On August 10th 1996, Oasis played the first of two nights at Knebworth. Support for the two days included The Prodigy, Ocean Colour Scene, Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers, Kula Shaker and Dreadzone.
Watch footage from the first night below.
More than 4% of the population applied for tickets to see Oasis at Knebworth, the largest demand in British history. A whopping 250,000 people got to see the band over two nights another record but incredibly, Oasis could have sold out another 18 Knebworth shows.
Bonehead on playing at Knebworth on August 10th 1996.
"I remember thinking 'I'll just have a quick hour in bed before we go on', and the Prodigy came on. If you've ever tried to sleep 20ft from the stage when the Prodigy were on live? Forget that."
When Oasis played at Knebworth the band had the following singles in the UK Official Singles Chart.
Whatever, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Some Might Say, Live Forever & Supersonic. Long before the days of streaming etc these were from sales only.
If the audience for either of the gigs lay down, they would stretch from the Gallagher's childhood home in Burnage to Knebworth.
Rick Pope speaking to Sound On Sound about when Oasis played Knebworth
"Liam wanted his vocal blisteringly loud." It meant the microphones were so powerful that "someone would get within 10 feet of a microphone and you could hear their breath".
VIP guests at Oasis' Knebworth concerts were given their own fold-out Oasis-branded binoculars.
They were also given a special stick of rock that measured around 8" long and featured the bands logo and dates of the now legendary gigs on the label.
Liam Gallagher “I’m very proud of it, I am. What do I remember? Not a lot, really. Nothing. I remember forgetting that we were doing a second night – I thought we were only doing just one, so I got really drunk after the first night. But I can’t remember anything else.”
Noel Gallagher "I remember us flying over and just being sort of normal. We were worried about other stuff: ‘Have you got the beers backstage?’, ‘Are they cold?’, ‘And have you got Sky?’, ‘Is it Sky Plus?’ Stuff like that".
