I’ve been fortunate in my time to see some of the biggest acts of not only my life, but objectively all time. From Paul McCartney to Taylor Swift, Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine, The Strokes and The Cure, I look forward to telling my future children that I got to witness some of the biggest and best musicians ply their trade live on stage. I can now add Oasis to the list. Reforming for their Live ’25 tour, the Gallaghers brothers put aside any previous beef to deliver a set that I’m sure will leave an everlasting impression on plenty of those that attended their show at Accor Stadium.
Main support for the night was Australia’s loveliest band, Ball Park Music. Hand picked by Liam Gallagher himself, the Brisbane legends delivered a perfect festival-ready 45 minutes that warmed an indifferent Sydney crowd. And I get it – the vast majority of the crowd weren’t necessarily there to see The Park. But the lack of enthusiasm from the dancefloor seemed a bit off. With a set that included all fan favourites like “It’s Nice to Be Alive”, “She Only Loves Me When I’m There” and “Cocaine Lion”, the standouts from their support slot were “Manny”, “Spark Up!” and closer “Struggle Street”. Taking the time to jam on these three tracks in particular, the completeness of BPM’s live show now is exemplary and one I’m glad to have seen more times I can count. They were the perfect choice to open this run of Australian shows; even if the Sydney crowd didn’t realise.
As with any hiatus, there’s always whispers and wondering if bands will reform after going their separate ways. In the instance of Oasis, it genuinely looked like they’d never reform for a plethora of reasons. And with that, they’d feel like this mythical beast that generations of people will only have second and third hand stories to rely on about how good they were. Thankfully, the Gallaghers have put all their differences aside and reformed for Live ’25, and I’ll tell you what, the 80,000+ at their first Sydney show were more than grateful for the two hour set of hits they delivered as a result.
Walking out to one of the best audio and visual backdrops ever, Oasis quickly acknowledged the crowd before opening with the one-two punch of “Hello” and “Acquiesce”. The older I get, the more I appreciate a raucous and brilliant hook in a song’s chorus. It’s clear Oasis has always been capable of writing hooks, but the story telling and musicianship that comes with their music is genuinely great to see and hear. This was evident in the next run of tracks, featuring “Morning Glory”, “Some Might Say”, “Bring It on Down” and “Cigarettes & Alcohol”. As the opening quarter of the show, these songs had a responsibility to set the mood for the night, and they more than delivered.
The next run of songs were a little more toned down and brought an equilibrium to what was a frenetic start, with grandiose “Supersonic” and “D’You Know What I Mean?” getting everyone into their feels, while the rollicking “Fade Away” and “Roll With It” had the crowd up and jumping in unison. Watching from the stands, it’s one of the best things about stadium shows; seeing 25,000 people on the dance floor bounce collectively for the exact same reason. It was special to witness.
The back end of the main set was split pretty evenly between Noel and Liam, with Noel providing backing vocals on the Liam fronted tracks, while Noel moved into MVP status when leading his own tracks (the other MVP of the night was the cut out of Pep Guardiola that featured prominently throughout the set). Knowing and respecting each other’s place within the band is probably one of the reasons they’ve been able to amicably return. Even though their bravado seeped through at times, there seemed a genuine appreciation for being back on the stage as a band. Closing out the main set with “Whatever”, “Live Forever” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Star” was a masterstroke, as the band reminded everyone why they were the biggest act on earth in the mid 1990s.
Knowing the encore was bound to play their biggest hits (“The Masterplan”, “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova”), it got me thinking of the times I’d seen the Gallaghers live previously. From Big Day Out 2012, to Falls Festival 2017, the songs of Oasis have been pretty pertinent during my time navigating my late teens and twenties. While I was never an Oasis kid (they weren’t played in my house growing up, so missed the rite of passage every 13-16yr old boy has of discovering the band), I always appreciated the band and their music. Over the years, I’ve found myself listening to the band more and more, delving into their album tracks as much as their big singles. And yet, it was the three final songs that really cemented just how special this show was. The opening piano and guitar of “Don’t Look Back In Anger” was ever so satisfying, while the closing chorus hit the sweetest of spots, as the stadium sung it back to the band in unison.
“Wonderwall” was special, as Liam explained he didn’t speak ‘Australian-ese’ (his banter was hit and miss throughout the night, but good natured all the same), while all eight minutes of “Champagne Supernova” felt like the culmination of the bands’ 20 year absence from our shores. It was beautiful, honest and complete. It’s not often one song brings 80,000+ people together, but “Champagne Supernova” managed to do just this.
After seeing more band merch on fans than I’ve seen at any show ever, I should have known Oasis’ set was going to be special and mean so much to so many people. I’m glad the band has reformed. I’m even more glad they’ve managed to make it Australia. I’ll likely look back at this set in years to come knowing it was something special and a privilege to have witnessed. Because it was. If you’ve managed to snag tickets to any of the shows on their Live ’25 tour, you’ll know this to be true.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The reviewer attended the first Sydney show on Friday 7 November.
Photo Credit: Big Brother Recordings
