This is my love letter to Noel and Liam, trying to explain why this Oasis tour means so much to so many of us, Mark Jefferies writes ahead of their first performance
For my dad it was John and Paul. But for me it has always been Noel and Liam, of Oasis. Just as the 60s were all about Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles and exciting changes in Britain, the 90s were defined by the Gallaghers. They represented the working class, as Labour was on the verge of power, young people thought they had a voice and a swagger in their step.
Both duos, greater than the sum of their parts, shot to fame. Music icons so big from Liverpool and Manchester, that only a first name will do. Oasis broke onto the scene when I was a teenager, just as I started to try to sneak into the pub for a pint of cheap cider. I wasn’t too bothered about the cigarettes, but alcohol and Oasis were fundamental parts of my weekend.
The songs, the clothes, the attitude and the haircuts. Liam and Noel had it all. And then when we started to go to the gigs, they were a revelation. Adrenaline-fuelled mosh pits at the front, within touching distance of the Gallaghers.
It was exciting stuff for a lad from the quiet town of Bath. And I idolised them. As they got older so did I. My life may have become a bit more rounded but the songs continued to play a part while the nights out with friends to those Oasis gigs endure as important memories.
For 16 years, those gigs haven’t happened. I’ve seen Liam live a few times, and last year, hearing him once again singing Definitely Maybe tracks was great. And I’ve watched Noel, a more artistic and studied live act with his High Flying Birds, enjoyable shows in their own right, but lacking the driving force and stage presence of his brother.
It was always Noel AND Liam. Not one or the other, it’s just isn’t the same. In Cardiff, the wait will be over, the best part of two decades since we have seen them. It’s been a long wait, and I’ve tried to pretend I am not too bothered, but the last week or so leading up to the show, I’ve struggled to sleep sometimes and thought about the gigs every night as I tried to nod off.
I am not someone to show too much emotion, although these days men are much better at expressing both pain and joy. And I know I’ll be wiping away tears from my eyes in the Principality Stadium, although I can’t fully explain why.
It’s something about the music of my youth and the ability a gig has to make you feel emotional and to act like a time machine. Oasis represents the soundtrack of my formative years, from the multiple times you’ve seen the Gallaghers live with your best mate, to the nights you’ve sung their anthems together, arms aloft. They flash before your eyes and burn into the story of our lives.
I won’t be the only one crying my heart out at one stage or another during the gig, and that is no bad thing. We need each other, we believe in one another. That’s what Noel and Liam sing. Did they always believe that even in the deepest parts of their row? I hope so.
It’s never too late to forgive and forget. Even if you’re rock stars. Friend or enemies, smiling or snarling on stage, for me it has always been about Noel and Liam.
Let’s have it, Cardiff.
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