There’s Definitely Maybe an Oasis Tour

Brit-pop lovers are waiting with bated breath for the beginning of Oasis’ recently announced tour. Rumors about the band’s return to the international stage circulated at the beginning of this year and were officially confirmed on August 27th. 

Oasis was one of the most important and influential bands of the nineties. Following the so-called “British Invasion,” English musicians were kicked to the curb of the music scene as American artists, with their grunge moodiness and flannel-clad rebellion, grabbed people’s attention. Seattle became both the new New York City and London with the way it dominated the charts. English musicians found it hard to compete with the onslaught of competition on American charts. Oasis changed all of that.  

 The band was formed in Manchester in 1991 by Liam Gallagher, whose personality makes it clear that he’s the lead singer, Paul Arthurs (aka Bonehead) on drums, Paul McGuigan (aka Guigsu) on bass, and Tony MsCarroll (sans nickname) on drums. Noel Gallagher would soon join the fray on lead guitar and, to Liam’s future dissent, vocals, including lead vocals on commercial hit “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”  Definitely Maybe was the band’s official status-maker. When the record was released in 1994 following 4 successful singles, it immediately moved up the UK charts. At the time, the record was viewed as an anthem-filled success, but in retrospect, Definitely Maybe was the inception of the greater brit-pop movement that would completely enrapture UK audiences, generate iconic bands, create still-stirring band feuds, and reach the world stage as a defining movement within the music industry. 

Less than 8 months after Definitely Maybe, “Some Might Say,” the first single for their 1995 album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? similarly generated millions of listeners. Bouncing off the momentum of their debut, Oasis’ sophomore album skyrocketed them from popular British iconography to a worldwide phenomenon. “Wonderwall” would become so well known, that it would eventually become memed, while songs like “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Champagne Supernova” would also render Beatles-like hype. Though the band was often compared to their Manchester predecessors, their hostile breakup looms darkly over all their great contributions to music history.  

Liam Gallagher, self-proclaimed, “RNR STAR,” “ICON LEGEND,” “BIBLICAL OMNIPRESENT PROPHET SPIRITUAL CELESTIA OPTIMYSTIC BUDDHIST JEDI,” and, perhaps least convincing, “APPROACHABLE,” has had a very volatile presence in the entertainment industry. Fans often remember and try to forget the 1996 MTV Music Awards when Gallagher started his performance with, “I hope you’re having a good time, but we know you’re having a shit time,” and stellarly replaced the lyrics to “Champagne Supernova” with something a bit more vulgar. This kind of drunken and unhinged behavior became expected when Oasis was on stage—or any room for that matter. Their feuds with other artists were also handled with the least bit of finesse. Noel Gallagher famously told Blur frontman Damon Albarn and his bandmate Graham Coxon that he hoped they would “catch AIDS and die.” However, the most explosive of behavior was occurring within the band itself. 

Liam and Noel Gallagher’s rocky dynamic was ultimately the violent cause of death for Oasis. Their verbal and physical sparring created a bitter and disorganized environment for everyone involved. Several instances nearly broke up the band, including Liam hitting Noel over the head with a tambourine and Noel destroying a production studio in a rage over his brother’s antics. The brothers’ relationship was so infamous that comedians and TV shows would poke fun at them because of it; even in 2024, an SNL skit recently broadcasted cast members Sarah Sherman and James Austin Johnson recreating their childish antics. However, the last blow to the Oasis name would be when, in 2009, Liam attempted to hit his brother over the head with his guitar. The band hasn’t come together to perform or make music since, leaving millions of fans disappointed, and two brothers estranged from each other. 

He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet,” said Noel about his brother, “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” And yet, the Gallagher brothers’ passion for their old music hasn’t disappeared. An Oasis reunion was never in the cards for those who knew the details of the band’s demise, but the band proved them wrong with their recent announcement of a 2025 tour.

“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” reads the band’s X page. Beginning in Cardiff, Oasis is kicking off the UK and Ireland leg of their highly anticipated tour. Upon the tickets’ release for purchase on August 30th, it only took 10 hours for the five shows to sell out. More dates have been added to the UK tour, and a North American and Australian leg has also hit Ticketmaster. It’s safe to say that Oasis has effectively shocked the world and taken over in a matter of a few weeks. 

Fans have remained simultaneously eager and skeptical about the news surrounding the reunion. Many doubt the Gallagher brothers’ ability to bury the hatchet—or the guitar if you’re Liam Gallagher—and suspect some burst in infighting to end the tour prematurely. However, according to the UK magazine, the Mirror, a semi-reliable source, the brothers are to be kept separate throughout the planning process. With a price tag of around $400 million, the tour simply can not afford to have Liam and Noel Gallagher causing a ruckus due to their inability to be in the same room as one another. 

So if you’re looking to attend what is sure to be the tour of 2025, don’t fret over potential concussions or black eyes being punched into either of their brothers’ faces.  The Oasis tour is definitely happening, maybe.