Oasis Has Finally Arrived Back In America, And If You Have The Chance To Go See Them This Week or Next, Do Whatever It Takes

I always thought Noel Gallagher was the bigger asshole. But after experiencing the first two nights of Oasis’s long road to reunion, I finally get it. And I sympathize.

I always find myself thinking about the famous quote from “A Bronx Tale”, when DeNiro grabs his son Calogero in frustration and says, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” I’ve always felt that. I’d even take it further- the saddest thing in life is wasted potential. Watching someone with all the tools fck up. Not because they aren’t good enough, but because they can’t get out of their own way. It is absolutely brutal. It’ll drive you insane. Especially when it’s somebody you love.

For years, I thought Noel was just a miserable, stubborn, insufferable cvnt. But this weekend it clicked. Liam Gallagher put on one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen or heard in person. twice. All eyes were on him. All the pressure in the world. And he didn’t just rise to the occasion. He obliterated it. He was locked in. Clear. Loud. Coherent. Present. Charismatic. Unrecognizable in the best way.

We finally saw the Liam that Noel’s probably seen his whole life. And for the first time, it made sense why Noel walked away 16 years ago, and why he was so reluctant to come back.

This isn’t just one of the greatest rock & roll stories ever. It’s one of the greatest human ones too. Proof that no matter how deep the resentment runs, there’s always a shot at redemption. At forgiveness. At getting it right before it’s too late. I love music. And I love this band.

I wrote those words while it was still fresh in my head. 

I was going to blog something more lenghthy, but Robbie and Nate's words were great and summed everything up perfectly, Plus we don't need more Oasis blogs than we already have on here. 

Here is what I had to say after leaving the show, downing a few lagers at The City Arms pub in Cardiff after the show let out and I came back down to Earth.

Tonight, Oasis makes their first American appearance in almost 20 years. Right here in Chicago at Soldier Field. This weekend they're in The Meadowlands before heading over to the west coast and then South America and Asia. And I implore anybody reading this- if you are even slightly on the fence about wanting to go and see them, don't think, just do it. Tickets are $100-$300 right now for phenomenal seats on Gametime, and it's worth every penny.

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The haters will scoff and call the band selling out 80,000 cap football stadiums in seconds "lame", and "overrated", not realizing how stupid they sound. It's honestly something that's always confused me. But whatever.

There’s always been a certain breed of smug music critic who loves to tear Oasis down. 

Calling the songs unoriginal, the lyrics basic, the sound overblown. But for most of us, that was never the point. The magic of Oasis isn’t in the technicals. It’s in the memories their music unlocks. When I hear the line “I think you’re the same as me, we see things they’ll never see,” I’m instantly back to a moment that’s seared into my brain: Jamie Z., my first real crush, standing nearby on the playground. Close enough to touch, but completely out of reach. 

"Live Forever" was playing through some scratched-up CD player, and I was a wide-eyed twenty-year-old convinced that life had nothing but greatness waiting on the other side. Funny thing is, most of the stuff I dreamed about back then? I ended up getting. And that’s something I don’t remind myself of nearly enough. But I digress…

They said it would never happen.

And I don’t mean like “maybe in five years” never. I mean NEVER as in, “pigs would fly" never. 

Yet there we were. July 4th, 2025. 80,000 people shoulder-to-shoulder, bucket hats back in action, chanting like it was 1996 and time hadn’t passed at all.

Noel and Liam walked out to "Fuckin’ in the Bushes", arms around each other. Think about that. These two brothers, who’ve spent the last 15 years calling each other everything short of “war criminal,” strolled out like Wayne and Garth, bowing and curtsying to each other like it was Shakespeare in the Park. 

And it wasn't just for show. They've done this every night.

Opening with "Hello" wasn’t just symbolic. It was a warning shot, lke, “Yeah, this is fucking real. And we’re not here to phone it in.”

The thing is, that song’s not even one of their top-tier hits. But when 80,000 people scream "It's good to be back!", it doesn’t need to be. You could’ve played Fisher Price Baby Songs Vol. 2 in that stadium and it would’ve gone fucking banans in the moment.

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Let’s talk about Liam.

He was obviously the wildcard and big question mark coming into this whole thing.

1- could he put aside his attitude and ego for the greater good?

2- and if so, could his voice- something that's been problematic in the past due to how hard he sings, hold up for a multi city, international tour?

Well, I don’t know what cryo-chamber they’ve been freezing his vocal cords in between shows, but it’s working. I felt crazy saying it after the first two shows, but more confident two months later, but he’s never sounded better. That snarl is till there. The bite is even sharper. But now there’s this clarity, like he’s been to vocal therapy and came out the other side a Jedi. It's insane.

They’ve been spacing shows a full week apart, letting him rest, reset, and come back firing. And it shows. Guy didn’t miss a note. Not one. All weekend. He tossed tambourines like grenades and leaned into the mic like he wanted to throttle it for not being worthy of his voice.

He was so poised, composed, and dialed in that it was shocking. And he sang with the rage of someone who’s been dying to scream these songs into your soul for two decades.

Noel, meanwhile, looked like a dad who accidentally wandered on stage but still ripped perfect solos. 

He didn’t say much, but when he did, it hit. At one point he said, “If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to sing this song with other Oasis fans…” and trailed off. Like maybe he’d wondered too?

He still doesn’t believe he needs anyone. But you could tell, part of him was moved. 

He felt it. 

The nostalgia, the power, the fact that this thing- the band, the songs, the chaos, still meant something. Maybe more than anything he’s done since.

I said it in my video, but seeing Noel fucking Gallagher- arguably the stodgiest, most overly-dramatic and miserable guy in music standing on stage, riffing the chords to "Slide Away", while his younger brother belts out "Nowwwwwwwwww thatchurrrrrrrr miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnne" with his trademark, half-snarl-half-yell, full accented tone- and not being able to hold back a smile summed everything up. At least for me. 

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They played for over 2 hours, with a set list of 24 songs. 

Almost all from Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 

But… there were some noticeable omissions. Mainly, (for myself at least) no "Stop Crying Your Heart Out". Which I would love to hear given it allows Liam to really showcase his vocals, with a tinge of Noel on backup.

Still, the pacing was relentless. "Acquiesce" felt like it cracked the stadium open. 

"Champagne Supernova" had grown men hugging, sobbing, and confessing things they hadn’t told their therapists. 

"Live Forever" felt like gospel.

And Little By Little? Never thought I’d say this, but it was a goddamn delight. The entire stadium sang it like it was the national anthem. It was a reminder that even their B-sides would be platinum singles for any other band.

This wasn’t your typical British concert crowd. There were no fights. No plastic cups full of piss launched into the air. Just pure joy.

Everywhere we looked, people were smiling, hugging, and just, happy.

Fathers brought sons. Old mates reconciled mid-set. Two guys next to us were crying in each other's arms while facetiming their brother during "Cigarettes and Alcohol". Which, by the way, went absolutely bonkers.

I had no idea that song went that hard across the pond. I joked to Robbie and Nate on the way out that it was like playing "Mo Bamba" at a frat house in 2018. 

And the people we met couldn't have been nicer. I was wondering how they'd receive Americans, but they were incredibly nice, and they loved the fact that we'd flown and trained all the way there to see their band. And man oh man did they let loose. The beer lines were unlike anything I had ever seen, even at Soldier Field. Hours before the opener (The Verve, who was fucking excellent by the way) even began. So many people in bucket hats and stone washed jackets absolutely losing it to songs that haven’t left their playlists since LimeWire was a thing.

the visual production was a massive upgrade. Gone were the days of a flag and a single spotlight. This was cinematic. Projectors flashed abstract animations, vintage home videos, and emotional nods to the band’s legacy.

But here’s my one nitpick- I did catch violin tracks backing songs like "Whatever". And yeah, it worked, sounded great, but part of me missed the rawness. Oasis never needed a string section. They were the string section. But could they not have splurged for the real thing?

But the vibes were still perfect. Giant, but somehow still intimate. You could tell that they knew this was bigger than them, and leaned into it instead of trying to act too cool.

I still cannot believe this is even happening.

Liam was always the heart. Noel was always the brain. And for the first time in forever, they were functioning as one again.

They were never supposed to be here. But they were. And if this is the start of whether this is a one time cash grab like the cynics claim, or we end up getting new music and more tours, it doesn’t matter. Because this happened.

Sure, the bootlegs are coming. The documentaries are already being cut.  But none of them will do it justice. That's why if you have an opportunity to see them while they are here in the states, you have to do it. You will thank me later.