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The first time Oasis played in Australia, in 1998, the controversies piled up to the point that some journalists speculated it was a media strategy. Liam was slapped with a lifetime ban from Cathay Pacific due to the band’s alleged bad behaviour on the flight over. (The ban was sealed when Liam told an Australian reporter, “I don’t give a flying fuck … I’d rather walk.”) Noel got in hot water for comments he made about Princess Diana, then Liam was hauled in front of Brisbane magistrates court, charged with assault after allegedly head-butting a fan who wanted a photo. The fan dropped the charges, though Liam later called the alleged head-butt “justice”, adding: “The geezer put a camera in my face and I told him not to.”
But other than the handwringers, Australian fans seemed delighted with it all. The Gallaghers’ particular tetchy, laddish swagger has always played very well here, as has the drama of their on-off relationship. And the music too, of course: both What’s the Story (Morning Glory)? and Wonderwall went to No 1 in 1995, while in 2013 Triple J listeners voted Wonderwall the best song of the past 20 years. The affection remained even after Noel went on Triple J and said: “You fucking need us more than we need you. Your lives and the people that listen to your radio station and listen to Radiohead and fucking Blur and Robbie Williams – your lives would be lessened without me and my brother and it’s as simple as that.”
But in Marvel Stadium on Friday night, the first of Oasis’ five sold-out Australian shows on their world reunion tour, it was clear some of the country’s warm feelings were returned when Liam and Noel walked out to deafening screams, hands clasped above their heads.
“G’day Australia,” Liam said. “Did you miss us? Because we missed you.”
It was noticeable how many in the Melbourne crowd looked to be in their 20s and 30s, the fans who never got the chance to see Oasis the first time around.
“I never thought this was going to happen,” Liam (a different one) told the Guardian, at the show with his friend – also called Liam. “We’ve always talked about it, but we said no, it’ll never happen. I’ve seen Noel and Liam separately but I am too young to have seen Oasis, so this very cool.”
“I have relatives in Manchester who couldn’t get tickets and now I am going here – so they hate me,” the other Liam added.
Ali and Anna, both 28, grew up on Oasis because their parents were fans – but unlike others, they bought tickets the night before. “I followed all the drama about dynamic pricing in the UK and how people were paying exorbitant prices – I didn’t want to pay $400 for a ticket, that’s crazy,” Anna says. “So we bought them for $115 last night.”
Compare that with Sharon, a British-Australian who last saw Oasis live in 1998; she was due to go to their last concert before they broke up, in 2009, but couldn’t get a babysitter and missed the show.
“I have waited 27 years to see them again,” she says. “I am ecstatic. I told my husband, if they ever get back together, I don’t care what it costs me. When it was announced last year, I even booked accommodation in London but couldn’t get tickets. But then they came here.”
“I’m glad they didn’t have a punchup and split before they got here,” adds Kerri. She’s also a longtime fan – just not enough of one to fork out for the merch: “Seventy bucks for a bucket hat seems a bit much.”
But the bucket hats were out in full force, as were the anoraks and the Adidas gear – regardless of temperatures. “Come to Australia, they said,” a very sweaty Liam said towards the end, peeling his trademark anorak from his neck. “Don’t bring your parka mate, its going to get fucking roasty.”
Oasis are now 32 shows into a 41-gig world tour, but by all accounts they’ve sounded this polished from the get go. There are no signs of the old mardiness that used to derail their shows, when Liam would pick fights with the audience – though he still stalks the stage like he’s squaring up, albeit while holding maracas. Instead, the mood was euphoric and mischievous; the tang of weed and beer hung in the air all night and, during Champagne Supernova, someone even launched a flare. “Naughty, naughty, naughty,” Liam said.
The Gallaghers seem to have softened into a cheeky friendliness in their 50s. At the end of a soaring rendition of Don’t Look Back at Anger from the crowd, Noel jumped back on the mic to poke fun: “Aan-gah? What the fuck is aan-gah?” Liam meanwhile, queried Australia’s drug habits (“Are you still sniffing cocaine? You’ll grow out of it”) then dedicated Bring It On Down to “the classic glue sniffers”.
But all good things must come to an end. “I’m a princess these days, and I need to go to fucking bed,” Liam announced. His signoff was rather sweet, as Gallaghers go: “Listen, nice one for putting up with us over the years. We appreciate it, we fucking love you.”
At their very first reunion show, in Cardiff in July, the crowd cheered when the brothers left with “a very perfunctory clap on the back”; after four months on the road, the brothers are now up to full bear hugs. Who knows – Sharon may not need to wait another 27 years to see Oasis again.
