'I was at Oasis' biblical Manchester gig and saw something I thought was impossible'
Oasis took to the stage at Manchester's Heaton Park tonight and it can only be described as the most incredible night of my life, says The Mirror's Daniel Bird
Some might say it was the best gig in Manchester's history. Oasis returned to Manchester for the first time in 16 years, and I was there. Nobody ever expected the once warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher to join forces again – after all, they have consistently and publicly flung insults at one another since Noel dramatically quit the band in 2009.
But walking out at Heaton Park, you could never have imagined that there was once a feud between the two siblings. Putting on a united front, the two legends walked out to their 2000 track, F***in' In The Bushes, to a crowd of 80,000 people, with the atmosphere instantly becoming electric.
With what I hope was beer and cider being flung around – but let's face it, it was probably urine – everybody was there for one reason. Opening their performance with quite rightly, Hello, the euphoric first notes instantly filled me with emotion. I was never fortunate enough to see Oasis live before their split, and I blame my family for that.
After opening with Hello, they went on to perform Acquiesce, which was the B-side to their first official UK Number One, Some Might Say. Liam, known for his cheeky persona, said: "I tell you what, you look f***ing stunning? You should be proud of yourselves, 10/10."
Before bursting into the 1994 anthem, Cigarettes and Alcohol. The younger brother left the stage for a short while, as his older (or as Liam says, little) brother, belted out Half The World Away.
I attended with my best mate, and let's just say – the vibes were everything we could have expected and more. Now, being a journalist, there are perks to my job. And after spending 16 hours in those horrific online queues, tonight has been the best perk in over ten years. A night I never imagined would happen has, finally, happened – and it was clear from the electric crowds I wasn't the only one who felt privileged to be there on this momentous music occasion.
While standing in the front standing section, I saw Manchester City legend Guardiola and although I'm a Sheffield United supporter, there's just something about Pep. So much so, that Liam dedicated a track to him. "I wanna dedicate this next song to the greatest manager of all, Pep Guardiola," he said, but the comments were met with a mixed response from United and City fans. "Who you booing?" Liam fumed.
Before performing Rock 'n' Roll Star, Liam hinted that the band were preparing to finish their set, before performing Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger and of course, my favourite. Champagne Supernova.
He said: "This is the last song," before thanking fans for their support over the years, especially during his and Noel's feud. Liam added: "I wanna thank you for sticking with us, I know we're hard work. Trying being a band!"
Noel and Liam have only been pictured together four times since they announced their reunion in August last year but thousands of fans poured into their hometown, where temperatures were reaching the early thirties, before heading to Heaton Park for the sold-out show, with many enjoying the warmer climates in the various pubs across the Northern Quarter.
Last year, just hours after Liam's headline slot at Reading Festival, the band announced the Oasis Live '25 tour, with dates across the UK and Ireland, and later dates across the globe.
Reflecting on the tour, Noel said in the official tour programme: "People will never forget the way you made them feel." He went on to reference the hundreds of thousands of people who spent hours in virtual queues on Ticketmaster and See Tickets, with many being young fans who grew up listening to Oasis because of their parents and relatives.
He commented: "A new generation recognises how Oasis wasn’t manufactured. It was chaotic, flawed, and not technically brilliant. We were rough and ready guys from a rehearsal room, and people recognised it."
Noel and Liam walking out hand in hand is something I never thought would happen. But 16 years later, it did. They didn’t interact on stage but just seeing them alongside one another is the best thing I could have ever asked for.
Apologies to anybody involved with the future of my life, but nothing will top tonight. I think it might’ve given me the worst migraine but in the grand scheme of things, it was so worth it.
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