Finally catching up with a post about the remarkable Oasis show I was lucky to attend on my recent trip. 

London was abuzz all day with fans in Oasis shirts walking the streets and Oasis merchandise available all over. 

After a quick afternoon train ride, we arrived at the legendary London stadium. 

This is the “new” Wembley, known for its distinctive arch – but to see a show on the grounds where Live Aid happened 40 years ago was a thrill. 

Arriving to opening act Richard Ashcroft, the grandiosity of the 90,000 seat venue was unfurled before us. 

After Ashcroft played his The Verve hits including  Lucky Man and Bittersweet Symphony, anticipation built for Oasis. At 8:15, the screens lit up with headlines about the reunion of the Gallagher brothers, something no one ever expected to see. And there they were, launching into “Hello” from the What’s The Story Morning glory album. 

I’d seen Oasis a few times in the early 2000’s when the brothers were feuding. It was never a given that they’d make it to the end of a tour, and in 2009 they’d broken up for good. When this year’s reunion was announced last year, it was the hottest ticket in the world. Luckily, Art was able to score tickets and planning began. 

The band sounded fantastic – none of the animosity. It seemed like the Gallaghers were enjoying themselves and the music showed it. There was a brief tribute to Ozzy Osbourne who passed away earlier in the week, some light banter and a poznan dance. No one sat the entire show, and everyone sang along. The general admission floor was pulsating, with fans hopping and arms flailing. To see this band at their London opener was an absolute thrill. 

After the closer of “Champagne Supernova”, we hustled back to the train and were back in London in 30 minutes. Pro tip from our hotel front desk manager (who previously worked Wembley crowd control): Take the regional rail from Marylebone station to Wembley rather than the Tube. As he said, “you’ll be back in London drinking a pint before most people on Wembley Way make it to the tube.”  He was right!

I’ve seen a lot of concerts in my time (300+ according to setlist.fm). For the band, the quality of music, the historic venue and the passion of the English crowd, this was definitely in my top 5.