- An overflow of eager expectation.
Mostly, it's around midnight, after a band practice, when I return home to unwind. I usually fire up my computer for one last browsing session before bed, often drowning out other tunes with more music. Strangely enough, this works. My playlist usually starts with "Falling Down" by Oasis, a song that often plays alone, but always finds its way back. There are countless live versions available online, but none compare to the one from October 2008 at Wembley Stadium.
The stage is dimly lit as the musicians arrange themselves. Noel's guitar hums softly, feeding back. Chris Sharrock starts the epic drum sequence, followed by Noel's lead riff. Noel sings the opening lines, and then Andy Bell and Gem Archer join in, both in their timeless cool jackets, a piece of gum in their mouths. Their bass and guitar grow with them, like a tennis racket once did with Boris Becker. This band, it's such an overwhelming experience, teetering between arrogance and coolness. You'd gladly be a part of it, or at least see them live again. Even if Liam never performs "Falling Down," it's all about the big picture.
As I type these words, my friend Matze from Kiel messages me on Facebook. "Are you going to Oasis?" He asks, seriously, against a very real backdrop. Oasis is back. A reunion, for real this time. Not maybe, but definitely, absolutely. The date, 27th August 2024, was announced yesterday, and the time, 8 am, was confirmed this morning. Noel and Liam have made up, or at least patched things up. Fourteen years after their split, before a show in Paris, it's now: Oasis is back.
The topic of Oasis was off-limits for the Gallagher brothers for a long time. Rumors swirled for years. At times, it seemed impossible, then seemed imminent. But the reunion never happened, and we fell back into our personal memories. Listening to "Supersonic" for the first time with a friend, and then playing it countless times, or "What's the Story) Morning Glory?" playing just before a trip to Sri Lanka, recorded onto a TDK cassette before departure, and listened to on repeat on the beach in Koggala. The concert at Große Freiheit, filled with too many beers and a nice t-shirt, before the Oasis concert at Roskilde Festival, which I mostly slept through.
Years later, a chance meeting with Noel Gallagher in Berlin, backstage before his concert with the High Flying Birds. A Manchester City flag hung on the corridor, Noel was in high spirits, as was Liam last year, with whom I spoke for Visions magazine about football and the pandemic, and a little about Oasis, too. "Don't mention the war," it was said before these meetings, but the topic of Oasis was no longer taboo. Eventually, it seemed to not matter. Liam had Oasis classics in his solo setlists, Noel did too, so why not talk about it?
As of today, the wind has shifted. "Are you going to Oasis?" is no longer a question from the past, it's as current as Abba Voyage, Slayer, and the Sex Pistols. Nearly historical timing, not just because Pistols bassist Glen Matlock celebrates his birthday today. The Gallaghers once gave us this maxim: Oasis should sound like a mix of the Beatles and those very Sex Pistols. Recently, three of the original members of the infamous punk band reunited to play a few benefit gigs for the Bush Hall, a legendary London venue in Shepherds Bush that's under threat of closure.
And now, the Gallagher brothers have made up once again. I can't wait to finally add the long-overdue third show to my Oasis tally. So, set your timers for Saturday morning at 10 am local time, and then: fingers crossed. Has anyone called it a sell-out or a rip-off? Sure, one could see it that way, but I've chosen enthusiastic anticipation. Not maybe, but definitely. To clear my head, I'm heading downstairs to our drum room to play a song or two. I know which one I'll start with. See you in Wembley, Noel, Liam, and Chris Sharrock.
I'm not going to lie, I'm hedging my bets on getting tickets for the Oasis reunion concert.After hearing about the Oasis reunion, my music playlist has been dominated by their hits, with "Falling Down" at the top.
