Oasis reunion latest: Announcement imminent as Liam and Noel Gallagher expected to announce tour dates

With just an hour to go until that mysterious Oasis-brand countdown clock reaches zero, here’s The Independent’s Louis Chilton recapping all the hint and clues we’ve rounded up so far:

Is today the day that all the world will see? The big Oasis announcement is now under two hours away, so here’s The Independent’s Mark Beaumont to remind us why now, right now, is the perfect moment for a reunion:

Liam Gallagher has long been vocal about his belief that Oasis should never have broken up in the first place. Back in 2017, he told The Independent’s music editor Roisin O’Connor shortly after releasing his debut solo album: “I would prefer to be in a band, and we should never ever have split up, but I’m certainly not yearning for it, you know what I mean? I was – I needed it four years ago, but I certainly don’t f***ing need it now. I prefer to be in a band – one that makes the same kind of racket as Oasis.

“I miss being in a band with my brother. But it’s not happening.” Here’s the full interview:

Both Gallagher brothers have continued to play Oasis hits during their time apart, but have tended to only perform the songs they originally sang themselves. Here’s Mark Beaumont’s review of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Glastonbury 2022, during which he notes Noel “sticks to the acoustic singalongs and soaring anthems – ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Whatever’, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’, ‘Half the World Away’.”

In the decade-and-a-half since Oasis last performed together, rumours of a potential reunion have sometimes seemed like little more than wishful thinking. Back in 2016, The Independent spoke to Mat Whitecross about his Oasis documentary Supersonic and when asked whether the brothers would ever reform the director responded: “I don’t think they know themselves.”

Read the full interview here:

One reason Noel Gallagher could be looking forward to getting the band back together? As of last December he’s newly single again, and declared at the time he was ready to return to some Nineties-style partying.

Earlier this year, Liam Gallagher and former Stone Roses guitarist John Squire sat down with The Independent’s Laura Barton to discuss their collaborative record Liam Gallagher John Squire.

At the time, Liam was entirely open on the subject of his brother. “Haven’t seen him for ages, man,” he said. “But I think he was at me mam’s the other weekend. He seems to be doing well, man. Seems to be a lot happier in his skin. Surprise sur-f***ing-prise.”

He added he that he felt “all my f***ing olive branches have gone. I’ve got none left,” but said that if Noel were to reach out to him, he’d be delighted. “One hundred per cent. He’s my brother, I love him.”

Read the full interview here:

Could it be that Noel Gallagher has overcome his reluctance to reunite Oasis because he’s not sure how long he has left? The songwriter, 57, recently morbidly predicted he’d be “lucky” to make it to 60.

“Just because Jagger is mincing around at 103 doesn’t mean everyone can,” he joked.

Oasis reunion rumours have been gathering pace since June, when we reported that a sign reading ‘reserved for Noel Gallagher’ had been spotted at Liam’s show at the O2 Academy in London. Here’s what we said then:

Liam Gallagher headlined Reading festival yesterday, playing Oasis’ classic 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe in full.

Our correspondent Mark Beaumont was there to witness it, writing: “As a clacker-clock on the screens clicks down from 2024 to 1994, Liam Gallagher appears on a stage bedecked with gigantic renditions of objects from the Definitely Maybe sleeve – a hanging globe, a Bacharach portrait, two giant flamingos. ‘Liam vibes in the house, Bonehead vibes in the house,’ he says, pointing out the presence of Oasis guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar as ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ begins its traditional hurtle towards greatness. The punkish set that follows – comprising all of the debut album plus a mid-set selection of B-sides and one-off singles – is a dream of a Gallagher show, delivered with just the right frisson of brittle bolshiness, and, after his years of online badgering and button-pushing for an Oasis reunion, a certain satisfied relish. An air of a great reward finally earned.”

Read the full review here: