September 10, 2025 • 27 mins
The impossible has happened. After sixteen years of bitter feuding that had fans convinced they'd never share a stage again, the Gallagher brothers reunited for Oasis Live 25—and I was there to witness it all at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Remember that feeling when something you've accepted would never happen suddenly becomes reality? That's what washed over me as I joined 62,000 fans watching Liam and Noel walk out hand-in-hand. This wasn't just another concert; it was the culmination of decades of hoping against hope that one of rock's most contentious sibling rivalries might somehow heal enough for one more show.
From the moment "Hello" kicked things off, the energy was electric. The setlist read like a dream—"Acquiesce," "Cigarettes & Alcohol," "Live Forever," and of course, the monumental encore of "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Wonderwall," and "Champagne Supernova." But what made this truly special wasn't just hearing these anthems live. It was seeing the subtle moments between the brothers—the shared glances, the visible respect, the undeniable chemistry that reminded us why their creative partnership produced some of the most enduring songs of the Britpop era. When Noel stepped away from the microphone during "Don't Look Back in Anger," allowing 62,000 voices to carry the chorus under the Chicago night sky, it transcended from concert to communal experience.
For longtime fans, every song carried additional weight. "Live Forever," Liam's favorite track dedicated to their mother. "Don't Look Back in Anger," with its ironic message about letting go of grudges. The psychedelic closer "Champagne Supernova" with its questions about how we find ourselves "caught beneath the landslide." These weren't just songs anymore—they were the soundtrack to a miracle unfolding before our eyes.
Have you ever experienced that rare moment when music becomes something more—when it repairs what seemed permanently broken? Share your own bucket list concert experiences or musical reunions you're still hoping to witness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hey everyone, welcome back to this.
Won't Teach you Anything.
I'm your host, Andy, and wow,it feels surreal to be saying
that again, but if you're along-time listener you might be
thinking wait, is this reallyhappening?
Because, yeah, it's been almosttwo years since the last
episode.
Life got busy, prioritiesshifted and, honestly, I needed
(00:35):
a break to recharge.
But I'm back now and I couldn'tbe more excited to dust off the
mic and dive into somepointless fun ramblings that, as
the title promises, won't teachyou a damn thing.
Anyway, during my hiatus, Iwasn't just sitting around
twiddling my thumbs.
I poured a lot of energy intomy slash, our podcast called
Rudimentary, with my brother andsome friends of mine, and not
(01:00):
really podcast, more of aYouTube channel, but if you
haven't checked it out yet, it'sall about about entertainment,
sports and pop culture andcurrent events.
Um, you can find it on youtube.
Uh, rudimentaryr-o-o-d-i-m-e-n-t-a-r-y.
Uh think breakdowns of thelatest movies, hot takes on nfl
(01:20):
sports in general, uh, drama anddeep dives into whatever viral
nonsense is blowing up online.
We also do a playlist where weeach pick a song every week and
add it to the playlist.
They can be looked at onSpotify, apple Music or your
favorite streaming service.
Going back into this Won'tTeach you Anything, but before I
(01:44):
do, it has been a blastbuilding that community and it's
just kept my creative juicesflowing while the podcast was on
pause.
I didn't mention is there is ahealthy dose of Caitlin Clark
(02:08):
news on that, because over thelast few years I've really
become a fan of the IndianaFever WNBA basketball team, so I
try to wedge in as much CaitlinClark news as I can on that
show and my co-host partnerSnakes, is one that that always
looks forward to the CaitlinClark updates.
But anyway, back to this show.
There's something special aboutthe audio format that just
(02:32):
makes me love podcasting and itjust seems like just you and me
chatting like old friends,one-sided as it may be, with me
doing all the talking, butanyway, let's get into it.
Today's episode is all about abucket list experience.
(02:52):
I had recently attending theOasis Live 25 concert tour,
specifically their show inChicago just here in August 28th
.
If you're an Oasis fan, youknow this reunion tour was a
massive deal.
The band hadn't played togetherin 16 years and seeing them
live felt almost like a miracle.
But before I get into thenitty-gritty of the concert, let
me take you back to how Oasisentered my life.
It was the mid-90s and I wasjust a kid, glued to the radio,
(03:14):
cds, etc.
That's when I first heardWonderwall and Champagne,
supernova.
These songs were everywhere.
Mtv, all media, everywhere hadthese songs and it was just I
was.
I almost went into all thestreaming services and whatnot,
but obviously they weren'taround then.
But cds, uh, radio was stillthe big thing, terrestrial radio
(03:38):
was a big thing and so, uh, youheard these songs a lot there,
uh, during, uh, during thosetimes, and this raw like
anthemic energy that hooked meinstantly, oasis became
synonymous with Britpop.
For me, the whole wave of theBritish rock dominating the
airwaves.
Being a legacy Rolling Stonesfan, it, just something about
(04:02):
British rock is just just.
I really enjoy.
But uh, here's the thing Inever got to see them live.
Back in the day, uh tours cameand went, uh, life happened and
I missed out.
I had a good friend, uh, who'sactually been on the show, sean
uh, and he has uh co-hosted withme.
He was lucky.
He caught them twice down inindapolis, uh, in in the late
(04:26):
nineties and he saw them in asmall three to 5,000, um, I'd
say seat, but it was generaladmission venue.
Uh, uh called the Marat roomdown in Indianapolis,
(04:47):
indianapolis, and so he got tosee him twice down there and he
raved about the energy, thecrowd.
I was jealous, but I figuredthat was it.
The band broke up in 2009 and Iwas not going to get my chance.
The brothers were just at eachother's throats.
These guys hated each other by2009 and and nobody thought this
would happen uh, liam and andnoel gallagher, uh, fast forward
(05:09):
to 2025 and boom, theimpossible happens.
Oasis announces their reunionfor the live 25 tour celebrating
three decades since their debutalbum, or something like that.
Anyway, tickets went on sale andticket mastermaster melted down
with the the uh first run oftickets and they sold out
(05:30):
immediately, especially overseas.
But then, um, being that in theStates they were only uh,
playing three cities, uh, um,new Jersey, um, chicago and Los
Angeles.
A couple of dates in New Jersey, one in Chicago and a couple in
Los Angeles, so I thought, well, that's that I would.
(05:52):
I ended up paying attention onthe secondary market, stubhub
and whatnot, but the ticketswere.
Even the nosebleeds where I didend up sitting were going for
six $700.
And that was just not somethingI could do at the time.
But, as with concerts, sportingevents and whatnot, secondary
market tickets tend to fluctuatea lot.
(06:13):
You know, as it gets closer tothe show a couple of weeks they
might go up a little bit, but asit gets closer people start to
panic and they think I've got tounload these tickets.
So the ticket prices came down.
I was able to snag a ticket forsomething reasonable and I did
go to this show by myself, whichI have some friends that are
like uh, it worked.
It was like you went to aconcert by yourself.
(06:34):
I'm like, yeah, why not?
I have a tendency to like toget where I'm going at concerts,
so sometimes if I'm with agroup, it either drives me nuts
or I accidentally leave peoplebehind when I'm trying to get
someplace.
So I didn't have to rely onmaking sure that anybody was
behind me or I was moving toofast or anything like that, only
(06:54):
had to rely on myself gettingto where I was going.
So that was, that was nice,yeah.
But yeah, the show was atSoldier Field and let me tell
you it was electric.
Just walking into that stadiumEnded up being surrounded by
62,000 approximate fans,complete sellout, and everybody
(07:16):
was just totally buzzing withanticipation.
You could feel it.
But to appreciate why this wassuch a big deal, let's rewind a
bit on Oasis history.
Oasis formed in Manchester,england, in 1991, originally as
the Reign, but they rebrandedwhen Liam Gallagher joined as
lead singer and his olderbrother, noel came on board as
(07:37):
lead guitarist and chiefsongwriter scene with their
debut album Definitely Maybe in1994, full of swaggering rock
anthems about dreaming big in aworking-class world.
Their follow-up, what's theStory?
Morning Glory, in 1995 madethem global superstars with the
hits that I mentioned above.
(07:57):
But Oasis was famous for theirmusic, as they were for the
tension between the Gallagherbrothers.
I mentioned before how Liam andNoel were constantly at each
other's throats public feuds,onstage fights, canceled shows.
It all culminated in 2009 whenNoel quit right before a
festival gig, saying he couldn'twork with Liam anymore, and the
band split.
And for 16 years, us fans heldout hope for a reunion.
(08:21):
That seemed impossible Untilnow.
The Live 25 tour kicked offearlier this year and it's been
a triumphant return.
Uh, proving that some siblingrivalries can be set aside for
the sake of rock and roll.
Uh, all right, let's talk aboutthe chicago show itself.
Uh, august 28th at soldierfield, and the set list was a
(08:42):
dream, uh, greatest hits dreamfor any Oasis fan.
A mix of the biggest hits, deepcuts, b-sides that showcase
their entire career.
They played for about two hoursand every song had the crowd
roaring.
I mean, I'll run through theset list here in a second and
for each one I'll give a littlebackstory on what the song's
(09:03):
about or how it came to be.
And, trust me, these tunes havesome wild origins.
The show kicked off with introtapes.
First Neil Young's Rocking inthe Free World was blasting over
the PA system before the boyshit the stage.
Everybody was getting hyped tothat.
(09:24):
I'm not a Neil Young fan, but alot of the crowd liked it uh.
And then followed by uh.
On the video screens you saw,you know, a um, uh meters
showing the um decibel levelsand uh stuff.
And then you knew that it wascoming when music hit and it
(09:45):
wasn't the band playing, but itwas a track over, you know, as
as a band was getting ready tocome out, you had a little video
screen showing things likeheadlines about Oasis breaks up
and Gallagher brothers arguingand things like that, headlines,
especially from overseas,others arguing and things like
(10:10):
that, headlines especially fromoverseas, but it, uh it.
It really kind of told a quickhistory since 2009 of of up
until the concert moment.
Um and the.
The song that started it out asthey were going to walk on stage
is their own song, and I'lledit the word here Effing in the
Bushes from the 2000 albumStanding on the Shoulder of
(10:32):
Giants.
It's an instrumental track withsample dialogue from news
clippings and things like that,originally meant as a live intro
talking about chaos andrebellion, perfect for what was
about to happen.
Then the band hit the stagewith their opener Hello from
what's the Story?
Morning Glory.
This opener is all about.
(10:53):
This song is all about newbeginnings and shaking off the
past with lyrics like it's justa little bit of you.
That's in my veins.
Noel wrote this as a nod toGary Glitter's Hello, hello, I'm
Back Again, but Oasis totallymade it their own song.
You'd never know it, just basedoff of not knowing this little
(11:13):
bit of backstory.
So it's a total Oasis song.
Next up was Acquiesce.
This was a B-side of the 1995single.
Some Might Say this one'sfascinating because it's one of
the few where both brothers singlead Liam on verses and Noel on
chorus.
It's often interpreted as beingabout their relationship with
lines like I don't know what itis that makes me feel alive,
(11:37):
hinting at needing each otherdespite the fights.
It became a fan favorite overthe years and these two kind of
went right in from one to theother and it was a great start
to the show.
And these two kind of wentright in from one to the other
and it was.
It was a great start to theshow.
They rolled right into morningglory, the title track from that
same album, the song.
This song is a high octanerocker about the highs and lows
of drug fueled nights, with Noelsinging about needing a little
(12:00):
time to wake up.
It's captures that ninetieshedonism perfectly and and and
live.
The whole place was justelectrified, going into the next
track, some Might Say.
Followed that Again the otherside of Acquiesce.
That followed Morning Glory,and this was their first UK
number one in 1995.
(12:21):
Morning Glory and this wastheir first UK number one in
1995.
Noel wrote this as anoptimistic anthem about hope and
redemption, inspired by ahomeless guy he met and said
some might say we'll find abrighter day.
It's got that classic Oasisjangle and was a breakthrough
for them.
Post Definitely Maybe Then cameBring it On Down from their
(12:43):
debut album Definitely Maybe.
This is more of a punkyy,aggressive track sung by Liam,
all about frustration andrebellion against authority.
Uh, noel wrote it early on,drawing from his factory job
days and it's one of their rawsongs and just pure energy.
Live, uh, one of my favoritesof of that.
(13:04):
My wife gets here absolutelysick of hearing.
When I get a song in my head Iwill play it to death and she
cannot stand that.
But, uh, one of my favorites iscigarettes and alcohol and this
is also from definitely maybe.
Uh, it's a straight up ode toworking class escapism, booze
smokes and dreaming of a betterlife.
Uh, noel sampled t-rex's get iton for the riff and it's got
(13:28):
that glam rock vibe mixed with,uh, brit pop attitude.
Hearing liam belt this out livewas unreal.
It, I mean, it's the definitionof swagger and this track.
I wish I could play this stuffon the podcast, but licensing,
obviously, and and whatnot,isn't going to allow me to do
that.
But the riff on this, um, onthis track is you do hear the,
(13:52):
the, the T-Rex, uh, bang a gong,uh, feel to it.
But it differs when it hitswith the.
Um, the bass, just the bassguitar just absolutely rips into
this thing in tandem with theguitar parts, and Liam's voice
(14:12):
is just made for this song.
So I encourage you.
If you don't know much aboutOasis or haven't heard that song
and you like rock, that is afantastic track.
Just down, dirty and verycatchy.
It'll be stuck in your head,but great track.
Cigarettes and Alcohol.
Next we had Fade Away, anotherdefinitely maybe era B-side to
(14:38):
Cigarettes and Alcohol.
This one's about feeling youthand not letting dreams slip away
.
Noel wrote it quickly and it'sgot a melodic punch that makes
it a hidden gem in their catalog.
So I mean it's, you know, notnot one that was released and so
some you know a little deepercut.
And then another big hit,another classic Oasis song
(15:01):
supersonic.
It was a debut single from 1994.
And legend has it that Noelwrote this in about 30 minutes
while the band was recordinganother track.
It's surreal and cocky Lineslike I'm feeling super sonic.
Give me gin and tonic.
It put them on the map andstill sounds fresh.
I mean one of those songs thatcould just be a hit today as
(15:24):
much as it was back in 94.
Could just be a hit today asmuch as it was back in 94.
And it was, you know, the crowdsaying every word.
Really really cool, great crowd.
They shifted gears with RollWith it from Morning Glory.
This was part of the famous1995 Britpop battle with Blur's
Country House.
Fun upbeat tune about rollingwith life's punches, but it got
(15:48):
overshadowed by the chart war.
Live, live, but live, it is acrowd pleaser, live, um.
Next we have talk tonight, ab-side to.
Some might say.
Noel wrote this song um, afterstorming out of a band, out of
the band during their first tourin 1994, he ended up in san
francisco crashing with a fanwho talked him down.
It's acoustic and reflective,about finding solace in
(16:11):
unexpected places.
Then we have Half the WorldAway, another B-side to whatever
.
This became famous as a themefor the BBC sitcom the Royal
Family.
Noel wrote it about longing forhome with uh while he was out
on tour, with poignant lyricslike I would like to leave this
city, uh, it's, it's tender andit shows, uh, their softer side.
(16:34):
So they definitely have somerockers, but they've got some
really really um ballad, uh softstuff too.
So it really shows their range.
Then we had Little by Littlefrom 2002's album Heathen
Chemistry.
Noel sings lead here and it'sabout personal growth and
questioning life's purpose.
(16:54):
It was a single during a rockyperiod for the band, but it got
an uplifting chorus.
It soared in the stadium.
It just it took off and people,especially when the chorus hit,
just sang the words.
Right with Noel, and you knowjust goosebumps when you have
that many people on the samepage and singing these songs.
(17:14):
Next is Do you Know what I Mean?
This kicked off the heaviersection.
It's a lead single from 1997'sBe here Now album.
This track is full of Beatlesreferences and and and um
written by noel as a statementof internet post fame.
It's uh bombastic, withhelicopters in the video
symbolizing their over-the-toptype era.
Um, stand by me, also from behere now, and this is not a
(17:39):
cover of the benny king classicsong stand by me, but an
original about loyalty andsupport.
Noel drew this drew frompersonal relationships on this
one and it's got that bigsing-along chorus.
Next up Cast no Shadow fromMorning Glory.
This one's dedicated to RichardAshcroft of the Verb, who was
(18:01):
struggling at the time.
Lyrics like bound with all theweight of all the words he tried
to say, are about feelingtrapped by expectations.
It's a beautiful and underratedtrack.
Next up.
Slide away.
This brought back the earlyvibes from like debit,
(18:21):
definitely maybe, uh.
Noel wrote this love song forhis then girlfriend with a
passionate with passionatelyrics about escaping together.
Liam's vocals are on this, areiconic and it's often called one
of their best.
So again, that great one tolisten to if you haven't heard
it.
Slide away away.
Next, whatever and this was a1994 standalone single, not on
an album.
This features strings and amore orchestral feel inspired by
(18:43):
Neil Ennis' how Sweet to Be anIdiot.
It's about freedom and notcaring what others think, and
it's a perfect mid-set breather.
It's just kind of like arefresher mint to go into the
next section of the show.
Next up is Live Forever.
This one's an early single fromDefinitely Maybe.
Noel wrote this as a responseto the grunge scenes nihilism
(19:07):
inspired by Nirvana's I HateMyself and Want to Die.
It's an anthem of optimism.
Lyrics maybe I just want tolive forever.
Uh, the crowd went wild forthis and liam has gone on record
saying that this is hisfavorite oasis song and it
reminds of his, of his mom.
If you ever look any youtube upon these guys, you'll see him
ask that question and he'llalways say live forever, um, uh.
(19:33):
Next up is uh rock and roll star, the uh opener from.
Definitely maybe this sets thetone for their whole career.
I mean this.
This is them dreaming of fame,uh, while stuck in those factory
jobs, mundane type of life.
Uh, noel captured thataspiration perfectly and live
it's explosive.
I mean 62 000 people in a rockconcert with a song called Rock
(19:55):
and Roll Star.
Absolutely, sign me up.
Next, the Master Plan.
It's a title track from their1998 B-Sides compilation.
Noel sings this orchestral songabout fate and going with the
flow.
It's fan voted as one of theirbest and hearing it in Chicago
it was just awesome.
Now that was the end of the setand then we moved into the
(20:20):
encore.
And the encore wasn't just onesong, obviously that if you've
been playing along, you knowanything about Oasis, some of
the biggest songs I've yet tomention.
Um, the encore encore startedwith uh, um.
Another uh favorite and thatwas Don't Look Back in Anger
(20:40):
from Morning Glory.
Noel takes lead vocals here andit's inspired by John Lennon's
Imagine sessions.
The chords on the piano are thesame two chords at the
beginning of Imagine.
You'll hear it.
Lyrics are about letting go ofgrudges.
It's really ironic, given thatthe brothers their own history.
(21:04):
But that's what it's about.
This was my bucket list momentof this show, singing along
again with 60,000 plus peopleand Noel Gallagher himself.
The stadium lit up with phonelights and the voices were just
everywhere.
I was completely blown away.
(21:24):
Literal chills down my spine.
And if there's one song thatdefines Oasis emotional depth,
it's this song.
Um absolute, absolute favoriteand the crowd saying every word.
Um, noel got up there and whenthe chorus hit he stepped away
for the first time from the micand just let the crowd take it.
(21:47):
Uh, but the crowd was singingthe whole song anyway.
But it was just just one ofthose awesome live music uh
moments.
Uh, following that up that up.
Wonderwall followed, followedand it was a mega hit from
Morning Glory.
Noel originally wrote it for hisgirlfriend, now ex-wife, meg
Matthews, but it's become auniversal love song.
(22:08):
Liam's delivery is raw andeveryone knows every word.
Just pure magic.
And then they closed withchampagne supernova another uh,
morning glory epic.
I mean, uh, what's the story?
Morning glory is like just agreatest hits album, a must-have
, especially if you're a vinylcollector, get that album.
(22:30):
Uh, this uh psychedelic closeris about fame's absurdity, with
references to hallucinogens andwonder and um, british superstar
paul weller, uh guests on aguitar on the recording and live
it.
It just it builds to thismassive crescendo and that the
crowd again singing.
Every word.
(22:50):
It was absolutely perfect withpyrotechnics and whatnot.
Just just awesome.
Um, overall, this was one ofthe greatest shows I've I've
ever seen.
Um, the energy set last uh setlist, the reunion vibe, it all
came together flawlessly.
And the Gallagher's were onform.
(23:12):
Uh, you know trading barbs backand forth, but there there was
a lot of love between them.
You could see it, which wascrazy.
Um came out holding hands.
Um hugs, what I justunbelievable uh seeing this.
If you get a chance, um, youknow the tours have have swept
through LA, so they're going uhSouth America right now.
(23:34):
But, uh, if you get a chanceand are interested, check out
YouTube for the Chicago show,the New Jersey show, the ones in
in England and the UK are justamazing.
The crowds are but um, highlyimpressed, uh, highly impressed
after all these years.
So glad that I got toexperience it live.
(24:01):
I made it a day trip to ChicagoIn advance of the shows.
They were doing pop-up stores afew days before and a few days
after at the locations.
You can buy merchandise thereand um, you know just stores all
dedicated to Oasis, and uh wentand hit that beforehand.
(24:22):
I think it was about a 35minute wait to get into that.
Um got out, made my way over tosoldier field, got there early
enough, got good parking spotwhich um in a lot and I hadn't
been to a big tour in a whileand this reminded me why I'm not
going as much as I used to itwas 57 to park, uh.
(24:47):
So, granted, I got up close butwas don't know that it was 57
worth of parking.
Uh, it was not the don't knowthat it was $57 worth of parking
.
It was not the worst parkingspot I've ever had, but I man,
when, when you need to find aspot to park, they've really got
you.
So, um, but in and out of thethe the stadium was easy.
(25:10):
Uh got out quick, got out onthe road and I live about three
hours away and made it back homeat uh 3, 15 AM.
Uh did take the day off uh fromwork, worked a little bit from
home, but uh, my age these daysI'm not uh not able to do the
(25:30):
concert in Chicago and drivehome and go to work the next
morning anymore.
It just is, uh, just a bit toomuch.
But, um, again, magic timeloved it, something I love just
as much as is being back on thispodcast, and, um, I really
(25:51):
missed it.
You know, sitting here lookingat the?
Um, the control board and themicrophone and, just you know,
remembering back to when Istarted this and why I love
doing it, and definitely I'mgoing to make time to go ahead
and and make more episodes, uh,and and not take these long
breaks.
Uh, it's, it's a labor of loveand I just really enjoy it.
(26:13):
Um, but anyway, uh, that's itfor this.
Uh return episode of this won'tteach you anything.
Uh, again, it's, it's good tobe back and I look forward to uh
making more episodes.
Uh, maybe next time we'll diveinto something sports.
Just kidding, that's not thisum podcast, but here we'll hit
the air soon with the?
(26:34):
Uh kicking up the new season ofrudimentary, where you can
catch any sports views thatmight be interested from me and
my brother and our friends.
Until then, take care, keeprocking and remember that this
didn't teach you anything.
Oh, and don't look back inanger.
Hey everyone, welcome back to this.
Won't Teach you Anything.
I'm your host, Andy, and wow,it feels surreal to be saying
that again, but if you're along-time listener you might be
thinking wait, is this reallyhappening?
Because, yeah, it's been almosttwo years since the last
episode.
Life got busy, prioritiesshifted and, honestly, I needed
(00:35):
a break to recharge.
But I'm back now and I couldn'tbe more excited to dust off the
mic and dive into somepointless fun ramblings that, as
the title promises, won't teachyou a damn thing.
Anyway, during my hiatus, Iwasn't just sitting around
twiddling my thumbs.
I poured a lot of energy intomy slash, our podcast called
Rudimentary, with my brother andsome friends of mine, and not
(01:00):
really podcast, more of aYouTube channel, but if you
haven't checked it out yet, it'sall about about entertainment,
sports and pop culture andcurrent events.
Um, you can find it on youtube.
Uh, rudimentaryr-o-o-d-i-m-e-n-t-a-r-y.
Uh think breakdowns of thelatest movies, hot takes on nfl
(01:20):
sports in general, uh, drama anddeep dives into whatever viral
nonsense is blowing up online.
We also do a playlist where weeach pick a song every week and
add it to the playlist.
They can be looked at onSpotify, apple Music or your
favorite streaming service.
Going back into this Won'tTeach you Anything, but before I
(01:44):
do, it has been a blastbuilding that community and it's
just kept my creative juicesflowing while the podcast was on
pause.
I didn't mention is there is ahealthy dose of Caitlin Clark
(02:08):
news on that, because over thelast few years I've really
become a fan of the IndianaFever WNBA basketball team, so I
try to wedge in as much CaitlinClark news as I can on that
show and my co-host partnerSnakes, is one that that always
looks forward to the CaitlinClark updates.
But anyway, back to this show.
There's something special aboutthe audio format that just
(02:32):
makes me love podcasting and itjust seems like just you and me
chatting like old friends,one-sided as it may be, with me
doing all the talking, butanyway, let's get into it.
Today's episode is all about abucket list experience.
(02:52):
I had recently attending theOasis Live 25 concert tour,
specifically their show inChicago just here in August 28th
.
If you're an Oasis fan, youknow this reunion tour was a
massive deal.
The band hadn't played togetherin 16 years and seeing them
live felt almost like a miracle.
But before I get into thenitty-gritty of the concert, let
me take you back to how Oasisentered my life.
It was the mid-90s and I wasjust a kid, glued to the radio,
(03:14):
cds, etc.
That's when I first heardWonderwall and Champagne,
supernova.
These songs were everywhere.
Mtv, all media, everywhere hadthese songs and it was just I
was.
I almost went into all thestreaming services and whatnot,
but obviously they weren'taround then.
But cds, uh, radio was stillthe big thing, terrestrial radio
(03:38):
was a big thing and so, uh, youheard these songs a lot there,
uh, during, uh, during thosetimes, and this raw like
anthemic energy that hooked meinstantly, oasis became
synonymous with Britpop.
For me, the whole wave of theBritish rock dominating the
airwaves.
Being a legacy Rolling Stonesfan, it, just something about
(04:02):
British rock is just just.
I really enjoy.
But uh, here's the thing Inever got to see them live.
Back in the day, uh tours cameand went, uh, life happened and
I missed out.
I had a good friend, uh, who'sactually been on the show, sean
uh, and he has uh co-hosted withme.
He was lucky.
He caught them twice down inindapolis, uh, in in the late
(04:26):
nineties and he saw them in asmall three to 5,000, um, I'd
say seat, but it was generaladmission venue.
Uh, uh called the Marat roomdown in Indianapolis,
(04:47):
indianapolis, and so he got tosee him twice down there and he
raved about the energy, thecrowd.
I was jealous, but I figuredthat was it.
The band broke up in 2009 and Iwas not going to get my chance.
The brothers were just at eachother's throats.
These guys hated each other by2009 and and nobody thought this
would happen uh, liam and andnoel gallagher, uh, fast forward
(05:09):
to 2025 and boom, theimpossible happens.
Oasis announces their reunionfor the live 25 tour celebrating
three decades since their debutalbum, or something like that.
Anyway, tickets went on sale andticket mastermaster melted down
with the the uh first run oftickets and they sold out
(05:30):
immediately, especially overseas.
But then, um, being that in theStates they were only uh,
playing three cities, uh, um,new Jersey, um, chicago and Los
Angeles.
A couple of dates in New Jersey, one in Chicago and a couple in
Los Angeles, so I thought, well, that's that I would.
(05:52):
I ended up paying attention onthe secondary market, stubhub
and whatnot, but the ticketswere.
Even the nosebleeds where I didend up sitting were going for
six $700.
And that was just not somethingI could do at the time.
But, as with concerts, sportingevents and whatnot, secondary
market tickets tend to fluctuatea lot.
(06:13):
You know, as it gets closer tothe show a couple of weeks they
might go up a little bit, but asit gets closer people start to
panic and they think I've got tounload these tickets.
So the ticket prices came down.
I was able to snag a ticket forsomething reasonable and I did
go to this show by myself, whichI have some friends that are
like uh, it worked.
It was like you went to aconcert by yourself.
(06:34):
I'm like, yeah, why not?
I have a tendency to like toget where I'm going at concerts,
so sometimes if I'm with agroup, it either drives me nuts
or I accidentally leave peoplebehind when I'm trying to get
someplace.
So I didn't have to rely onmaking sure that anybody was
behind me or I was moving toofast or anything like that, only
(06:54):
had to rely on myself gettingto where I was going.
So that was, that was nice,yeah.
But yeah, the show was atSoldier Field and let me tell
you it was electric.
Just walking into that stadiumEnded up being surrounded by
62,000 approximate fans,complete sellout, and everybody
(07:16):
was just totally buzzing withanticipation.
You could feel it.
But to appreciate why this wassuch a big deal, let's rewind a
bit on Oasis history.
Oasis formed in Manchester,england, in 1991, originally as
the Reign, but they rebrandedwhen Liam Gallagher joined as
lead singer and his olderbrother, noel came on board as
(07:37):
lead guitarist and chiefsongwriter scene with their
debut album Definitely Maybe in1994, full of swaggering rock
anthems about dreaming big in aworking-class world.
Their follow-up, what's theStory?
Morning Glory, in 1995 madethem global superstars with the
hits that I mentioned above.
(07:57):
But Oasis was famous for theirmusic, as they were for the
tension between the Gallagherbrothers.
I mentioned before how Liam andNoel were constantly at each
other's throats public feuds,onstage fights, canceled shows.
It all culminated in 2009 whenNoel quit right before a
festival gig, saying he couldn'twork with Liam anymore, and the
band split.
And for 16 years, us fans heldout hope for a reunion.
(08:21):
That seemed impossible Untilnow.
The Live 25 tour kicked offearlier this year and it's been
a triumphant return.
Uh, proving that some siblingrivalries can be set aside for
the sake of rock and roll.
Uh, all right, let's talk aboutthe chicago show itself.
Uh, august 28th at soldierfield, and the set list was a
(08:42):
dream, uh, greatest hits dreamfor any Oasis fan.
A mix of the biggest hits, deepcuts, b-sides that showcase
their entire career.
They played for about two hoursand every song had the crowd
roaring.
I mean, I'll run through theset list here in a second and
for each one I'll give a littlebackstory on what the song's
(09:03):
about or how it came to be.
And, trust me, these tunes havesome wild origins.
The show kicked off with introtapes.
First Neil Young's Rocking inthe Free World was blasting over
the PA system before the boyshit the stage.
Everybody was getting hyped tothat.
(09:24):
I'm not a Neil Young fan, but alot of the crowd liked it uh.
And then followed by uh.
On the video screens you saw,you know, a um, uh meters
showing the um decibel levelsand uh stuff.
And then you knew that it wascoming when music hit and it
(09:45):
wasn't the band playing, but itwas a track over, you know, as
as a band was getting ready tocome out, you had a little video
screen showing things likeheadlines about Oasis breaks up
and Gallagher brothers arguingand things like that, headlines,
especially from overseas,others arguing and things like
(10:10):
that, headlines especially fromoverseas, but it, uh it.
It really kind of told a quickhistory since 2009 of of up
until the concert moment.
Um and the.
The song that started it out asthey were going to walk on stage
is their own song, and I'lledit the word here Effing in the
Bushes from the 2000 albumStanding on the Shoulder of
(10:32):
Giants.
It's an instrumental track withsample dialogue from news
clippings and things like that,originally meant as a live intro
talking about chaos andrebellion, perfect for what was
about to happen.
Then the band hit the stagewith their opener Hello from
what's the Story?
Morning Glory.
This opener is all about.
(10:53):
This song is all about newbeginnings and shaking off the
past with lyrics like it's justa little bit of you.
That's in my veins.
Noel wrote this as a nod toGary Glitter's Hello, hello, I'm
Back Again, but Oasis totallymade it their own song.
You'd never know it, just basedoff of not knowing this little
(11:13):
bit of backstory.
So it's a total Oasis song.
Next up was Acquiesce.
This was a B-side of the 1995single.
Some Might Say this one'sfascinating because it's one of
the few where both brothers singlead Liam on verses and Noel on
chorus.
It's often interpreted as beingabout their relationship with
lines like I don't know what itis that makes me feel alive,
(11:37):
hinting at needing each otherdespite the fights.
It became a fan favorite overthe years and these two kind of
went right in from one to theother and it was a great start
to the show.
And these two kind of wentright in from one to the other
and it was.
It was a great start to theshow.
They rolled right into morningglory, the title track from that
same album, the song.
This song is a high octanerocker about the highs and lows
of drug fueled nights, with Noelsinging about needing a little
(12:00):
time to wake up.
It's captures that ninetieshedonism perfectly and and and
live.
The whole place was justelectrified, going into the next
track, some Might Say.
Followed that Again the otherside of Acquiesce.
That followed Morning Glory,and this was their first UK
number one in 1995.
(12:21):
Morning Glory and this wastheir first UK number one in
1995.
Noel wrote this as anoptimistic anthem about hope and
redemption, inspired by ahomeless guy he met and said
some might say we'll find abrighter day.
It's got that classic Oasisjangle and was a breakthrough
for them.
Post Definitely Maybe Then cameBring it On Down from their
(12:43):
debut album Definitely Maybe.
This is more of a punkyy,aggressive track sung by Liam,
all about frustration andrebellion against authority.
Uh, noel wrote it early on,drawing from his factory job
days and it's one of their rawsongs and just pure energy.
Live, uh, one of my favoritesof of that.
(13:04):
My wife gets here absolutelysick of hearing.
When I get a song in my head Iwill play it to death and she
cannot stand that.
But, uh, one of my favorites iscigarettes and alcohol and this
is also from definitely maybe.
Uh, it's a straight up ode toworking class escapism, booze
smokes and dreaming of a betterlife.
Uh, noel sampled t-rex's get iton for the riff and it's got
(13:28):
that glam rock vibe mixed with,uh, brit pop attitude.
Hearing liam belt this out livewas unreal.
It, I mean, it's the definitionof swagger and this track.
I wish I could play this stuffon the podcast, but licensing,
obviously, and and whatnot,isn't going to allow me to do
that.
But the riff on this, um, onthis track is you do hear the,
(13:52):
the, the T-Rex, uh, bang a gong,uh, feel to it.
But it differs when it hitswith the.
Um, the bass, just the bassguitar just absolutely rips into
this thing in tandem with theguitar parts, and Liam's voice
(14:12):
is just made for this song.
So I encourage you.
If you don't know much aboutOasis or haven't heard that song
and you like rock, that is afantastic track.
Just down, dirty and verycatchy.
It'll be stuck in your head,but great track.
Cigarettes and Alcohol.
Next we had Fade Away, anotherdefinitely maybe era B-side to
(14:38):
Cigarettes and Alcohol.
This one's about feeling youthand not letting dreams slip away
.
Noel wrote it quickly and it'sgot a melodic punch that makes
it a hidden gem in their catalog.
So I mean it's, you know, notnot one that was released and so
some you know a little deepercut.
And then another big hit,another classic Oasis song
(15:01):
supersonic.
It was a debut single from 1994.
And legend has it that Noelwrote this in about 30 minutes
while the band was recordinganother track.
It's surreal and cocky Lineslike I'm feeling super sonic.
Give me gin and tonic.
It put them on the map andstill sounds fresh.
I mean one of those songs thatcould just be a hit today as
(15:24):
much as it was back in 94.
Could just be a hit today asmuch as it was back in 94.
And it was, you know, the crowdsaying every word.
Really really cool, great crowd.
They shifted gears with RollWith it from Morning Glory.
This was part of the famous1995 Britpop battle with Blur's
Country House.
Fun upbeat tune about rollingwith life's punches, but it got
(15:48):
overshadowed by the chart war.
Live, live, but live, it is acrowd pleaser, live, um.
Next we have talk tonight, ab-side to.
Some might say.
Noel wrote this song um, afterstorming out of a band, out of
the band during their first tourin 1994, he ended up in san
francisco crashing with a fanwho talked him down.
It's acoustic and reflective,about finding solace in
(16:11):
unexpected places.
Then we have Half the WorldAway, another B-side to whatever
.
This became famous as a themefor the BBC sitcom the Royal
Family.
Noel wrote it about longing forhome with uh while he was out
on tour, with poignant lyricslike I would like to leave this
city, uh, it's, it's tender andit shows, uh, their softer side.
(16:34):
So they definitely have somerockers, but they've got some
really really um ballad, uh softstuff too.
So it really shows their range.
Then we had Little by Littlefrom 2002's album Heathen
Chemistry.
Noel sings lead here and it'sabout personal growth and
questioning life's purpose.
(16:54):
It was a single during a rockyperiod for the band, but it got
an uplifting chorus.
It soared in the stadium.
It just it took off and people,especially when the chorus hit,
just sang the words.
Right with Noel, and you knowjust goosebumps when you have
that many people on the samepage and singing these songs.
(17:14):
Next is Do you Know what I Mean?
This kicked off the heaviersection.
It's a lead single from 1997'sBe here Now album.
This track is full of Beatlesreferences and and and um
written by noel as a statementof internet post fame.
It's uh bombastic, withhelicopters in the video
symbolizing their over-the-toptype era.
Um, stand by me, also from behere now, and this is not a
(17:39):
cover of the benny king classicsong stand by me, but an
original about loyalty andsupport.
Noel drew this drew frompersonal relationships on this
one and it's got that bigsing-along chorus.
Next up Cast no Shadow fromMorning Glory.
This one's dedicated to RichardAshcroft of the Verb, who was
(18:01):
struggling at the time.
Lyrics like bound with all theweight of all the words he tried
to say, are about feelingtrapped by expectations.
It's a beautiful and underratedtrack.
Next up.
Slide away.
This brought back the earlyvibes from like debit,
(18:21):
definitely maybe, uh.
Noel wrote this love song forhis then girlfriend with a
passionate with passionatelyrics about escaping together.
Liam's vocals are on this, areiconic and it's often called one
of their best.
So again, that great one tolisten to if you haven't heard
it.
Slide away away.
Next, whatever and this was a1994 standalone single, not on
an album.
This features strings and amore orchestral feel inspired by
(18:43):
Neil Ennis' how Sweet to Be anIdiot.
It's about freedom and notcaring what others think, and
it's a perfect mid-set breather.
It's just kind of like arefresher mint to go into the
next section of the show.
Next up is Live Forever.
This one's an early single fromDefinitely Maybe.
Noel wrote this as a responseto the grunge scenes nihilism
(19:07):
inspired by Nirvana's I HateMyself and Want to Die.
It's an anthem of optimism.
Lyrics maybe I just want tolive forever.
Uh, the crowd went wild forthis and liam has gone on record
saying that this is hisfavorite oasis song and it
reminds of his, of his mom.
If you ever look any youtube upon these guys, you'll see him
ask that question and he'llalways say live forever, um, uh.
(19:33):
Next up is uh rock and roll star, the uh opener from.
Definitely maybe this sets thetone for their whole career.
I mean this.
This is them dreaming of fame,uh, while stuck in those factory
jobs, mundane type of life.
Uh, noel captured thataspiration perfectly and live
it's explosive.
I mean 62 000 people in a rockconcert with a song called Rock
(19:55):
and Roll Star.
Absolutely, sign me up.
Next, the Master Plan.
It's a title track from their1998 B-Sides compilation.
Noel sings this orchestral songabout fate and going with the
flow.
It's fan voted as one of theirbest and hearing it in Chicago
it was just awesome.
Now that was the end of the setand then we moved into the
(20:20):
encore.
And the encore wasn't just onesong, obviously that if you've
been playing along, you knowanything about Oasis, some of
the biggest songs I've yet tomention.
Um, the encore encore startedwith uh, um.
Another uh favorite and thatwas Don't Look Back in Anger
(20:40):
from Morning Glory.
Noel takes lead vocals here andit's inspired by John Lennon's
Imagine sessions.
The chords on the piano are thesame two chords at the
beginning of Imagine.
You'll hear it.
Lyrics are about letting go ofgrudges.
It's really ironic, given thatthe brothers their own history.
(21:04):
But that's what it's about.
This was my bucket list momentof this show, singing along
again with 60,000 plus peopleand Noel Gallagher himself.
The stadium lit up with phonelights and the voices were just
everywhere.
I was completely blown away.
(21:24):
Literal chills down my spine.
And if there's one song thatdefines Oasis emotional depth,
it's this song.
Um absolute, absolute favoriteand the crowd saying every word.
Um, noel got up there and whenthe chorus hit he stepped away
for the first time from the micand just let the crowd take it.
(21:47):
Uh, but the crowd was singingthe whole song anyway.
But it was just just one ofthose awesome live music uh
moments.
Uh, following that up that up.
Wonderwall followed, followedand it was a mega hit from
Morning Glory.
Noel originally wrote it for hisgirlfriend, now ex-wife, meg
Matthews, but it's become auniversal love song.
(22:08):
Liam's delivery is raw andeveryone knows every word.
Just pure magic.
And then they closed withchampagne supernova another uh,
morning glory epic.
I mean, uh, what's the story?
Morning glory is like just agreatest hits album, a must-have
, especially if you're a vinylcollector, get that album.
(22:30):
Uh, this uh psychedelic closeris about fame's absurdity, with
references to hallucinogens andwonder and um, british superstar
paul weller, uh guests on aguitar on the recording and live
it.
It just it builds to thismassive crescendo and that the
crowd again singing.
Every word.
(22:50):
It was absolutely perfect withpyrotechnics and whatnot.
Just just awesome.
Um, overall, this was one ofthe greatest shows I've I've
ever seen.
Um, the energy set last uh setlist, the reunion vibe, it all
came together flawlessly.
And the Gallagher's were onform.
(23:12):
Uh, you know trading barbs backand forth, but there there was
a lot of love between them.
You could see it, which wascrazy.
Um came out holding hands.
Um hugs, what I justunbelievable uh seeing this.
If you get a chance, um, youknow the tours have have swept
through LA, so they're going uhSouth America right now.
(23:34):
But, uh, if you get a chanceand are interested, check out
YouTube for the Chicago show,the New Jersey show, the ones in
in England and the UK are justamazing.
The crowds are but um, highlyimpressed, uh, highly impressed
after all these years.
So glad that I got toexperience it live.
(24:01):
I made it a day trip to ChicagoIn advance of the shows.
They were doing pop-up stores afew days before and a few days
after at the locations.
You can buy merchandise thereand um, you know just stores all
dedicated to Oasis, and uh wentand hit that beforehand.
(24:22):
I think it was about a 35minute wait to get into that.
Um got out, made my way over tosoldier field, got there early
enough, got good parking spotwhich um in a lot and I hadn't
been to a big tour in a whileand this reminded me why I'm not
going as much as I used to itwas 57 to park, uh.
(24:47):
So, granted, I got up close butwas don't know that it was 57
worth of parking.
Uh, it was not the don't knowthat it was $57 worth of parking
.
It was not the worst parkingspot I've ever had, but I man,
when, when you need to find aspot to park, they've really got
you.
So, um, but in and out of thethe the stadium was easy.
(25:10):
Uh got out quick, got out onthe road and I live about three
hours away and made it back homeat uh 3, 15 AM.
Uh did take the day off uh fromwork, worked a little bit from
home, but uh, my age these daysI'm not uh not able to do the
(25:30):
concert in Chicago and drivehome and go to work the next
morning anymore.
It just is, uh, just a bit toomuch.
But, um, again, magic timeloved it, something I love just
as much as is being back on thispodcast, and, um, I really
(25:51):
missed it.
You know, sitting here lookingat the?
Um, the control board and themicrophone and, just you know,
remembering back to when Istarted this and why I love
doing it, and definitely I'mgoing to make time to go ahead
and and make more episodes, uh,and and not take these long
breaks.
Uh, it's, it's a labor of loveand I just really enjoy it.
(26:13):
Um, but anyway, uh, that's itfor this.
Uh return episode of this won'tteach you anything.
Uh, again, it's, it's good tobe back and I look forward to uh
making more episodes.
Uh, maybe next time we'll diveinto something sports.
Just kidding, that's not thisum podcast, but here we'll hit
the air soon with the?
(26:34):
Uh kicking up the new season ofrudimentary, where you can
catch any sports views thatmight be interested from me and
my brother and our friends.
Until then, take care, keeprocking and remember that this
didn't teach you anything.
Oh, and don't look back inanger.
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