Oasis Live’25: The fourth night of the homecoming shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park

Oasis’ well-anticipated, sold out tour takes Manchester’s Heaton Park by storm as the Brothers stand together on the same stage once again.

Since the viral reunion tease at the end of Liam Gallagher’s Reading set last year, the band has become the topic of conversation again since the infamous break-up in 2009. With the dynamic pricing of the tickets, clothing collaborations, merchandise and Ticketmaster add-ons the reunion is making the brothers hundreds of millions of pounds- the fans? They’re making priceless,  life-lasting memories. And although the 15 year wait has heightened fans expectations, the brothers are as good as ever, as talented as ever and undoubtedly sounding the best they have done for a long time. 

 

The day:

Being surrounded by people with tickets and being on social media groups dedicated to the band, the stress about queues  and when to get to the venue was made very clear.

We didn’t get to Heaton Park until about 6:50pm and we still managed to go straight in, get served without having to wait and got a perfect view of the stage. That was due to how well organised the day was, everything was perfect from start to finish. There was no queues for the toilets, plenty of staff behind the bar clear signs around the park- but not only this, the staff were so lovely and friendly and even made a few jokes with us when we walked in.

 

The supporting acts:

When the timings of the acts got released, I was really surprised. I thought that Cast taking to the stage at 6:00pm was really early but that was because I never expected Oasis to be on as early at 8:15pm either.
There's a first for everything and that was the first concert I had been to where the main act came on so early.

As I mentioned, we didn’t get into the venue until late meaning that we missed Cast’s performance. I’ve never really been a fan of the band but it still would’ve been brilliant to see them either way.

When Oasis announced Richard Ashcroft, I can’t say that I was surprised. The close friendship of the brothers and Richard made the choice a very predictable one. This being said, I understand the reasoning  behind the choice but I think there are other bands that would’ve suited the role of being the act before the headliner better. The last supporting act should be the one that boosts the anticipation of the  crowd, getting them ready for the main event. However, Ashcroft is known for having quite slow, ballad-like songs, and because of this it did not really build up the crowd. Other groups that are also friends with the band such as Kasabian, would have been a much better support act to get the crowd prepared for the main event. In all, I thought Ashcroft provided a decent performance and has still got it after all this time.

 

Oasis:

Speaking to fans over the last year, there was much apprehension on whether Liam’s voice would hold out, whether the reunion would be cancelled due to more disagreements by the brothers and how long queues will be on the day of the gig. My own anxieties about whether my expectations were too high was fuelled by the stresses of everyone else- I was really worried that after the years apart, they wouldn’t sound the same.

That was not that case.

As soon as Noel began to play the first few chords of ‘Hello’ all my worries subsided and I knew that the boys were back. “It’s good to be back, good to be back”  filled all the starstruck eyes with tears of both happiness and disbelief, it was a moment of history. The opening song was cleverly followed by the much loved B-side ‘Acquiesce’ which left fans even more emotion-stricken after hearing the chorus “Because we need each other, we believe in one another.” During this, fans young and old all came together to share the love for the brothers by wrapping their arms around each other and helping people climb onto shoulders.

 

And that is the best thing about music, regardless of your background, your identity, your ethnicity, your religion, everyone is united by the love and the passion they share for the group who are just doing something that they have dreamed of doing- There is nothing more beautiful.

The two hour set consisted of songs from across most of the bands studio albums ranging from Definitely Maybe to Heathen Chemistry. In total, 23 songs were played. Ones that got the crowd jumping and cheering such as ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ and ones that slowed the pace down, causing time for reflection such as ‘Cast no shadow’. After ‘Roll with it’, Liam took a break for three songs while Noel performed ‘Talk Tonight’, ‘Half the world away’ and ‘Little by little’ I can only imagine this was to give fans the opportunity to hear both of the Gallagher’s vocals, as well as preserving Liam’s voice. It has been a long time since Liam’s vocals have sounded as melodic as they have done so far this tour, you can really tell how much care has been put in to help him sound his best and it has really paid off. He sounded the best he has done for a while.

I can not even begin to describe the emotions that I felt when watching Noel. I’ve seen Liam Gallagher up close, live before, but when I saw Noel i was at the very back so to see him on Saturday felt like the first time. I was in complete awe of the talent he holds. From his angelic voice to how gracefully his fingers moved along the guitar to change chords. Watching him sent shivers down my spine. Hearing him sing ‘Little by little’ was like an outer world experience. The hairs on the back of neck and arms stood up and my eyes filled with tears. Just watching his expressions when singing the song felt like you could just read his mind and understand the thought processes behind the lyrics.

There is nothing else in the world that can not only make you feel every single emotion but experience them like live music does- and seeing Oasis at their penultimate, homecoming show was the epitome of this.

To enjoy the Live’25 tour, you do not need to be a fan of the band. You just have to appreciate music and by the look on everyone faces as the brothers took to the stage, there wasn’t a single person in the crowd who regretted spending their money. It was a night I was proud to be apart of. The band have always been a successful one but until you see them live you won’t truly understand why. Liam’s humour when interacting with the crowd, his identifiable ways of singing the lyrics, Noel’s stern concentration face and the alluring way he harmonises with his brother are reasons why the band are as loved as what they are.

 

The stresses over the ballots and the tickets were all worth it.

 

Oasis are back and they are as good as they always have been and in my opinion they can never and will never be topped. Lets just hope that this is not the end and the boys reunite once again back in the studios.