"It’s good to be fucking back!": Oasis arrive at Wembley Stadium

For those who were there during the glory days, a reunion between estranged brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher always seemed delusional. For those too young to remember the first time, seeing Oasis live was an impossible dream.

But here we are, eight shows into a tour that they said would never happen. Tonight is the first of seven nights at London’s Wembley Stadium following a five-night homecoming at Manchester’s Heaton Park and a pair of warm-up gigs at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. If the rumours are to be believed, the Gallagher brothers are set to walk away with £3million apiece from each and every show on a run that keeps getting bigger. From the moment they kick into the cocksure strut of ‘Hello’ though, tonight’s gig never feels like a soulless excuse to cash in on their legacy.

The show starts with a playful video montage tracking the speculation and eventual announcement of Oasis’ reunion, soundtracked by the scrappy punk of their own ‘Fuckin’ In The Bushes’. The opening one-two of ‘Hello’ and ‘Acquiesce’ continues to play with their own mythos. Lyrics such as “Who wants to be alone when we can feel alive instead?” and “Because we believe in each other” take on new meaning when sung by Oasis v.2. Despite support acts Richard Ashcroft and Cast, the message is clear – this isn’t a nostalgic celebration of what was, this is the start of the next chapter in the band’s already bumper legend.

What follows is a polished showcase of the power of rock‘n’roll. There are no frills, just a tight live band, 23 choice cuts from the back catalogue and a flurry of fireworks to round out the evening. It’s a lot more slick than the good ol’ days, though. Oasis kick things off promptly at 8:15 and at no point does it feel like someone’s going to throw a punch. Noel and Liam even walk onstage hand-in-hand. “Every time I open my mouth I seem to get into trouble, so I’m just going to stick to the singing,” Liam says before an impressive ‘Some Might Say’. He breaks this rule to compliment the crowd on looking stunning, indulge in some pro-Man City football banter and get annoyed at how long the sun takes to set.

Despite all the headlines, the most extraordinary thing about Oasis was never really the Gallagher brothers; it was what their music meant to other people. Tonight that tradition continues. As great as this version of Oasis sound, they play second fiddle to the energy in the stadium. A chunk of the crowd are here to relive their youth, screaming along to ‘Whatever’, ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ and tapping back into the reckless abandon that made Britpop so electric in the 90s. A majority are witnessing Oasis for the very first time, though, chanting along to timeless indie megahits ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’, ‘Supersonic’, as well as the pretty ‘Talk Tonight’ and the dreamy ‘Cast No Shadow’ with a wide-eyed excitement that makes the whole thing feel fresh. The elation builds as the night goes on. During the closing run of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’, the crowd manages to drown out the band. “It’s good to be fucking back,” grins Noel.

The band have another 33 dates left on their Live ‘25 tour, which includes gigs in the United States, Australia, Japan and South America. After that, who knows? A return to Knebworth, a new album? Anything seems possible right now. As for the people in the crowd, you’d put money on more than a few going home and starting their own bands after this.