“There are many things that I, would like to say to you - but I don’t speak Welsh!” quipped Liam Gallagher near the climax of Oasis' jaw-dropping live return at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. An assembled mass of close to 75,000 people were fully absorbed in the surreal sight of the Gallagher brothers sharing a stage - something many never thought would ever be possible again.
For years, the very idea of Noel and Liam Gallagher just picking up the phone for a short, polite conversation with each other - let alone reforming Oasis for months of monolithic stadium dates - seemed pretty far-fetched.
After the pair’s calamitous fall-out in 2009, the Gallaghers' increasingly unresolvable personal conflict, played out in messy, hurtful public comments about each other, only escalated in intensity as the years rolled on.
An Oasis reunion, therefore, seemed like the stuff of far-flung dreams.
“One can never say never, because one might be skint. But I’ve got no intention. I’m not interested,” Noel told NME back in 2013. Even as close as January of last year, Liam harboured resentment towards his bandmate and brother. “He’s still going round thinking he’s the man,” Liam told The Guardian, “but we’ll see.”
But the sentiment behind those words seems to now be deeply buried, as the pair strode on-stage tonight, hand-in-hand. They were making it clear from the outset that this colossal tour was no perfunctory money-spinner.
The pair have actually made-up.
And now, they’re going to resume doing what they do best - entertain the masses like few others can.
And boy - were we entertained. Following a quick-fire montage of tabloid reporting about this epoch-making reunification, the rock solid 2025 incarnation of the band - Noel, Liam, Bonehead, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Joey Waronker tore into (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? opener Hello.
From where we were, in the middle of the arena (standing), the surrounding response from both the young and old fans seemed akin to a religious experience. Fever and fervour was in the air.
The fans chanted, pushed, launched beers into the air and completely lost themselves in the assertive clout of the music from a band many had given up hope of ever seeing live. Many weren't even born during the band's heyday.
The energy increased further for fan-favourite, Acquiesce. Although the crowd energy was intense, Liam remained a static presence, planted at the microphone yet still radiating that same confidence the unreconstructed Manc first exuded back in 1994. His voice - seemingly much better than recent live appearances, hitting every note, and every word, with that alluring, snaking charisma every bit as potent as the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile Noel, now a seasoned and storied man of many musical hats, effortlessly reproduced those classic 1990s licks without breaking a sweat. Of the two, it was Noel who seemed the most humbled by the power of the audience response.
A glance of a smile here, a wide-eyed scan of the audience there. Noel was having a night to remember.
This fierce first third of the set continued with driving belters Morning Glory, Some Might Say and Bring it On Down. At this point - we were absolutely soaked in (what we sincerely hope was) beer.
Firm warning to anyone coming to any of these Oasis shows; if you’re standing, be prepared to get sodden. Or, as one Oasis fan pointed out to me, wear a bucket hat.
It turns out there’s a practical reason for them after all.
The videos played on the trio of gargantuan screens were a perfect accompaniment to the powerhouse music, interweaving Yellow Submarine-esq psychedelia with vintage city skylines and legacy Oasis clips creating a visual vortex of their narrative. It’s a full-on, immersive experience, no matter where you are in the audience.
Just as we needed to catch a breath, Liam instructed the passion-consumed throng to turn completely around, then spin back to face the stage when that dirty, chugging leviathan Cigarettes and Alcohol kicked in. This was perhaps the most visceral experience of the night, as the lyric's paen to those most simple of vices seemed to rouse the inner lad in even the oldest members of the crowd.
Bruised but not done, a refreshing mid-set break for Liam allowed Noel to deliver three of his outright masterworks, Talk Tonight, Half the World Away and Heathen Chemistry standout, Little by Little.
As with Liam, Noel's voice was on fine form, and - though he seemed to be trying to mask his emotions somewhat, the shadow of a smile wasn’t far from his face as the entire arena sang back this more intimate clutch of songs. He's missed this - you can tell.
While the set largely orbited iconic debut Definitely Maybe and international breakthrough (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the two best cuts from third album Be Here Now - D'You Know What I Mean? and Stand by Me were welcome inclusions. The former, in the context of the significance of this night, resonated like never before.
At this point, it was becoming difficult to hear Liam and Noel over the assembled tens of thousands of fans, each one of which was bellowing back each word as if their lives depended on it.
The Beatles-nodding Whatever was a particular reminder of the strength Oasis' songs have to galvanise people. There's a real communal energy underpinning Oasis' song construction that only becomes fully apparent after experiencing the band live. Its a near-tangible force.
This is also super-apparent with the joyous Live Forever, which - in the context of the revived Oasis - feels particularly apt.
As the song fades with the repeated mantra of "Gonna Live Forever", a poignant tribute to recently passed Liverpool FC star Diogo Jota appears on the screen. A nice touch.
A brief pause (everything has run like absolute clockwork tonight in terms of timings) before a four-track encore which takes in the band’s greatest B-side, The Masterplan (why on Earth was that song a B-side? It’d easily be the best song on any Oasis album beyond the first two), before the twin juggernauts of Don’t Look Back in Anger and everyone’s favourite hand-me-the-guitar classic, Wonderwall.
“Nice one for putting up with us over the years. We are hard work - I get it," stated Liam as the show neared its bittersweet finale.
As the heart-string tugging sunset of Champagne Supernova begins to fall, Noel gestured over to his brother, a “Come ‘ere” of the hand.
Without hesitation, Liam strode over and the two firmly embraced for all but two seconds. This display of physical closeness prompted the biggest cheer of the night.
A short, but heartfelt signifier that, from this night onwards, the years of boiling anger and mutual resentment are now squarely behind them.
Oasis, then, are back on impressive form.
They’ve just ticked off the first night of their 41-date comeback tour and, on the strength of the palpable - dare we say it - love on show between the two brothers tonight, buoyed by the euphoria in the room, this feels like it could be more than just what many cynics first presumed was a cold cash-grab.
Instead, this could very well be the start of a more resolute second act for one of Britain’s most beloved bands.
A huge thanks to Starscream Communications for inviting us along.
The Setlist
Hello
Acquiesce
Morning Glory
Some Might Say
Bring It On Down
Cigarettes and Alcohol
Fade Away
Supersonic
Roll With It
Talk Tonight
Half the World Away
Little by Little
D'You Know What I Mean?
Stand By Me
Cast No Shadow
Slide Away
Whatever
Live Forever
Rock ’n’ Roll Star
ENCORE
The Masterplan
Don’t Look Back In Anger
Wonderwall
Champagne Supernova
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