 years. They've been in blistering form since kicking off their comeback in Cardiff, to the point where people have almost forgotten the absurd ticket prices the band have been cheekily charging. Giving the audience precisely what they want, the set has leaned on their iconic first two albums, with just a smattering of later work ( The Importance Of Being Idle has yet to make an appearance). Can any performance possibly live up to the expectations that have been built around these shows? Come August 16, all will be revealed.
