In the world’s biggest band, every week offers its own new dose of pandemonium.
Festivals. Fights. Flings. Flights.
When you’re a rockstar, each seven-day period is more intense, thrilling and exotic than the last.
That’s why no two pages in the story of Oasis are the same.
Throughout the nineties and noughties, this group of Mancunian rascals were overindulgent, grandstanding superstars who practised what they preached; living a hard and fast lifestyle that served as a perfect visual accompaniment for their self-produced soundtrack of roaring guitars and crashing symbols.
But in their two decades at the top, no week of Oasis mania was ever more definitive than this one: The first seven days of October.
This was the week that propelled the band beyond the island of tea and scones onto the international stage. And it was also the week that would ultimately mark the end.
It all started on October 2, 1995.
The scene was set for Britain’s most exciting up-and-coming band to justify the hype – as Oasis’ sophomore album, What’s The Story (Morning Glory)? was carefully placed on shelves around the UK.
Once those store doors opened, nothing was ever the same again.
What’s The Story was snapped up by more than 345,000 fans in its first week – spending 10 weeks at number one in the UK charts.
One glance at the tracklist reveals why.
Roll With It, Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Some Might Say, She’s Electric, Champagne Supernova.
The record was packed with anthemic earworms created to stand the test of time – enjoying constant airplay, analysis and mimicry for twenty-five years and counting.
When What’s The Story landed in shops, Oasis achieved superstar status.
Fast-forward almost exactly thirteen years, and another similar scenario was unfolding.
It’s October 6, 2008, and for the seventh time in history, legions of Oasis supporters are swarming to stores for a another new release – an album the group has titled Dig Out Your Soul.
Fans didn’t know it at the time, but they’d never queue for an Oasis album ever again.
Dig Out Your Soul signalled the end.
In the same week the world watched Oasis swagger into the spotlight, we would also soon hear their swansong.
An epic 18-month promotional tour of Dig Out Your Soul proved to be the tipping point for the two Gallagher brothers.
The pair had quarrelled over the cancellation of a show at V Festival (Liam citing laryngitis, Noel calling bullshit and said his brother had a hangover) before pulling the plug on a performance in France seconds before stepping out on stage.
By the time they’d reached the Rock En Seine festival in August 2009, tensions were as high as they’d ever been, with the two siblings already travelling separately to shows.
Just before the Paris gig, a blazing row culminated in Liam “wielding a guitar like an axe”.
The pair were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door that cut through the chaos: It was their five-minute warning to prepare for the gig.
Instead of using these 300 seconds to make his way to the stage, Noel spent them inside his car.
It was during those few moments he decided that was that.
Oasis was done.
A message on the band’s website, written by Noel, eventually appeared stating: “It is with some sadness and great relief…I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”
And that was that. The band was gone, and the two brothers remain at loggerheads a decade down the line.
Rumours of a reunion have been a weekly occurrence in the eleven years ever since, but a reconciliation has always been just out of reach.
The post-Oasis years have given birth to bands Beady Eye and High Flying Birds, and whilst there’s never really been any sight of a sincere olive branch, Noel has seemingly ignored impromptu tweets by Liam asking to give things another go, if only for a one-off gig.
The band’s’ closer, Dig Out Your Soul, is often lost within the footnotes of Oasis trivia today; bundled beneath the glory days of What’s The Story, origin tales of debut Definitely Maybe, and the drug-addled anecdotes of Be Here Now.
But DOYS is sort of remarkable in how it holds up as such a solid piece of work despite the growing turbulence going on behind the scenes.
Fittingly, the very last words to appear on an Oasis album are “soldier on” – an apt description of the brothers’ fruitless attempts to persevere through an upcoming tour fraught with tension; which would ultimately bring about the band’s demise.
You could frown at the Oasis timeline and spend hours trying to decide which dates to circle as being the most definitive moments in the band’s history.
But no single week is more fascinating than this one.
This was when we got the best and last of Oasis.
In ‘95, the leap to glory. In ‘08, the unknowing goodbye.
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Biffy Clyro announce massive Manchester comeback on upcoming European tour
Danny Jones
British rock giants Biffy Clyro have just announced a massive Manchester gig as part of a huge tour across the UK and Europe.
The Scottish stars haven’t been to our city since 2018, if you can believe that, having seen their intended 2020 AO Arena date cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
But good things come to those who wait, as they say, and now the thrashing three-piece are heading back in our direction on their 27-stop tour across the continent, including nine domestic dates in the UK and Ireland.
Announcing their return on Thursday, 24 July, the multi-award-winning outfit will be making their debut at Manchester’s newest and biggest arena.
That’s right, set to play the space for the first time, the Biffy boys will be performing at Co-op Live early next year, and you can expect fans to be clamouring for Clyro tickets the very second they go on sale.
With a capacity of 23,500, we’d say you have a decent chance of getting your hands on some, but then again, they haven’t been here in seven years – well, it’ll be close to eight by the time they get here.
More importantly, this also means they haven’t had a proper big, bouncing up and down arena gig since 2016, which means it’ll have been almost a DECADE since a full-on Manc headline show.
All that being said, we’re sure you’ll agree it’s been far too long already, and having announced their highly anticipated 10th studio album, Futique – which is set to release on 26 September – fans will have a whole bunch of new songs to hear live.
The Kilmarnock trio formed way back in 1995 and last released a record back in 2021, just months on from their previous outing, but it’s fair to say that plenty of excitement has been built in the ‘fallow years’ since that prolific period.
As if this all wasn’t exciting enough as it is, they’ll be joined by two brilliant support acts in the form of Soft Play (formerly known as Slaves) and American hardcore and punk collective, Armed.
This is going to be a real rager, isn’t it?…
Early access for Co-op members and those who pre-order the album goes live at 10am on Tuesday, 29 July, and general admission tickets will be available from the same time the following Thursday (31.9.25).
You can get ready to grab your tickets for Biffy Clyro at Co-op Live, with Manchester being their only Northern show in all of England, HERE.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
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Beat-Herder Festival 2025 – a magical weekend of music, madness, miniature worlds and more
Emily Johnson
Some festivals give you good music. Some give you great crowds. And a very rare few create a world so immersive, you forget you’re even at a festival; the cult favourite Beat-Herder Festival does it all – and then some.
Tucked into the Ribble Valley countryside in the Lancashire town of Clitheroe, The Beat-Herder Festival isn’t your average weekend of tents and tunes.
It’s a handcrafted, mind-bending wonderland built by a small crew of dreamers who clearly love what they do and want you to feel the same.
Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, the moment you step through the gates, you know you’re in for something special
Then there’s Hotel California, not just an Eagles reference but a site where you could catch a full-on rave in a wild west saloon, as well as The Parish Church: a gothic fairytale where choirs turn into choons and the altar doubles as a DJ booth.
One of the weekend’s highlights came tucked inside The Beat-Herder Working Men’s Club, where The Clone Roses had the entire crowd bouncing with their uncanny tribute to The Stones.
When ‘I Am the Resurrection’ dropped, it was hands-in-the-air euphoria; a true pinch-me moment. Ian Brown might as we have been on the stage, the way the crowd were going wild.
And it wasn’t just music. The Working Men’s also hosted ‘Beat-Herder’s Got Talent’, which is a chaotic and charming mix of poetry, dragon dancing, comedy sketches and more. Heartfelt, hilarious and very Beat-Herder.
Truly immersive worlds
Venture deeper into the wonderful world of Beat-Herder and you’ll find entire miniature towns within the festival. There’s a literal high street, complete with its own tattoo parlour, barbers, a swap shop and even a secret swimming pool.
We’re not going to disclose its location, but let’s just say if you find a dodgy-looking wooden gate and hear splashing on the other side – knock twice and bring a towel…
Late-night mayhem
As the sun went down, the party really came to life. The Beyond Tunnel was your portal to new dimensions, opening out into a maze of secret stages and psychedelic visuals.
From psytrance at The Sunrise Stage, to bassline chaos at The Laundrette and candy-coloured chaos at Bubba Gumma, it was a rabbit hole of sound you never wanted to leave.
Then there was The Temple – a fire-breathing stage that became a haven for breakbeats, jungle, techno and house. Tim Reaper’s set here was a standout for us – fast, furious, and euphoric.
And just when we thought the night was over, we found ourselves at a secret 3am b2b set with Tim Reaper and Samurai Breaks that blew us away – two talented DJs that had the crowd wanting even more despite the sun quite literally rising on the next day.
Another hidden gem was The Ring, an intimate open-air arena where we caught Jungle pioneer Goldie, alongside Sheffield’s own Silva Bumpa and Soul Mass Transit System for a bass-heavy b2b set that rattled your bones and lit up the crowd.
Then there’s The Factory – a steel-clad rave bunker pumping out electro, acid and heavy techno deep into the night. Dancing inside while the rain pelted the tin roof added a layer of gritty industrial magic – proper spine-tingling stuff if you’re into that sweaty, underground energy.
And just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes Fowler’s Garage: a chaotic, petrolhead fever dream of a stage where you can literally dance on top of cars. DJs spin sets from inside the vehicles, cooking up a storm from the front seat while the crowd parties on the roof.
It’s unhinged in the best way possible and one of the most unique spaces you’ll ever rave in.
Power and the people
What really makes Beat-Herder feel different is the people. There’s an unspoken code of friendliness here – everyone’s up for a chat, a laugh, or a spontaneous dance. You could spill your pint and end up making a friend for life. That kind of energy is rare, and Beat-Herder wears it like a badge of honour.
The merch stand has that signature hand-crafted feel. All of the merch is hand-printed, with designs that feel like proper collector’s items rather than throwaway souvenirs. We spotted punters proudly repping Beat-Herder tees from as far back as 2012 – testament to how deep the community pride runs here.
Even on the way out, with vans and cars getting stuck in the mud, everyone mucked in to help push – proof that the Beat-Herder spirit sticks with you long after you’ve left the gates. Just a bunch of lovely people all getting together to have a good time and make memories for life.
Credit: Andrew Whitton
Fantastic fancy dress
Saturday brought the iconic fancy dress theme – this year, the letter G. And wow, did people go for it. Giraffes towered above the crowd, Gnomes danced in groups, Gardeners handed out seed packets, and one hero turned up as ‘Garbage’, wearing an actual dustbin with a lid strapped to his head. We laughed for a full five minutes.
Final thoughts from the fields
Even though Beat-Herder was slightly scaled down this year due to budget cuts, it never once felt like anything was missing. If anything, it brought a tighter, even more magic-filled experience. The attention to detail, the creativity, and the atmosphere are still unmatched – a reminder that this isn’t just a festival. It’s a fully fledged world of its own.
If you’re looking for something different – stick this one at the very top of your list. But be warned: once you’ve been, you’ll never stop going back.
Tickets for next year go on sale on Thursday, 31 July, and you can be ready to grab your tickets HERE.
You can guarantee you’ll see us at back-to-back Beat-Herder Festivals again in 2026.
The Manc -
6th October 2020 
