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The Oasis reunion as it happened: the days leading up and how the music world reacted

Or to put it more accurately: how we all lost our minds in a series of memes.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th August 2024

We can’t believe we’re actually here but it’s happened: Oasis are genuinely getting back together and the reunion shows are finally happening.

The Gallagher brothers confirmed the long-awaited Oasis reunion and series of comeback shows at 8am on Tuesday morning, 27 August 2024, and you best believe we’ll be remembering that date until the day we die.

As well as announcing massive gigs at Wembley Stadium, Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and Croke Park in Dublin, they will also be playing a total of four shows on home turf here in Manchester at the legendary Heaton Park, where they last played as a pair back in 2009.

We know Liam already played their musical mecca himself back in 2022, but this is as close to a proper Knebworth 2.0 as you could probably ever ask for. With that in mind, here’s how the world reacted to the biggest music news in a generation:

So how exactly did it happen, or at least what do we know about the Oasis reunion so far?

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Well, despite having both maintained it would never happen for years, being publicly unpleasant about each other almost for sport at times, and supposedly having not spoken full stop for “about a decade”, it turns out the two have finally had a conversation – and quite a watershed one at that.

Noel famously said it would take a lot more than money for the two of them to even begin discussing a potential reunion, but did taunt Liam in June last year by saying, “I f***ing dare you to call me […] because then we have to be in a room together and we both know how that ends.”

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In fact, rather than a merely transactional phone call to confirm that both parties are now willing to put on these biblical shows, it appears as though the Gallagher brothers have indeed met in person once again, with stills from the photoshoot promoting the reunion being shared online.

How surreal does this look all these years later?

Yes, understandably based on the chosen lead photo – which is almost certainly edited for whatever reason (probably because Liam preferred his hair better in one of them or something…) – fans were reluctant to believe they had even been in the same room as each other yet.

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However, as per multiple reports, the secret photoshoot between the two long-feuding brothers is rumoured to have taken place sometime last month and those present were forced to sign NDAs to keep news of the reunion under wraps.

It’s still unknown as to exactly when and where these photos were taken but they look pretty bloody real, if you ask us, and are credited to notable British photographer Simon Emmett.

Speaking to the tabloids, a source said: “It was a pinch me moment to have Noel and Liam together. The shoot was top secret and barely anyone knew about it. For their fans to see them together again will be an amazing sight, the atmosphere in the room was fizzing, it was electric.”

Again, it’s unclear how much time the two have actually spent back in each other’s company at this point, but boy would we have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that moment.

Even more interestingly, now 15 years on from the infamous Paris storm-out which brought an abrupt end to the legendary Britpop band, Noel has actually been saying nice things about his younger brother for a change. I know, we’re as stunned as you are.

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Chatting with industry journalist and fellow musician John Robb in a recent interview with Louder Than War, a chat held ahead of the deluxe Monnow Valley Recordings of Definitely Maybe being released for the debut album’s 30th anniversary, the 57-year-old was actually complimentary about Liam.

Released in full on YouTube last week, the songwriting genius and legendary guitar player conceded: “When I would sing the song, it would sound good, when he would sing it, it would sound great.”

He did go on to jokingly compare Liam’s voice to “10 shots of tequila on a Friday night” whilst he was more like “half a Guinness on a Tuesday”, but the significance of actually speaking positively about his counterpart on several occasions throughout the exclusive cannot be overstated.

And then came that first teaser played live not only at Reading and Leeds Festival but right after Blossoms’ headline slot at Live From Wythenshawe Park, where Noel played the exact same stage this time last year…

Liam had shared a number of cryptic tweets in the days leading up to that short teaser video including one post that simply read, “never did like that word FORMER”, and another in reply to a fan online saying, “See you in the front you big f***y.”

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Then, during his set at R&L 2024, the 51-year-old chose to dedicate the iconic track ‘Half The World Away’ to his brother Noel and, for once, people had not one but several valid clues to believe it was actually happening this time.

Besides both being rather importantly out of album and tour cycles following festival season, many fans have also speculated that several other wider factors have played into the stars finally aligning.

Everything from their mum Peggy (now 80) having once again urged the two to mend fences, to Noel’s split from his wife Sara MacDonald who also famously didn’t get on with Liam, and even the sheer timing of the dates and announcement – 15 years on, 30th anniversary and so on – were all put forward as evidence.

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And after all that, they were actually right.

If god is real then they’re probably a Blue and almost certainly a massive Oasis fan still sporting a prime mid-2000s ‘Wellend’ haircut with pride.

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One more time in case you still thought you were dreaming: Oasis are back. What a time to be alive.

Now please, lads, do your very best to not wind each other up – the world really needs these gigs.

The website hosting the ticket link for the Oasis reunion crashed almost immediately. Lord help us on Saturday…

Featured Images — Simon Emmett Photography/@shesontheluce (via TikTok)/Gary Keogh (via X)