On Aug. 27, 2024, after 15 years apart due to a feud between Noel and Liam Gallagher, Oasis reunited and announced their comeback world tour titled “Oasis ‘25.” Tickets sold out almost immediately after being released. Stretching over four continents, the tour has been receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.
I had the pleasure of attending Night Two of their Los Angeles stop, the last stop on the American leg of the tour. The sun blazed the Rose Bowl to temperatures as high as 97℉. Merchandise booths were packed to the brim, both inside and out, with lines swirling and turning in different directions. But without a doubt, the undeniable indicator that this was an Oasis concert was the sunglass and bucket hat-wearing British fans, with their pints of beer and high energy and charisma; They were singing the songs everyone came to hear, even two hours before the band took the stage. Never before have I been so far away from home, but still at home. As I arrived at my seats and looked all around me. Hearing the sounds of conversation and laughter felt like a big family reunion, the anticipation and excitement notable in everyone’s faces.
The opener, Cage The Elephant, took the stage, announcing their arrival with a screeching guitar that sounded like artillery being fired. Certainly the best opener I have ever seen. After 30 minutes of bathing in the excitement and anticipation, the lights dimmed in the stadium, and the night took over. In a flash, the iconic walkout song of Oasis’s “F****n’ in the Bushes” rang out, and the stadium roared in excitement. As the Gallaghers made their way onto the stage, the stadium continued to scream in awe and applause. I myself was so overwhelmed with emotions that a few tears began to fall out of my eyes, and I was bathed in euphoria. The Gallaghers immediately went into their second song of the night, “Hello.” Here is when the waterworks really kicked in for me, who knew that one of the most hype songs would be the one to have me in tears and the most emotional.
The following songs went in a flash, back to back with no breaks, all sung and screamed by 80,000 fans. After “Roll with it,” the constant upbeat euphoric songs came to a pause. Liam walked off the stage, and Noel stood on stage with his acoustic guitar in hand. The stadium erupted, chanting “Noel” over and over again. As the chants began to die down, he went into “Talk Tonight” an acoustic ballad about a woman he met after temporarily abandoning the band for a week in 1994. The following songs were “Half The World Away” and “Little by Little.” There is certainly a stark contrast between the songs Liam sings lead and the songs Noel does. During Noel’s first solo set, I saw the stadium sing along in unison, all taking during the moment instead of living in it. As Noel’s set came to a close, the lights began to flicker red and the sound of morse code rang out, as the band made their way back on stage. They went straight into their 13th number “D’you Know What I Mean?,” my personal favorite Oasis song. And it is even better live. Liam’s voice sounds better than I expected. A highly mentioned topic is how much his voice has recovered, and in a song like “D’you Know What I Mean?,” where 10 years ago it would have caused him difficulty, he absolutely smashes it now.
Just before the encore, they played “Whatever,” “Live Forever” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” all fan favorites, which certainly showed. For “Whatever” they were accompanied by live horns and brass, a touch that really elevated the song live. And for the ending of “Whatever,” Liam sang a part of “Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles, which the crowd caught on to quickly, singing along. And for their penultimate song before their encore, they sang “Live Forever.” I paused in awe, taking it all in, 80,000 people united by music. During the chorus, I even turned to an old gentleman next to me, we gave each other the same look screaming out “You and I are gonna live forever.” Another unlikely emotional song for me was “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” Just before the song, Liam had a couple of words to say; he thanked the crowd for their energy and claimed it was the last song of the night because he has to “Go home and sleep, cause I’m a princess,” and immediately yelled out “Rock N Roll Star.” The performance was occupied by many visuals that showed the history of the band from the very beginning to now. Seeing all these old images really made me emotional. Even though I was only a year old when the band broke up, I still felt connected to the music. I grew up with it, and hearing it live reminded me of my childhood. I grew up with these songs because of my father and my sister. I bonded over these songs with them, and it was certainly a full circle moment, which was one of the many highlights of that night.
As the band walked off the stage after finishing the song, the screens went white, and claps and chants filled the air. Then out came Noel singing “The Masterplan,” often regarded as one of the greatest B-sides of all time. Following “The Masterplan” was the iconic “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” during which I saw the crowd at its loudest. All 80,000 people in that stadium were singing the song. All around me people were in tears, holding their significant other or just simply screaming their heart out. After “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” out came Liam, screaming into the mic, “Oasis and America the new hot couple” and the crowd screamed. He replied, “it’s about time.”
The opening chords to their most famous song, “Wonderwall” followed, and the crowd once again sang their hearts out.
Finishing the song, Liam spoke to the crowd stating “Now this is actually the last song, Goodnight I love all of you.”
“Champagne Supernova” was the final song they played that night, ending in fireworks and the brothers hugging each other under the fireworks. I was in a constant state of euphoria all 2 hours. Oasis was certainly not messing around, playing hit after hit, sounding just like they did when those songs were created 30 years ago. Liam and Noel’s voices were in fantastic shape. The energy in that stadium that night was indescribable, and the minute it was over, I wanted to relive it all again.
So are the Gallaghers just as good in 2025? They are even better than when they left. I have never seen a band comeback stronger than when they left the industry. They managed to turn back the clocks on their voices, and the overall sound was exactly the same, if not better, than the actual records. If possible, I recommend that anyone go to an Oasis show on this tour, whether you know the songs or not.
