Last month's homecoming at Heaton Park in Manchester was marred by on-stage walk-offs and technical difficulties.
But the Gallagher brothers are on their best behaviour at Coventry City's stadium.
However, that's not to say Liam Gallagher doesn't try to stir things up.
Swaggering up to the mic, he dips his head and dedicates Cigarettes And Alcohol to "the real Sky Blues . . . MCFC".
The crowd naturally respond with a barrage of boos following the jibe at their own city's team.
But lairy Liam quickly silences the dissent with the opening line: "Is it my imag-in-a- sheee-un . . . ".
Ever the moody frontman, standing centre stage in a green parka, the younger Gallagher only appears for the songs he sings, occasionally reaching for a tambourine - which he flings into the audience at the end of the set.
He delivers Live Forever with an arrogant sneer that threatens to slip into anger as he orders the audience to clap: "Get your f***ing hands out! We're not Simple Minds!"
Noel, standing to the right of the stage, is more genial, bigging up both support band The Enemy and reformed local heroes The Specials.
Noel also cheekily dedicates The Importance Of Being Idle to himself (" . . . being brilliant and all that . . . ") and nodding with humble respect to the crowd after they out-sing him on Don't Look Back In Anger during the encore.
It's the start of the second leg of their British tour with a sold-out 30,000 crowd - the size of audience other bands would kill to play to.
But it feels as if Oasis are treating this one as a warm-up show before their run of three gigs at Wembley Stadium later in the week.
Oasis are the greatest rock 'n' roll band of their generation but, as they coast effortlessly through '90s classics such as Roll With It, Wonderwall and The Royle Family theme Half A World Away, it makes for a set that feels confident and assured - rather than passionate.
Tonights setlist from Oasis at Wembley Stadium, London.
Fucking In The Bushes Rock N Roll Star Lyla Shock Of The Lightning Roll With It Cigarettes And Alcohol To Be Where There’s Life Waiting For The Rapture The Masterplan Songbird Slide Away Morning Glory My Big Mouth The Importance Of Being Idle Half The World Away I’m Outta Time Wonderwall Supersonic Live Forever Don't Look Back In Anger Falling Down Champagne Supernova I Am The Walrus
Oasis' next stop is at Wembley Stadium again tomorrow.
Well Oasis claim that the souvenir worthy cheque signed by the Gallagher brothers is bounce proof. So what do you do next? Go and get back your hard earned money and cash it in or save a once in a life time collectible item?
Oasis fans who claimed their money back after the band's disrupted Heaton Park gig now face a dilemma.
Oasis face a £1m bill after more than 20,000 fans took up Noel's offer of a refund over their Heaton Park gig.
Despite featuring the logo of the fictitious bank, the cheques are legal tender and can be cashed normally. But promoters for the gig suggested that some fans may want to keep the distinctive novelty cheques, which bear the signature of Liam and Noel Gallagher, as a memento.
A band spokeswoman said: "People can obviously cash them in. They are quite distinctive so a few people may decide to keep them."
The band's opening night concert in Manchester on June 4 was marred by technical glitches, with two separate power cuts leading to a 50-minute delay resulting in Noel Gallagher speaking to dissatisfied fans from the stage: "Thank you very, very much, this is a free gig - let's have it... anybody who has kept their ticket will get a full refund."
More than 70,000 fans had paid £45 for tickets for the show.
The Enemy pulled out of today's (July 11) support slot at the Oasis show at London's Wembley Stadium at short notice due to illness earlier this afternoon.
They are scheduled to support Oasis at the next Wembley show, on Sunday (July 12), then again on July 21 at Camden's Roundhouse at the iTunes Festival.
Oasis and Kasabian stars Noel Gallagher and Serge Pizzorno put support behind England`s bid to host 2018 World Cup
With their respective bands set to rock Wembley Stadium over the coming days, Noel Gallagher and Serge Pizzorno showed their footballing colours by taking time out from rehearsals to back England`s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
Serge once harboured aspirations of playing for his beloved Leicester City, and Noel`s passion for football and all things Manchester City is legendary so the pair were keen to register their support at www.england2018bid.co.uk and help in England`s campaign to host the world`s greatest football tournament.
Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher said:
‘Playing gigs in England, and in particular at Wembley, is always an amazing feeling with the fans that come to watch us creating an electric atmosphere. The buzz the nation would create if we were to host the World Cup in 2018 would be incredible – England lives and breathes football, from a professional level through to guys going out for a kick about with their mates and kids in the playground.’
‘I`m proud to be supporting the England 2018 campaign and would encourage the entire nation to get behind it as well.
Leicester City fan Serge Pizzorno said:
‘The entire band is delighted to get behind England 2018. Everyone in England loves football and the tournament would create a huge wave of passion throughout the country.’
‘We`re also really excited about Leicester bidding to become a Host City. The opportunity for England to host a World Cup is really amazing and the thought of games being played at the Walkers Stadium is incredible.’
Noel and Serge become the latest high profile names to join the official support campaign, which was launched by David Beckham earlier this month. It aims to secure two million signatories by the time the official bid is submitted to FIFA in December 2010. To back the bid, simply log on to www.england2018bid.co.uk.
Noel Gallagher has no plans to release a solo album - despite having a bank of songs he's written that aren't right for Oasis.
The British rocker is currently on tour with Oasis following the release of the band's seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul, in October (08), and the only plans he has when the tour ends in August (09) is to take a well earned break.
He says, "Some might say they're all solo albums but they've just got the band's name on the front. There are no plans to do anything after this tour but go on holiday. I've got lots of songs that wouldn't really (suit Oasis)."
Although he has no immediate plans to release the songs himself, the Wonderwall hitmaker is reluctant to give his songs to other artists, in particular Welsh pop star Duffy.
He says, "I'd rather trap my finger in a door (than give her a song)."
The Limited Edition Collectors’ Box Set has now sold out on the Oasis' Official Site. A number will be on sale in HMV from July 13th,and are super limited so it might be worthwhile speaking to your local branch if you didn't manage to get one from the official site.
A limited number are also available from PLAY.COM, click here for more details. The albums are still available individually, click here for more details.
Following the release of Dig Out Your Soul on their own Big Brother Recordings label worldwide, Oasis will be re-issuing their studio album catalogue on vinyl later this year on a limited one-off re-press. All seven studio albums – ‘Definitely Maybe’, ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’, ‘Be Here Now’, ‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants’, ‘Heathen Chemistry’, ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ and current album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ as well as B sides album ‘The Masterplan’, will now be available through Big Brother Recordings on super heavyweight vinyl and will feature brand new sleeve notes from July 13th. In addition a limited edition box set will also be available. Individually numbered, this exclusive must have collectors’ item will feature all eight vinyl albums and exclusive new artwork.
‘Definitely Maybe’ (RKIDLP006X) – released 30th August 1994, highest chart position # 1
‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’ (RKIDLP007X) – released 2nd October 1995, highest chart position # 1
‘Be Here Now’ (RKIDLP008X) – released 21st August 1997, highest chart position # 1
‘The Masterplan’ (RKIDLP009X) – released 2nd November 1998, highest chart position # 2
‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants’ (RKIDLP002X) – released 28th February 2000, highest chart position # 1
‘Heathen Chemistry’ (RKIDLP25X) – released 1st July 2002, highest chart position # 1
‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ (RKIDLP30XX) – released 30th May 2005, highest chart position # 1
‘Dig Out Your Soul’ (RKIDLP51X) – released 6th October 2008, highest chart position # 1
Limited Edition Collectors’ Box Set (RKIDBOX58) - Individually numbered box set, featuring exclusive artwork and each of the eight vinyl albums as above.
Following a phenomenal year in support of their latest album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ which saw the band embark on their biggest global tour to date and achieve yet another No.1 in the UK charts and No. 5 in America, Oasis return to the UK this month to embark on their hugely anticipated, sold out stadium tour, which will see the band play to over 700,000 people in the UK. With a line-up of support acts including Kasabian, The Enemy, The Reverend & The Makers, Twisted Wheel and The Peth, these shows are sure to be the highlight of 2009.
Blur’s triumphant comeback has left sometime rivals Oasis , who never went anywhere, somewhat in the shade.
Unintentional though it may have been, coming exactly a week after Blur’s Hyde Park triumph , eyes were locked on the Manchester rock band’s Wembley show last night.
The group, now nearing their 20th anniversary, seemed lacklustre – as if they were going through the motions. But thankfully they played some great songs: early ones by Noel like Slide Away and Supersonic, and newer ones by Liam: I’m Outta Time and Songbird, which he dedicated to his very own song bird wife Nicole Appleton. And, of course, the classic ballads such as Champagne Supernova and Half The World Away.
The sound cut out twice during Wonderwall – the first time, it seemed perfectly timed for a sing-a-long.
After a similar thing happened in Manchester last month, and Noel offered everyone their money back (to the tune of £500k), he was clear nothing like that was happening in London: “Can I just say at this point that nobody is getting their money back?” he said, before reiterating the point again, and again.
Although Liam Gallagher is a charismatic front man, his tendency to stand stock still arms behind back make him more of a candidate for the Trafalgar Square fourth plinth than bona fide rock god.
With rumours rife that the band will soon take time out to pursue solo ventures, this could be the last Oasis tour in a while. It was a respectable night of solid hits, new and old, but pesky southerners Blur have still got the edge.
Oasis fans who claimed their money back after the band's disrupted Heaton Park gig now face a dilemma.
That's because the refunds are on Bank of Burnage cheques signed by the Gallagher brothers and could well become collectors' items.
Despite featuring the logo of the fictitious bank, the cheques are legal tender and can be cashed normally. But promoters for the gig suggested that some fans may want to keep the distinctive novelty cheques, which bear the signature of Liam and Noel Gallagher, as a memento.
A band spokeswoman said: "People can obviously cash them in. They are quite distinctive so a few people may decide to keep them."
Michael Jackson fans who paid in advance for the singer's UK concerts have been offered their money back or a souvenir ticket as an alternative.
Promoters say the Jackson tickets will become collectors' items featuring special images which give them a 3D moving effect. Oasis face a £1m bill after more than 20,000 fans took up Noel's offer of a refund over their Heaton Park gig.
The band's opening night concert in Manchester on June 4 was marred by technical glitches, with two separate power cuts leading to a 50-minute delay.
Speaking to fans from the stage, Noel vowed a refund to those dissatisfied, saying: "Thank you very, very much, this is a free gig - let's have it... anybody who has kept their ticket will get a full refund."
More than 70,000 fans had paid £45 for tickets for the show. But the guitarist later hit out at the large number of 'cheeky' gig goers who took up the offer.
Writing on his blog, he said: "It seems that around 20,000 of you have asked for a refund from that night at Heaton Park. 20,000! So you were genuinely disappointed?"
"I don't recall seeing a 20,000 gap in the crowd. Tsk... some people."
The band were last night starting a three-day stint at Wembley stadium.
There are a limited number of tickets still available for the Saturday and Sunday gigs at Wembley this weekend.These tickets are now available HERE
Also, as previously mentioned there are planned works on the Jubilee Line this Sunday. We strongly advise all fans attending the gig to work out their travel plans beforehand.
Click HERE for Wembley Stadium's travel page or HERE for the Transport For London website.
There will be 'no refunds' declares Noel Gallagher as band suffer brief problem
Oasis suffered a short sound problem during their Wembley Stadium show in London last night (July 9) – but Noel Gallagher was quick to quash any refunds.
The band suffered a loss of sound as they performed 'Wonderwall', although with the crowd in full voice the audience ably finished the song.
However following trouble at Manchester's Heaton Park when the band announced their would be refunds from the stage before managing to play most of their intended set, the guitarist was quick to quip there would be no money back offers this time.
"Last time this happened it cost us half-a-million quid, so just to be clear none of you are getting you fucking money back," he declared from the stage. "Not you, not you, not you with the glasses!"
However the problem proved to be just a blip in the set, which saw frontman Liam Gallagher dedicate 'Live Forever' to The Verve's Richard Ashcroft, who was at the gig.
The Gallaghers also had a pop at bandmate Andy Bell's sunglasses, suggesting he "looks like he's just come from the Jackson memorial".
Oasis played:
'Rock 'N' Roll Star' 'Lyla' 'The Shock Of The Lightning' 'Cigarettes And Alcohol' 'Roll With It' 'To Be Where There's Life' 'Waiting For The Rapture' 'The Masterplan' 'Songbird' 'Slide Away' 'Morning Glory' 'My Big Mouth' 'The Importance of Being Idle' 'Half The World Away' 'I'm Outta Time' 'Wonderwall' 'Supersonic' 'Live Forever' 'Don't Look Back In Anger' 'Falling Down' 'Champagne Supernova' 'I Am The Walrus'
Earlier Kasabian, The Enemy and Reverend And The Makers had all performed.
Oasis are now due to play Wembley Stadium again tomorrow (July 11) and on Sunday (12).
Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher is a secret pop fans, and among his favourites are Take That, Lady Gaga and Girls Aloud.
The Oasis rocker has a secret penchant for the trio of pop acts, but reserved special praise for the 'Back For Good' stars' current 'Circus' tour - which saw them supported by 'Poker Face' singer Lady Gaga.
He said: "Take That are smashing it up with their tour. It couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer lads.
I don't mind Lady Gaga, she has that bra with the things coming out. The name says it all though doesn't it? Unbelievably crackers, but she's got a great voice.
"I don't mind Girls Aloud, Kimberley Walsh is my favourite."
Despite his love of pop music, Noel does not approve of some of his brother, Oasis singer Liam Gallagher's friends.
He said: "The concert we did which was broadcast on TV in 2000 was momentous because Liam had been up all night drinking strong lager with one of the lads from Steps. It was one of the longest shows in history for me, I couldn't wait to get off the stage.
"It's alright if you're hanging out with Bobby Gillespie or someone but when it's like, 'Where have you been?' 'I've been out with Mel B.' It's not right."
Oasis suffered more sound problems at their Wembley Stadium show tonight - with Noel Gallagher joking that no one would be getting any money back.
Despite a triumphant gig in front of their London fans, the sound cut out near the end as the band played Wonderwall.
At first the large crowd sung the lyrics instead of Liam, but there were some boos when they realised it was due to technical problems.
Oasis recently promised to refund up to 70,000 fans after two major power cuts during their homecoming gig at Manchester's Heaton Park.
However this time guitarist Noel joked: "Nobody is getting their money back. No f***ing one of you.
"Not you, not you, not you in the glasses.
"No one with glasses is getting refund."
He then filled time by asking fans for jokes, but ruled any about Michael Jackson as "out of order".
The sound came back after around a minute - as opposed to the half hour delay in Manchester - and the band continued with rousing renditions of Supersonic, Live Forever and Don't Look Back In Anger.
Singer Liam was also on top form throughout the show, baiting the London audience.
To gee the crowd at the start, he asked them: "What's wrong with you Southern soft a***s? Can't you handle it?
"Get some shandy down your necks!"
He got the reaction he wanted as Oasis' greatest hits set - including The Masterplan, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Champagne Supernova - went down a storm
PRS Music, an organisation which collects royalties for songwriters, has released figures showingOasis have received more airplay over the past 14 years than their perennial Britpop rivals Blur. When both bands air plays are combined, Oasis hits'Wonderwall' and 'Roll With It' proved the most popular, at 68% and 12% respectively, with Blur's 'Country House' next up with 10%.
With a reformed Blur headlining Glastonbury and their own Hyde Park shows to great acclaim, and Oasis' biggest ever UK stadium tour about to culminate with three sell-out nights at Wembley, it seems the rivalry between the bands which became known as 'The Battle Of Britpop' still generates many headlines and column inches 14 years after it first reared it's head. So why do both bands still find themselves in constant competition so long after hostilities reached a peak in the summer of 1995? Live4ever takes a look at the history of the rivalry, and why it continues to be the cause of such fascination.
In 1994 Blur led a host of new British bands who were writing music inspired by their homeland, giving a voice to a generation of British music fans who had seen American music and culture becoming more prevalent after the emergence of Nirvana a few years earlier. After an un-distinguised start to their career, Blur's 1993 release 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' began the change in direction for the band, but it was 1994's 'Parklife' which catapulted Blur to the top of the music tree in Britain. Hits such as 'Girls & Boys' and 'Parklife' encapsulated 1990s Britain, and the album went quadruple platinum in the UK. In early 1995 they won the Brit Award for Best Album, while 'Parklife' won Best Single. Blur were the undoubtedly the biggest band in Britain, and at the forefront of a music scene which had become widely known as 'Britpop'.
A week after the release of Blur's single 'Parklife', Oasis finally put out their hotly anticipated debut album, 'Definitely Maybe'. After enjoying increasing success with early singles 'Supersonic', 'Shakermaker' and 'Live Forever', the album cemented Oasis as the hottest new band in Britain, becoming the fastest selling debut album in history at the time. The album fit neatly into the growing 'Britpop' scene and songs such as 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' saw Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher being labelled as the voice of a generation. Their working class roots and fan base were quickly seen to be in direct conflict with the 'art school' reputation of the members of Blur and soon the music press were stirring up a north-south rivalry between the two bands.
By the summer of 1995, Oasis had enjoyed their first UK no.1, 'Some Might Say' and were ready to release second album '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?'. Blur were also on the verge of releasing their fourth album, 'The Great Escape', who's lead single was set to be 'Country House'. Assuming Oasis would follow accepted protocol and release second single 'Roll With It' three weeks before the album, Blur's management were surprised when the date for release was set for 14th August, nearly two months before the album was due. This meant the release dates for the two singles were now just a week apart and as a result 'Country House' was moved to the same week as 'Roll With It'. The battle had begun.
Opinion is divided on the reasons for Blur moving the release date. Alan McGee has recently said that it was Damon Albarn who made the decision, after being teased by Oasis front man Liam Gallagher at a party shortly after 'Some Might Say' had hit no.1. Others say it was a marketing decision by their management, who felt threatened by the growing popularity of Oasis, which seemed set to transcend the level Blur had enjoyed for a year or so. Whatever the reasons, there's no doubt it was an important battle for Blur to win, and the management seemed to have pulled out all the stops to ensure Blur's success. After a week of intense interest, including an item on ITN's News At Ten, Blur did indeed win, and it seemed they could once again claim to be Britain's most popular band, and could expect to see their new album keep them there. However, Oasis' next single, 'Wonderwall' became a world-wide hit and sales of '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' grew to un-precedent ed levels, finding them success in America and going on to become one of the biggest selling British albums of all time. Next single 'Don't Look Back In Anger' pushed Oasis on further and saw them become the biggest band in the world by the end of 1996. For Blur 'The Great Escape' was a disappointment, suffering from poor sales and was over-shadowed by the runaway success of '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?'. It is now accepted that while Blur won the battle, Oasis won the war.
Not long after, both Oasis and Blur had distanced themselves from the rivalry, dismissing it as nothing more than a story concocted by the music press. Their careers went different ways, with Oasis continuing on through line up changes and a downturn in sales to enjoy a resurgence in popularity after 2005 album 'Don't Believe The Truth', while Blur moved away from the catchy pop songs that had found them success, before singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon found success with solo projects.
The recent headlines show that press and music fans alike are still unable to separate the two bands who's bickering so defined a musical era. It should be no surprise. They were the two biggest bands in Britain, brought together for a few weeks by a music press intent on shifting units and an industry keen to exploit the interest it garnered. The battle moved away from music and, rightly or wrongly, was seen to represent age old clashes in Britain such as differences in class, education and wealth. The battle and the two bands who were involved came to epitomise a music scene which entered into the culture of the country, a scene which was mirrored in the worlds of fashion and art, and which even politicians looked to exploit for their own ends. Whether the bands like it or not, while their relevance continues to be re-affirmed by their legions of fans who still care for the music and still buy the concert tickets in their hundreds of thousands, so too will the rivalry remain relevant to the wider public who were so enchanted by the contest which created so many column inches all those years ago. They are two bands who went their separate ways a long time ago, but who will remain forever linked thanks to a media frenzy which so gripped the country in the summer of 1995 and continues to do so to this day.
Tonights setlist from Oasis at Wembley Stadium, London.
Fucking In The Bushes Rock N Roll Star Lyla Shock Of The Lightning Roll With It Cigarettes And Alcohol To Be Where There’s Life Waiting For The Rapture The Masterplan Songbird Slide Away Morning Glory My Big Mouth The Importance Of Being Idle Half The World Away I’m Outta Time Wonderwall Supersonic Live Forever Don't Look Back In Anger Falling Down Champagne Supernova I Am The Walrus
Oasis' next stop is at Wembley Stadium again on Saturday.
Tickets are still available for a number shows on Oasis' largest-ever UK Stadium tour, click here for availability of tickets.