When his word an Oasis reunion tour began circulating online over the weekend, it was easy to dismiss it as yet another rumor peddled by the British press. We've seen this many times before with reports of a reunion from the Smiths and the Kinks never coming close to fruition. But the Oasis news didn't come from The Daily Mirror or the Daily Express. This came from The Times, which is definitely not a tabloid.
“Industry insiders are adamant that next summer will see Noel and Liam Gallagher reunite on the same stage for the first time since V festival in Stafford on 22 August 2009,” they wrote. “Oasis look set to take over Manchester and London in the summer of 2025 with several huge concerts planned at Heaton Park and Wembley Stadium respectively. A rumor suggests that the latter venue has been booked for ten nights, meaning that Taylor Swift's record of eight concerts this year will survive for just 12 months.”
Liam Gallagher added fuel to the fire when he replied to a Sunday Times tweet with “see you later”. It was possible to read it as the Oasis frontman just fucking – until 6.09pm. on Sunday night, when Oasis' Instagram account posted a teaser video that read: “August 27, 2024 – 8:00am.” Both Noel and Liam Gallagher announced this on their respective social media accounts, which isn't technically confirmation that a reunion is happening, but it's very close.
Still, the conversation leaves us with many big questions. Here are six of them.
After years of public rift, what prompted Liam and Noel Gallagher to reunite?
The short answer is probably “money”. The slightly longer answer is probably “an obscene amount of money”. If they're willing to spend a few years on the road, the Gallagher brothers could collect somewhere in the ballpark of $300 million, which some artists have earned from recent stadium tours. And that will come in handy for Noel Gallagher in the wake of his divorce from wife Sara MacDonald, which cost him $25 million, in addition to their $8 million home. It's possible that many factors contributed to Noel's decision to sign on for a potential reunion, but the costly divorce certainly looms large. Liam, meanwhile, has made it clear for years that he's willing to get back together. It probably didn't take much pushing.
Are the Gallagher brothers back on track?
Oasis ended in a very bad way in 2009 when they almost exploded backstage at a festival in France. They severed all ties with each other thereafter and communicated largely through the press in various comments trashing the other. When Rolling Stone asked Noel about a possible Oasis reunion last year, he said he's still not on speaking terms with his brother. “He likes to draw this picture of the little fucking Spanish cat from Shrek with those big fucking teary eyes,” he said. “It's me [gonna] go and do it now for you fans. I love you.” It's like call me then. And he didn't call me. And until he does, he's not going anywhere.”
Did they call each other? Did this reunion just negotiate lawyers and managers? Will they talk before rehearsals? Will they even talk in rehearsals? Is this some sort of Van Halen or Journey situation where one band tours even though they despise the other and have no off-stage relationship? Or can they go the route of the Black Crowes (another famous sibling band, with whom Oasis once toured) and actually sit down and work through their issues? we will see.
Who will play guitar in Oasis?
Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs played guitar in Oasis from their formation in 1991 to 1999. He was replaced by Gem Archer, who remained with the group until the bitter end in 2009. In recent years, Bonehead has taken on a role in Liam's touring band. Archer, meanwhile, is a member of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. This could lead to some rather delicate negotiations when it comes to finding the lineup for a reunion. Oasis fans have had a special fondness for Bonehead since their heyday in the '90s, but Archer has more familiarity with the catalog. When the E Street Band reformed in 1999, Bruce Springsteen solved a similar dilemma by bringing back Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, even though they were members of the group at different times. But do Oasis need three people to play guitar? Will this muddy the sound? It's a thorny question, with no easy answers.
And who will play the drums?
Many drummers have come and gone from Oasis throughout their nearly two decades. They started with Tony McCarroll, but he left in 1995 and later sued the band for unpaid royalties. Over the years, Noel has suggested that he simply didn't have the chops to stick with the team. It's very hard to imagine him coming back. Andy “Whitey” White came on board in 1995 and stayed until 2004, when he was asked to leave for reasons that have never been fully articulated. He was replaced by Zak Starkey, who had to step down in 2008 to fulfill his obligations to the Who. In their last incarnation, Chris Sharrock was behind the kit. Many Oasis fans would love to see Whitey back in the band, but Sharrock is the current drummer in Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. This gives him a very big advantage. Our money is on him.
How long can any Oasis last?
There are many models for reuniting large groups. Pink Floyd they could only stand each other for the 24 minutes it took to play Live 8 in 2005. Led Zeppelin managed a full concert in 2007 before Robert Plant walked when they started talking about touring. Guns N' Roses, on the other hand, have been on an essentially endless tour since their 2016 reunion. (It made them an absolute fortune.) Oasis might just spend the summer of 2025 playing European soccer stadiums before leaving forever a boatload of cash. They might tour the planet for a year before leaving it. And they might become a version of the Pixies and just never stop. At this point, they probably don't know themselves.
Oasis to record new album?
Most major bands that reunite don't bother recording new albums, even if they do what Guns N' Roses have done and tease one all the time. And Oasis certainly don't need new material to sell tickets. They have enough classics to fill the stadiums until the end of the year. But Noel Gallagher remains a prolific writer. He might not like the idea of turning Oasis into a perpetual nostalgia machine. If that's the case, we might have our first Oasis album since 2008 Unearth your soul. This was impossible to imagine just a few days ago, but so was this (alleged) tour. And whatever they announce on Tuesday, we won't fully believe they're back until they leave together on the first night.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/are-oasis-reuniting-tour-burning-questions-1235087978/