Dec 24, 2024
Oct 27,2024
It's becoming increasingly difficult not to feel cynical about the whole thing. Really, it is.
When news of Oasis’s long-awaited reunion was finally revealed, I was already halfway up the attic ladder, digging my faded t-shirt out of the dusty black bag it’d been consigned to years ago. Yes! This is the one I’ve been waiting for. In Croke Park, of all places; a balmy summer evening, an overpriced beer in one hand, the other defiantly held aloft in a war cry to Gen Z: "I don’t care if their last few albums were crap, they were my teenage band of choice! Put that on your TikTok and vape it."
Of course, I was amongst the hundreds of thousands left disappointed on the morning of August 31st, despite hours of bargaining with myself as I languished in that interminable, godforsaken queue. Yes, okay, they’re expensive, I told myself - but there are very few bands that you’d pay hundreds to see live again, aren’t there? And Oasis are one of them, aren’t they?
As John Lydon famously said before he unexpectedly flounced off stage at the Sex Pistols' final gig, 'Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?’
As the morning went on, however, news of the infamous 'dynamic pricing’ - a shameful exercise in greed, greed and nothing but greed - broke, leaving a sour tang even in the mouths of fans who didn’t even manage to get tickets. Sure, there were jokes about Noel’s hefty divorce bill, but was it really necessary to fleece your own fans, when it’s been proven that other bands (like The Cure and Crowded House) have chosen to opt out of the brazen price-gouging tactic?
The silence from the band was deafening. Liam, a highly amusing mouthpiece on X, had absolutely nothing to say. Even after the dates for the North American tour went on sale, and it was announced that those fans would not be subjected to dynamic pricing, there was no admission of guilt, no ‘Sorry, guys, we got that one wrong.’ Nada. Goodwill and being so-called ‘men of the people’ can only get you so far, lads.
So got the option to buy 2 officially for over a grand. What the actual f… #oasis2025 pic.twitter.com/Nl7EFCgs0B
— Maïa Dunphy (@MaiaDunphy) August 31, 2024
In reality, the roll-out for this reunion tour has been an exercise in terrible PR. You thought Katy Perry had messed up her album campaign by working with the shady Dr. Luke, clumsily satirising feminism and filming a video on environmentally protected land in Spain? Along come the Gallaghers clutching pints of watered-down lager, saying ‘Hold our drinks, Katy.’
To add insult to injury, the support acts for Oasis’s tour were announced last week. Richard Ashcroft, you can understand; both Liam and Noel have been ardent supporters of his over the years, and even dedicated the What’s the Story (Morning Glory) album track Cast No Shadow to his ‘genius’ in the liner notes. But Cast? Cast? CAST? The Britpop has-beens who haven’t had a hit since the 1990s? Sure, why not tack Shed Seven and Kula Shaker on, for good measure.
Many have pointed out the fact that these massive gigs would have provided a huge platform for an up-and-coming act. Even The Wolfe Tones were willing to be dragged back out of retirement at the prospect of a support slot - not to mention that there are countless incredible up-and-coming Irish bands who would benefit hugely from the publicity boost of supporting Oasis at Croke Park. But nope, Cast it is - proving that once again, the Gallaghers are suiting themselves, giving support slots to their mates and leaving fans, yet again, as an afterthought.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Listen: Morning Ireland on the dynamic pricing debacle
This time, however Liam caught wind of the rumblings of discontent on social media, and came out swinging. "To all the folk who are crying about us not showing love to the young bands and not letting them support there’s LEVELS to this game and I’m afraid 99 p cent of ya are way off," he said. One fan pointed out the hypocrisy of his son Gene’s band Villanelle opening for him on his recent Definitely Maybe tour, but his was a feeble comeback: "There [sic] the 1 p cent that are mega." You’re only lying to yourself, Liam.
As John Lydon famously said before he unexpectedly flounced off stage at the Sex Pistols’ final gig, ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?’ Those who make it to the reunion gigs next year will only be able to truly answer that, but some of us can already guess the answer. Let’s just hope for the fans who do have tickets that it’s a case of Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, and not - to borrow another title from the Sex Pistols’ canon - the Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle.
