It still doesn't feel real. Even though the money (a lot of it) has flown out of bank accounts, new dates have been added, and the cogs and wheels of the rumour mill still spin, it's still hard to imagine what those first moments will look like in Cardiff in July when Liam and Noel walk on stage together for the first time in 16 years.
In my mind, the template they had nailed by 2009 won't be far from what we can expect for 2025. So, here's my best guess as it stands:
Imagine it's about 8:45pm, the PA is blasting out tune after tune, and the atmosphere is already better than most actual gigs. Then the lights go down. Every speaker in the stadium blasts out the drums of F*cking In The Bushes, and the sky turns to pints. At some point, because you can't see a thing on the stage, the noise of the 70,000+ people reaches deafening levels, so you know the band are on stage. You've never experienced anything like it, but the people on stage look as calm as they would be queuing at the post office.
Guitars are on, knobs and leads checked, then tick...tick...tick-tick-tick-tick...the opening burst of Rock 'N' Roll Star'. If they start with anything else they're mad. The stadium goes off. 16 whole years since the feedback faded from I Am The Walrus at V Festival, Oasis are back on it. If you get a bit emotional when the chorus kicks in, that's fine, you should. Song 1 dies down, then without a word, the opening guitar line to Lyla. This tune was written to fill stadiums, and for reasons only musicologists could explain, is the ultimate second-song-in-the-set tune. The tempo and rhythm were seemingly created for people to pogo to. The drop with the guitar solo is always immense. Rock 'N' Roll Star into Lyla. Perfection. It was always banging. Then next, trust me, they're going to play Acquiesce. Bit of feedback after Lyla, people try and get their breath back, but then it comes. That opening guitar, draped over feedback, launching into that wall of sound that only Bonehead and his guitar are capable of producing. Liam two-footing the first verse. Noel comes to the mic, and the roof lifts off the stadium. F*cking imagine that.
From here, I reckon they slow things down a tiny bit, with Some Might Say. Pure singalong. They didn't play it at all for the last few years, but Liam brought it out a few times in his solo gigs. With Liam singing better than he has in years then surely it's time to give this one a spin. After that, whilst everyone's still buzzing from the opening, the band launch into Cigarettes And Alcohol. Lager tornado. Seems unlikely we'll get much of the original line up, but even seeing Noel, Liam and Bonehead on this will be quality. 30 years after Alan White screwed up the ending on the bootleg Cardiff Supernova (one of the all-timers that recording!), hopefully he'll get another go in the Welsh capital!
At this point in the olden days, Noel would probably get on the mic to give Liam a rest, so let's assume here he's going to do a couple of tunes. Everyone needs to get their breath back or get in a drink, so Half The World Away is ideal for that. Even if Liam sang it on the Definitely Maybe tour, there's no way Noel doesn't sing this. Same with Step Out, but could be wrong. So Noel will stay on, and do either Little By Little or The Importance Of Being Idle here too. One of these later tunes, I'm going to predict will swap out across the tour.
Liam's back on stage, and the temperature is jammed straight back up to maximum. Almost certainly Gem's in the band, so he's going to launch into that Morning Glory riff, and the place goes off again. This will be probably one of the very few guitar solos Noel plays alongside Slide Away, Live Forever and Don't Look Back In Anger, and for all the quality guitarists Liam had on his tours, no one was able to play those solos like Noel. A truly underrated guitarist. I'm going to throw in a bit of a wildcard here, a fan favourite. Could be one of about 20 tunes, but it's something like:
- Columbia
- Bring It On Down
- Roll With It
- D'You Know What I Mean
- Stand By Me
- Step Out
- Go Let It Out
- Fade Away
At this point, the band take a breather, and I reckon you're going to see an orchestra on stage, like in the 1996 shows. It will be the same set too; Cast No Shadow, Wonderwall, Masterplan maybe a later tune here that has that accompaniment: Stop Crying Your Heart Out, I'm Outta Time?...
This bit of the gig is something Oasis could ever do, where most bands play their hits at the start, maybe drop in something everyone knows in the middle when there's a lull, then go out strong on the encore, there was never any dull part of an Oasis gig. The opening was electric, then you'd get the singalongs and some of the best moments of the night in the middle, then the ending was always mindblowing. Assuming they'll keep to that framework next summer, they'll probably close out on a couple of massive tunes like Slide Away and Champagne Supernova. This could be something the orchestra or a choir sings on (Noel's BBC set with a choir on Slide Away was unbelievable). There's no chance in the world they'll do this, but it would be incredible to see them play Champagne Supernova like they did 96-98 with the extended outro. Won't happen though.
After Champagne Supernova, they'll go off, say goodnight, thank everyone for coming. My bet is they do four tunes, like they used to, something old and upbeat like Supersonic, then Live Forever, the standout of Noel's last tour, but probably back to the old arrangement. Don't Look Back In Anger for sure will be second to last, then they'll do a cover to end the gig. Liam mentioned Come On Feel The Noise on Twitter, which I just can't see, although that would be epic. I can't see them doing My Generation again, so maybe something new, or ideally, they'd play a song they made their own 30 years ago; I Am The Walrus.
So, here's my prediction then:
Rock n Roll Star
Lyla
Acquiesce
Some Might Say
Cigarettes & Alcohol
Half The World Away
The Importance Of Being Idle / Little By Little
Morning Glory
Wildcard
Cast No Shadow
Wonderwall
The Masterplan
Slide Away
Champagne Supernova
Supersonic
Live Forever
Don't Look Back In Anger
I Am The Walrus
Honestly, can you imagine seeing them play that live? All those tunes? I'd give everything I own to see them play one of them. Still can't believe this is happening.