So it’s definitely not a maybe. Oasis are reuniting for a UK and Ireland tour that could be one of their most lucrative ever, with tickets being touted as the “hottest of the decade.”
But people ask themselves: why? The most obvious reason is money.
Although both Gallagher brothers have launched successful solo careers since splitting up in 2009, nothing they have achieved so far comes close to the amounts that the 14 reunion shows could offer, including four shows at Wembley Stadium.
Birmingham City University estimates that the first 14 dates could generate £400 million in ticket sales and other ancillary services, with Liam and Noel each expected to earn £50 million.
Dr Matt Grimes, head of the music business bachelor’s degree at Birmingham City University, said the brothers could double their wealth in a matter of weeks. “They are thinking about going to Europe too so they can earn even more,” he said.
Although ticket prices have not been announced ahead of their launch this Friday, it is likely that they have increased tenfold since 1995, when tickets for their UK tour cost £14.
Although Oasis split up 15 years ago, the band never really went away. The Gallagher brothers’ personal lives have kept them in the tabloid press, while anniversary releases have ensured their music has a second life on streaming services.
The 2016 documentary Supersonic reignited interest in the group, both among older fans who had experienced the original Oasis era and among younger viewers who were introduced to the Gallaghers’ typically Manchester-style carefreeness, humor and self-mythologizing.
Business journalist and author Eamonn Forde says Oasis occupied a unique place in British culture.
“They were ubiquitous in the culture,” says Forde. “You can almost compare them to Abba or the Beatles, there’s always something happening that reminds people and attracts new listeners.”
“They’ve never monetized that nostalgia to this extent,” he added. “They’ll probably make more money from these performances than they did in the entire ’90s.”
Oasis are following in the footsteps of several of their Britpop peers with their reunion, but it doesn’t always work out. Pulp have reunited several times over the years, while Blur reunited in 2009 and 2015 ahead of their summer 2023 concerts.
Blur’s comeback concerts at Wembley last year were a success, selling out in minutes and impressing critics, but the reunion was fraught with tensions rising within the band, as the behind-the-scenes documentary To the End reveals.
A cautionary tale is the Stone Roses, another Manchester band that paved the way for Oasis’ male-friendly brand of indie. When they reunited in 2013, long-time fan and filmmaker Shane Meadows was there to film the reunion, which fell apart shortly after it began, resulting in the members quitting mid-tour.
Despite the fallout, Meadows’ documentary captures – perhaps better than any other film about music fans – why bands like the Stone Roses appeal to so many people. “You can’t write that down, can you?” says one fan Meadows speaks to. “There’s a reason I never wore a tie, there’s a reason I still listen to that (debut) album once a week. It still gives me tingles.”
Oasis have an even greater emotional appeal and cultural significance: their single “Wonderwall” has been streamed over a billion times, and after the Manchester Arena bombing, grieving crowds broke into a rendition of “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”
But like the Stone Roses, the personal dynamics within the group are unpredictable. The Gallagher brothers haven’t spoken to each other for years after their split in 2009 and have been insulting each other in the press ever since: bookmakers are offering 4/1 on a split from Oasis before the end of the tour.
Forde believes that known frictions could have led to watertight contracts with clauses that would financially ruin an exit by one of the brothers, or to incredibly high insurance premiums for everyone involved in the event of a split. But when so much money is at stake, ways can be found to ease tensions.
“You hear about all these bands that hated each other, whether it was the Eagles or Simon and Garfunkel, and they didn’t get to know each other until they were on stage,” Forde said.
Another question that remains with the announcement is the line-up. Original guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs toured with Liam Gallagher this summer, while Noel’s group – the High Flying Birds – includes former Oasis member Gem Archer, who also played in Liam’s Beady Eye.
Whoever takes the stage will be part of one of the most eagerly awaited – and potentially most explosive – comebacks of all time.
