Oasis Will Live Forever
At their “Live ‘25” Tokyo stop, the band celebrated a career-defining comeback with a triumphant and masterful two-hour performance.
The last time Oasis graced a Japanese stage was at Fuji Rock Festival in July 2009. That performance at Naeba Ski Resort was a monumental, high-energy spectacle that reaffirmed the band’s legendary status, even if their internal dynamic was strained. Liam and Noel Gallagher’s sibling rivalry was at a fever pitch, and every journalist and fan knew this. Barely a month later, a catastrophic fight erupted backstage before their headline set at Paris’s Rock en Seine. The gig was canceled at the eleventh hour, and the simmering tension finally boiled over, solidifying the worst possible outcome: Oasis was officially finished.
16 long years followed. The Gallagher brothers pursued successful, separate careers, while any talk of an Oasis reunion was swiftly and often acrimoniously dismissed by Liam, Noel and the long-suffering fanbase. The feud lay dormant like a geological fault line, its presence continually felt through a barrage of high-profile, mutual public insults and social media barbs. Any weakly supported reunion rumors also invariably faded to dust.
It wasn’t until the official “Oasis Live ‘25” reunion tour announcement in August 2024 that the seemingly impossible felt within reach. Even then, an air of near-mythic disbelief pervaded the announcement. Skepticism was rampant; some fans even questioned whether the brothers were genuinely in the same room for the promotional photos (sources confirmed they were). We waited with bated breath. The inaugural show kicked off without a hitch, followed by the second, third, and fourth. Weeks turned into a resounding affirmation: the reunion was not just happening, but was being hailed as one of the most successful comebacks in rock history. The world’s collective question — “Is the Oasis reunion actually happening?” — was answered by the Gallaghers’ united, triumphant presence.
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
The atmosphere outside Tokyo Dome was electric, with the arena quickly filling for the first of the band’s two-night engagement in Japan. As their sole Asian stop, tickets were a precious commodity. The lucky few arrived decked out in merchandise, sporting everything from tour shirts to pieces from the band’s coveted adidas collaboration. Openers Asian Kung-Fu Generation set the mood just right for the main act, delivering a strong 30-minute set. Then, right on schedule, the house lights plunged into darkness. The visceral, heavy intro of “F**kin’ in the Bushes” ripped through the colossal speakers, instantly catapulting the tens of thousands of fans into a delirious frenzy.
Oasis’ two-hour performance was a masterclass in pacing, meticulously balancing their biggest mainstream hits with cherished fan-favorite B-sides. The audience, a tapestry of ages and genders, was unified, singing every lyric back at the stage. Like a well-oiled machine, Oasis instantly slipped back into the groove, sounding less like a band that had been estranged for almost two decades and more like one of the tightest acts in the world. Their onstage synergy was palpable, crackling with the intensity that defined the peak of Britpop (even with the respectable substitution of Mike Moore for guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs). Both Liam and Noel, the former of whom I’d seen solo multiple times, were evidently in tip-top musical shape.
The set’s flawless ebb and flow continually pushed the crowd’s adrenaline to the edge before masterfully reeling it back in. The switches between the brothers on the microphone were timed to near-perfection, with Noel stepping forward for the emotionally resonant acoustic hits like “Talk Tonight,” “Half The World Away” and “Little By Little.” There was a profound, shared awareness in the arena: this was a historic, once-in-a-generation moment. This exchange of energy peaked as Noel gestured with his guitar, offering the microphone to the audience for the first chorus of “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” The resulting unified, echoing roar of the crowd was, and I say this without hyperbole, nothing short of magical.
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings
Two incandescent hours later, the final, soaring chords of “Champagne Supernova” faded across Tokyo Dome. Liam, in a final moment of characteristic swagger, attempted to balance his maracas and tambourine on his head. He then sauntered over to Noel, and they shared a spontaneous laugh and a hug as the instruments clattered to the floor. Liam affectionately patted his brother’s behind, and the crowd erupted in a final, deafening cheer at the sheer sight of this rediscovered brotherly affection. The night felt almost healing, like a stunning reversal from the fractured memory of the band’s final months in 2009. As Oasis put it best in their set opener, “Hello”: it’s good to be back.
