It’s hard to believe that it'll be thirty years tomorrow since me and three friends went to watch Oasis at Knebworth.
After initially missing out on Maine Road, then getting lucky when the second date was announced, Oasis at Knebworth tickets were much easier to get!
Armed as normal with my Dad’s credit card, and a load of fifty pence pieces, me and Becks went to the local phone box, as neither of us had a house phone, and got through immediately!
Dad was not happy that Oasis were in his words "taking the piss" with the ticket prices.
I think both our tickets the first time we saw Oasis were £14, and that included booking fees! I said I would pay my Dad back and, as usual, I never did.
The Journey
Two local lads came up with us, so the petrol was split four ways. My Mam gave us enough food and drink to keep us fed for a week. In the weeks and months leading up to the gigs, Oasis and talk of the BIGGEST gigs ever were on TV, the radio, in newspapers and throughout the music press. It was the event of a lifetime and I was so excited. I saw them a few times that year and they were outstanding in Cardiff and of course what is still the best gig I have ever attended was the first night at Maine Road.
We left the day before at around 2pm with a load of cassettes in my car featuring all the artists who were playing. We stayed about an hour's drive from the venue. I can’t remember what the place was called now, but there were a few Irish fans staying in the hotel with us. Before we left South Wales it was decided that I would drive there and Ivor would drive home.
We picked the boys up around 11am on the day of the gig and Ivor was completely pissed and had been drinking since dawn, I think. He was still a bit merry to be polite from the night before. After a huge row and Ivor being called a few swear words, we headed to Knebworth. It took us ages to get into the venue and park up. On the way to the venue, Ivor had put a huge blim burn from a fag on the back seat of my Dad’s car that caused another huge row and had finished a mountain of drinks.
Inside The Venue And Support Acts
We went through the entry points during The Chemical Brothers' set and made our way to the bars and toilets. We grabbed some food and a drink and then hit the merchandise stalls. We then made our way to the left-hand side of the stage.
The line-up for the entire weekend was filled with UK acts who were all doing well in the charts and with no Glastonbury it was the event of the summer. We got to where we would spend the rest of the evening during Ocean Colour Scene's set. I don’t remember much from them apart from them being really good.
Setlist
The Circle
The Day We Caught The Train
One For The Road
Song Of A Baker
The Riverboat Song
40 Past Midnight
You've Got It Bad
Get Away
Next up were the Manic Street Preachers who I had seen quite a few times over the years and are always great live. They were from a town around a 15-minute drive from my house in South Wales, and had supported Oasis a few times.
Everything Must Go
From Despair To Where
Australia
Enola/Alone
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)
Kevin Carter
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
Motorcycle Emptiness
No Surface All Feeling
You Love Us
A Design For Life
The final support act of the day was The Prodigy. At that moment in time, apart from Oasis, this is one band, act, whatever you want to call them, that I went out of my way to watch, and still do today.
They took to the stage and the noise and the response from the crowd was unbelievable. They had been number one with Firestarter and like Oasis, I had seen them for the first time early in their career in a small venue in Wales. They came to put on a performance and they certainly did!
Setlist
Space Intro
Smack My B*tch Up
Voodoo People
Breathe
Poison
Funky Shit
Weather Experience
Their Law
Mindfields
It's My Own Secret Technique
Firestarter
Rock 'N' Roll
No Good (Start The Dance)
Gabba
Oasis
Finally, the moment me and my friends, along with 124,996 other people, had been waiting for...OASIS!
After months of hype, the band arrived on stage to the biggest roar I have ever heard.
During one of the early songs, I got up on my friend James' shoulders and all I could see was people.
The highlights for me were Noel doing his mini acoustic set and John Squire coming on to play Champagne Supernova.
The highlights for me were Noel doing his mini acoustic set and John Squire coming on to play Champagne Supernova.
After all the fireworks, I remember the walk back to the car because it took forever. Ivor, Becks and James had all been drinking all day, and Ivor was completely out of it. He was dragged, kicked and punched back to the car by us. When we eventually got back, it took what felt like forever first to get out of the venue and then to get eventually home.
Setlist
The Swamp Song (Intro)
Columbia
Acquiesce
Supersonic
Hello
Some Might Say
Roll With It
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Round Are Way
Cigarettes And Alcohol
Whatever
Cast No Shadow
Wonderwall
The Masterplan
Don’t Look Back In Anger
My Big Mouth
It’s Gettin’ Better (Man!!)
Live Forever
Looking Back
Was it the best Oasis gig I ever attended? No, it wasn’t, but it was the BIGGEST. A moment of celebration for the fans and the band themselves I imagine.
Only two years earlier I had seen the band play to 1,000 people or fewer in North Wales. They moved quickly onto arenas and then to these absolutely monstrous gigs.
There is talk of them returning to the venue next year and I hope they do.
Oasis are best experienced on the biggest of stages and no stage in the UK at least, is as big as one at Knebworth.
