Oasis reunite for tour, end 15-year hiatus amid Gallagher brothers feud

Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” are reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-running feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Liam Gallagher performs at the Reading Music Festival, England, Aug. 29, 2021, left, and Noel Gallagher performs at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, June 25, 2022. (AP Photo)

LONDON (AP) — Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” is reuniting for a tour of the British Isles next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-running feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.

The guitar band will play 14 shows in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland in July and August, Oasis announced Tuesday. Tickets go on sale from 9am Saturday.

“It’s happening,” the group said.

Oasis split in 2009 after many years of infighting, with Noel Gallagher officially leaving the band just before a performance at a festival near Paris. Even before the breakup, the brothers had a long-standing, conflicted relationship and reportedly did not speak to each other for years after the split.

“People will write and say what they want, but I simply couldn’t continue working with Liam one more day,” Noel Gallagher, the band’s guitarist and songwriter, wrote in a statement at the time.

Although the Gallagher brothers have not performed together since, they regularly perform Oasis songs in their solo concerts. They have also each been critical of each other in the press.

Noel Gallagher accused his younger brother of being hungover, forcing them to cancel a concert in 2009. The singer contested the accusation and filed a lawsuit, later dropping the charges.

But now the brothers are preparing to reunite, with the band saying fans will experience the “spark and intensity” that only happens when they appear on stage together.

The tour will kick off on July 4 and 5 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, England, on July 11, 12, 19 and 20; Wembley Stadium in London on July 25 and 26 and August 2 and 3; Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on August 8 and 9; and Croke Park in Dublin on August 16 and 17.

The band alluded to past tensions in the tour announcement.

“The guns have fallen silent,” Oasis said. “The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come and see. It won’t be televised.”

In 2011, Noel Gallagher told the Associated Press in an interview that he left the band after an incident in which Liam Gallagher began swinging a guitar “like an axe… and he swung that guitar and, you know, he ripped my face off with it, you know?”

In 2019, Liam Gallagher told the AP he was ready to reconcile.

“The most important thing is that he and I are brothers,” he said. “He thinks I’m desperate to get the band back together for money. But I didn’t join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and see the world.”

“I don’t know what his problem is,” he continued. “I think he just wanted to go off and do his solo career and make all the money and be surrounded by all the men who say yes to everything and who he can fire and hire whenever he wants. You can’t do that with me.”

With the announcement, the Britpop forefathers have ended days of fan speculation. A short video on the band’s social media accounts on Sunday night revealed the date “27.08.24” and the time “8 o’clock”, written in the same font as the famous Oasis logo. The brothers shared the same on their individual accounts.

Of course, fans have long speculated about a possible reunion: After the 2017 bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Oasis’ hometown of Manchester, Liam Gallagher performed at a charity concert that fueled speculation of a reunion. He criticized his brother’s absence, but a spokesperson said Gallagher was unable to attend due to a long-planned family trip. Organizers of the event said Gallagher had approved the use of Oasis’ music and had donated royalties from “Don’t Look Back In Anger” to the British Red Cross’ One Love Manchester fund.

Later that year, Liam Gallagher tweeted to his brother, leading some to believe they had reconciled: “Want to wish the NG team a Merry Christmas, it’s been a great year, thanks for everything, can’t wait to see you tomorrow AS YOU WERE LG x”

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, Oasis were already set to release a new collection, “Definitely Maybe – Deluxe 30th Anniversary Editions,” celebrating the anniversary of their debut album.

Rumors of a possible reunion were amplified last weekend when Liam Gallagher responded on social media to unconfirmed reports that the band would play at Wembley Stadium in London and Heaton Park in Manchester. When a social media user criticized Heaton Park, the Manchester native wrote, “See you outside,” calling the user vulgar. In another unrelated post on X, he teased, “I never liked that word OLD.”

“Tell me, man,” Liam Gallagher responded. He also responded to several negative tweets about the potential reunion with, “Your attitude sucks” and “SHUT UP.” Noel Gallagher, meanwhile, has remained silent, aside from posting teasers.

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AP music reporter Maria Sherman reported from New York.