When word of an Oasis reunion tour started spreading online over the weekend, it was easy to dismiss it as yet another rumor drummed up by the U.K. press. We’ve seen this many times before with reports of reunions by the Smiths and Kinks that never came close to fruition. But the Oasis news didn’t originate in The Daily Mirror or the Daily Express. This came from The Times, which is most assuredly 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 the V Festival in Stafford on August 22, 2009,” they wrote. “Oasis look set to take over Manchester and London in the summer of 2025 with multiple vast gigs planned at Heaton Park and Wembley Stadium respectively. One rumour suggests the latter venue is booked for ten nights, meaning the eight-gig record set by Taylor Swift this year will survive a mere 12 months.”
Liam Gallagher threw gasoline on the fire this caused by responding to a Sunday Times tweet with, “See you down the front.” It was possible to read it as the Oasis frontman just fucking around — until 6:09 p.m. est on Sunday night when the Oasis Instagram account posted a teaser video that read, “August 27, 2024 – 8:00 am.” It was shared by both Noel and Liam Gallagher on their own social accounts, which technically isn’t confirmation that a reunion is happening, but it’s pretty damn close.
Still, the scuttlebutt leaves us with many mega questions. Here are six of them.
After years of public discord, what motivated Liam and Noel Gallagher to reunite?
The short answer is probably “money.” The slightly longer answer is probably “an ungodly amount of money.” If they’re willing to spend a couple years on the road, the Gallagher brothers could rake in somewhere in the ballpark of $300 million, which is what recent stadium tours have earned some artists. And that will come in very handy to Noel Gallagher in the aftermath of his divorce to wife Sara MacDonald, which cost him a reported $25 million in addition to their $8 million house. It’s likely a multitude of factors went into Noel’s decision to sign on for a possible reunion, but the costly divorce is certainly a big one. Liam, meanwhile, has made it very clear for years that he’s eager to reunite. He probably didn’t require much prodding.
Are the Gallagher brothers back on speaking terms?
Oasis ended in very ugly fashion back in 2009 when they nearly came to blows backstage at a festival in France. They severed all ties with each other in the aftermath, 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 that he’s still not speaking to his brother. “He likes to paint this picture of the little fucking Spanish cat from Shrek with these big fucking teary eyes,” he said. “‘I’m [gonna] go and do it now for you fans. I love you.’ It’s like, well, fucking call me then. And he hasn’t called me. And until he does, it’s fucking going nowhere.”
Did they call each other? Was this reunion just negotiated by lawyers and managers? Will they speak before rehearsals? Will they even speak at rehearsals? Might this be some sort of Van Halen or Journey situation where a band tours even though they despise one another and have no offstage relationship? Or might they go the Black Crowes route (another famously fractious sibling band, with whom Oasis once toured) and actually sit down and work through their issues? We shall see.
Who will play guitar in Oasis?
Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs played guitar in Oasis from their formation in 1991 through 1999. He was replaced by Gem Archer, who stuck with the group all the way until the bitter end in 2009. In recent years, Bonehead has taken 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 figuring out the lineup for a reunion. Oasis fans have a special fondness for Bonehead since he was around for their Nineties heyday, but Archer has a greater familiarity with the catalog. When the E Street Band reformed in 1999, Bruce Springsteen solved a similar dilemma by bringing back both Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren even though they were members of the group during different time periods. But does Oasis need three people playing guitar? Will that muddy up the sound? It’s a thorny question, with no easy answers.
And who will play drums?
Many drummers came and went from Oasis throughout their nearly two-decade run. They started with Tony McCarroll, but he left in 1995, and later sued the band over unpaid royalties. Over the years, Noel has suggested he simply didn’t have the chops to stick with the group. It’s very hard to imagine him returning. Andy “Whitey” White came onboard in 1995 and stuck around until 2004 when he was asked to leave for reasons that have never fully been articulated. He was replaced by Zak Starkey, who had to step aside in 2008 to fulfill his obligations to the Who. In their final 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. That gives him a pretty big advantage. Our money is on him.
How long can any Oasis possibly last?
There are many models for reunions of mega-bands. Pink Floyd were only able to stand each other for the 24 minutes it took them to play Live 8 in 2005. Led Zeppelin managed a full concert in 2007 before Robert Plant walked when talk of a tour came up. On the other side, Guns N’ Roses have basically been on a never-ending tour since their shock reunion in 2016. (It’s earned them an absolute fortune.) Oasis might simply spend the summer of 2025 playing European soccer stadiums before walking away forever with a boatload of cash. They might tour the planet for a year before calling it quits. And they might become a version of the Pixies and just never stop. At this point, they probably don’t know themselves.
Will Oasis record a new album?
Most big bands that reunite don’t bother to record new albums, even if they do what Guns N’ Roses have done and perpetually tease one. And Oasis certainly don’t need new material to sell tickets. They have enough classics to pack stadiums until the end of time. But Noel Gallagher remains a prolific writer. He may not love the idea of turning Oasis into a perpetual nostalgia machine. If that’s the case, we might get our first Oasis album since 2008’s Dig Out Your Soul. That was impossible to imagine just a few days ago, but so was this (supposed) tour. And no matter what they announce on Tuesday, we won’t fully believe they’re back until they walk out together the first night.