Live Music Review | Oasis at Principality Stadium

A memorable night in Cardiff

After their heyday in the 1990s and a post-millennium period often written off as creatively stagnant, this is Oasis repackaged for the 21st century.

Author | Josh T

Few bands have benefited more from the rise of streaming. Curated playlists trim the fat from the discography (and in Oasis's later years, there was plenty of it) while streaming strips away context, distancing the music from the accompanying baggage of critical scorn and tabloid drama. 

The much-discussed Oasis fans that are too young to remember the band first-hand are real enough (you can see them dotted throughout the crowd ) and many of them are loving it. 

This show leans into a convenient myth that Oasis essentially went on hiatus in 1998. It’s a setlist that resembles a greatest hits playlist, heavy on the early albums and B-sides from the years when Noel Gallagher’s songwriting was so prolific he could casually relegate songs as strong as Acquiesce or The Masterplan to CD singles. From their later work, only 2002’s Little By Little makes the cut, a faint reminder that Oasis did in fact limp into the 21st century.

A closer analysis of the set

The set serves as a timely reminder of just how thrilling Oasis were in their prime. Beneath the wall of distorted guitars lies a curious tension: the introspective, melancholic edge to Noel’s lyrics at odds with Liam’s delivery, all simmering belligerence and barely concealed defiance.

READ MORE | Pulp review from Utilita Arena

Even with half their back catalogue quietly set aside, there is no shortage of anthems. Cigarettes & Alcohol, Slide Away, Rock ’n’ Roll Star, Morning Glory, all delivered with a swagger that still resonates. The moment when Liam steps back and Noel takes the microphone sees no dip in energy. During Half the World Away, the audience’s sing-along practically drowns out its author.

The encore is exactly what you expect: Don’t Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova. The reaction is special, a complete communal roar of nostalgia and triumph. The only moment of brotherly interaction comes in the form of a brief nod of acknowledgement before Liam slips off stage, a waiting car whisking him away before the final chords have faded. This was a success for the Gallaghers. One that nobody thought was possible.

Reaction

The atmosphere on the concourses in Cardiff after the first Oasis gig of their long-awaited reunion tour was one of almost speechlessness that the Gallagher brothers had pulled it off. 

We managed to speak with several fans who clearly loved every seacon. Lewis W told us: "I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know what to say, I was 18 again.” 

Jamie P added: "There was no silence during the set at all, everyone was singing as one.”