This Won't Teach You Anything: A Pop Culture Podcast
This Won't Teach You Anything: A Pop Culture Podcast
The Oasis Reunion: My Bucket List Concert Experience
The impossible has happened. After sixteen years of bitter feuding that had fans convinced they'd never share a stage again, the Gallagher brothers reunited for Oasis Live 25—and I was there to witness it all at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Remember that feeling when something you've accepted would never happen suddenly becomes reality? That's what washed over me as I joined 62,000 fans watching Liam and Noel walk out hand-in-hand. This wasn't just another concert; it was the culmination of decades of hoping against hope that one of rock's most contentious sibling rivalries might somehow heal enough for one more show.
From the moment "Hello" kicked things off, the energy was electric. The setlist read like a dream—"Acquiesce," "Cigarettes & Alcohol," "Live Forever," and of course, the monumental encore of "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Wonderwall," and "Champagne Supernova." But what made this truly special wasn't just hearing these anthems live. It was seeing the subtle moments between the brothers—the shared glances, the visible respect, the undeniable chemistry that reminded us why their creative partnership produced some of the most enduring songs of the Britpop era. When Noel stepped away from the microphone during "Don't Look Back in Anger," allowing 62,000 voices to carry the chorus under the Chicago night sky, it transcended from concert to communal experience.
For longtime fans, every song carried additional weight. "Live Forever," Liam's favorite track dedicated to their mother. "Don't Look Back in Anger," with its ironic message about letting go of grudges. The psychedelic closer "Champagne Supernova" with its questions about how we find ourselves "caught beneath the landslide." These weren't just songs anymore—they were the soundtrack to a miracle unfolding before our eyes.
Have you ever experienced that rare moment when music becomes something more—when it repairs what seemed permanently broken? Share your own bucket list concert experiences or musical reunions you're still hoping to witness.
Hey everyone, welcome back to this. Won't Teach you Anything. I'm your host, Andy, and wow, it feels surreal to be saying that again, but if you're a long-time listener you might be thinking wait, is this really happening? Because, yeah, it's been almost two years since the last episode. Life got busy, priorities shifted and, honestly, I needed a break to recharge. But I'm back now and I couldn't be more excited to dust off the mic and dive into some pointless fun ramblings that, as the title promises, won't teach you a damn thing.
Speaker 1:Anyway, during my hiatus, I wasn't just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I poured a lot of energy into my slash, our podcast called Rudimentary, with my brother and some friends of mine, and not really podcast, more of a YouTube channel, but if you haven't checked it out yet, it's all about about entertainment, sports and pop culture and current events. Um, you can find it on youtube. Uh, rudimentary r-o-o-d-i-m-e-n-t-a-r-y. Uh think breakdowns of the latest movies, hot takes on nfl sports in general, uh, drama and deep dives into whatever viral nonsense is blowing up online. We also do a playlist where we each pick a song every week and add it to the playlist. They can be looked at on Spotify, apple Music or your favorite streaming service. Going back into this Won't Teach you Anything, but before I do, it has been a blast building that community and it's just kept my creative juices flowing while the podcast was on pause. I didn't mention is there is a healthy dose of Caitlin Clark news on that, because over the last few years I've really become a fan of the Indiana Fever WNBA basketball team, so I try to wedge in as much Caitlin Clark news as I can on that show and my co-host partner Snakes, is one that that always looks forward to the Caitlin Clark updates. But anyway, back to this show. There's something special about the audio format that just makes me love podcasting and it just seems like just you and me chatting like old friends, one-sided as it may be, with me doing all the talking, but anyway, let's get into it.
Speaker 1:Today's episode is all about a bucket list experience. I had recently attending the Oasis Live 25 concert tour, specifically their show in Chicago just here in August 28th. If you're an Oasis fan, you know this reunion tour was a massive deal. The band hadn't played together in 16 years and seeing them live felt almost like a miracle. But before I get into the nitty-gritty of the concert, let me take you back to how Oasis entered my life.
Speaker 1:It was the mid-90s and I was just a kid, glued to the radio, cds, etc. That's when I first heard Wonderwall and Champagne, supernova. These songs were everywhere. Mtv, all media, everywhere had these songs and it was just I was. I almost went into all the streaming services and whatnot, but obviously they weren't around then. But cds, uh, radio was still the big thing, terrestrial radio was a big thing and so, uh, you heard these songs a lot there, uh, during, uh, during those times, and this raw like anthemic energy that hooked me instantly, oasis became synonymous with Britpop. For me, the whole wave of the British rock dominating the airwaves. Being a legacy Rolling Stones fan, it, just something about British rock is just just. I really enjoy. But uh, here's the thing I never got to see them live.
Speaker 1:Back in the day, uh tours came and went, uh, life happened and I missed out. I had a good friend, uh, who's actually been on the show, sean uh, and he has uh co-hosted with me. He was lucky. He caught them twice down in indapolis, uh, in in the late nineties and he saw them in a small three to 5,000, um, I'd say seat, but it was general admission venue. Uh, uh called the Marat room down in Indianapolis, indianapolis, and so he got to see him twice down there and he raved about the energy, the crowd. I was jealous, but I figured that was it. The band broke up in 2009 and I was not going to get my chance. The brothers were just at each other's throats. These guys hated each other by 2009 and and nobody thought this would happen uh, liam and and noel gallagher, uh, fast forward to 2025 and boom, the impossible happens. Oasis announces their reunion for the live 25 tour celebrating three decades since their debut album, or something like that.
Speaker 1:Anyway, tickets went on sale and ticket mastermaster melted down with the the uh first run of tickets and they sold out immediately, especially overseas. But then, um, being that in the States they were only uh, playing three cities, uh, um, new Jersey, um, chicago and Los Angeles. A couple of dates in New Jersey, one in Chicago and a couple in Los Angeles, so I thought, well, that's that I would. I ended up paying attention on the secondary market, stubhub and whatnot, but the tickets were. Even the nosebleeds where I did end up sitting were going for six $700. And that was just not something I could do at the time. But, as with concerts, sporting events and whatnot, secondary market tickets tend to fluctuate a lot. You know, as it gets closer to the show a couple of weeks they might go up a little bit, but as it gets closer people start to panic and they think I've got to unload these tickets. So the ticket prices came down.
Speaker 1:I was able to snag a ticket for something reasonable and I did go to this show by myself, which I have some friends that are like uh, it worked. It was like you went to a concert by yourself. I'm like, yeah, why not? I have a tendency to like to get where I'm going at concerts, so sometimes if I'm with a group, it either drives me nuts or I accidentally leave people behind when I'm trying to get someplace. So I didn't have to rely on making sure that anybody was behind me or I was moving too fast or anything like that, only had to rely on myself getting to where I was going. So that was, that was nice, yeah. But yeah, the show was at Soldier Field and let me tell you it was electric. Just walking into that stadium Ended up being surrounded by 62,000 approximate fans, complete sellout, and everybody was just totally buzzing with anticipation. You could feel it.
Speaker 1:But to appreciate why this was such a big deal, let's rewind a bit on Oasis history. Oasis formed in Manchester, england, in 1991, originally as the Reign, but they rebranded when Liam Gallagher joined as lead singer and his older brother, noel came on board as lead guitarist and chief songwriter scene with their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994, full of swaggering rock anthems about dreaming big in a working-class world. Their follow-up, what's the Story? Morning Glory, in 1995 made them global superstars with the hits that I mentioned above. But Oasis was famous for their music, as they were for the tension between the Gallagher brothers. I mentioned before how Liam and Noel were constantly at each other's throats public feuds, onstage fights, canceled shows. It all culminated in 2009 when Noel quit right before a festival gig, saying he couldn't work with Liam anymore, and the band split. And for 16 years, us fans held out hope for a reunion. That seemed impossible Until now.
Speaker 1:The Live 25 tour kicked off earlier this year and it's been a triumphant return. Uh, proving that some sibling rivalries can be set aside for the sake of rock and roll. Uh, all right, let's talk about the chicago show itself. Uh, august 28th at soldier field, and the set list was a dream, uh, greatest hits dream for any Oasis fan. A mix of the biggest hits, deep cuts, b-sides that showcase their entire career. They played for about two hours and every song had the crowd roaring. I mean, I'll run through the set list here in a second and for each one I'll give a little backstory on what the song's about or how it came to be. And, trust me, these tunes have some wild origins.
Speaker 1:The show kicked off with intro tapes. First Neil Young's Rocking in the Free World was blasting over the PA system before the boys hit the stage. Everybody was getting hyped to that. I'm not a Neil Young fan, but a lot of the crowd liked it uh. And then followed by uh. On the video screens you saw, you know, a um, uh meters showing the um decibel levels and uh stuff. And then you knew that it was coming when music hit and it wasn't the band playing, but it was a track over, you know, as as a band was getting ready to come out, you had a little video screen showing things like headlines about Oasis breaks up and Gallagher brothers arguing and things like that, headlines, especially from overseas, others arguing and things like that, headlines especially from overseas, but it, uh it. It really kind of told a quick history since 2009 of of up until the concert moment. Um and the.
Speaker 1:The song that started it out as they were going to walk on stage is their own song, and I'll edit the word here Effing in the Bushes from the 2000 album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. It's an instrumental track with sample dialogue from news clippings and things like that, originally meant as a live intro talking about chaos and rebellion, perfect for what was about to happen. Then the band hit the stage with their opener Hello from what's the Story? Morning Glory. This opener is all about. This song is all about new beginnings and shaking off the past with lyrics like it's just a little bit of you. That's in my veins. Noel wrote this as a nod to Gary Glitter's Hello, hello, I'm Back Again, but Oasis totally made it their own song. You'd never know it, just based off of not knowing this little bit of backstory. So it's a total Oasis song.
Speaker 1:Next up was Acquiesce. This was a B-side of the 1995 single. Some Might Say this one's fascinating because it's one of the few where both brothers sing lead Liam on verses and Noel on chorus. It's often interpreted as being about their relationship with lines like I don't know what it is that makes me feel alive, hinting at needing each other despite the fights. It became a fan favorite over the years and these two kind of went right in from one to the other and it was a great start to the show. And these two kind of went right in from one to the other and it was. It was a great start to the show. They rolled right into morning glory, the title track from that same album, the song. This song is a high octane rocker about the highs and lows of drug fueled nights, with Noel singing about needing a little time to wake up. It's captures that nineties hedonism perfectly and and and live. The whole place was just electrified, going into the next track, some Might Say. Followed that Again the other side of Acquiesce. That followed Morning Glory, and this was their first UK number one in 1995. Morning Glory and this was their first UK number one in 1995. Noel wrote this as an optimistic anthem about hope and redemption, inspired by a homeless guy he met and said some might say we'll find a brighter day. It's got that classic Oasis jangle and was a breakthrough for them.
Speaker 1:Post Definitely Maybe Then came Bring it On Down from their debut album Definitely Maybe. This is more of a punkyy, aggressive track sung by Liam, all about frustration and rebellion against authority. Uh, noel wrote it early on, drawing from his factory job days and it's one of their raw songs and just pure energy. Live, uh, one of my favorites of of that. My wife gets here absolutely sick of hearing. When I get a song in my head I will play it to death and she cannot stand that. But, uh, one of my favorites is cigarettes and alcohol and this is also from definitely maybe. Uh, it's a straight up ode to working class escapism, booze smokes and dreaming of a better life. Uh, noel sampled t-rex's get it on for the riff and it's got that glam rock vibe mixed with, uh, brit pop attitude. Hearing liam belt this out live was unreal. It, I mean, it's the definition of swagger and this track.
Speaker 1:I wish I could play this stuff on the podcast, but licensing, obviously, and and whatnot, isn't going to allow me to do that. But the riff on this, um, on this track is you do hear the, the, the T-Rex, uh, bang a gong, uh, feel to it. But it differs when it hits with the. Um, the bass, just the bass guitar just absolutely rips into this thing in tandem with the guitar parts, and Liam's voice is just made for this song. So I encourage you.
Speaker 1:If you don't know much about Oasis or haven't heard that song and you like rock, that is a fantastic track. Just down, dirty and very catchy. It'll be stuck in your head, but great track. Cigarettes and Alcohol. Next we had Fade Away, another definitely maybe era B-side to Cigarettes and Alcohol. This one's about feeling youth and not letting dreams slip away. Noel wrote it quickly and it's got a melodic punch that makes it a hidden gem in their catalog. So I mean it's, you know, not not one that was released and so some you know a little deeper cut.
Speaker 1:And then another big hit, another classic Oasis song supersonic. It was a debut single from 1994. And legend has it that Noel wrote this in about 30 minutes while the band was recording another track. It's surreal and cocky Lines like I'm feeling super sonic. Give me gin and tonic. It put them on the map and still sounds fresh. I mean one of those songs that could just be a hit today as much as it was back in 94. Could just be a hit today as much as it was back in 94. And it was, you know, the crowd saying every word. Really really cool, great crowd.
Speaker 1:They shifted gears with Roll With it from Morning Glory. This was part of the famous 1995 Britpop battle with Blur's Country House. Fun upbeat tune about rolling with life's punches, but it got overshadowed by the chart war. Live, live, but live, it is a crowd pleaser, live, um. Next we have talk tonight, a b-side to. Some might say.
Speaker 1:Noel wrote this song um, after storming out of a band, out of the band during their first tour in 1994, he ended up in san francisco crashing with a fan who talked him down. It's acoustic and reflective, about finding solace in unexpected places. Then we have Half the World Away, another B-side to whatever. This became famous as a theme for the BBC sitcom the Royal Family. Noel wrote it about longing for home with uh while he was out on tour, with poignant lyrics like I would like to leave this city, uh, it's, it's tender and it shows, uh, their softer side. So they definitely have some rockers, but they've got some really really um ballad, uh soft stuff too. So it really shows their range.
Speaker 1:Then we had Little by Little from 2002's album Heathen Chemistry. Noel sings lead here and it's about personal growth and questioning life's purpose. It was a single during a rocky period for the band, but it got an uplifting chorus. It soared in the stadium. It just it took off and people, especially when the chorus hit, just sang the words. Right with Noel, and you know just goosebumps when you have that many people on the same page and singing these songs.
Speaker 1:Next is Do you Know what I Mean? This kicked off the heavier section. It's a lead single from 1997's Be here Now album. This track is full of Beatles references and and and um written by noel as a statement of internet post fame. It's uh bombastic, with helicopters in the video symbolizing their over-the-top type era. Um, stand by me, also from be here now, and this is not a cover of the benny king classic song stand by me, but an original about loyalty and support. Noel drew this drew from personal relationships on this one and it's got that big sing-along chorus.
Speaker 1:Next up Cast no Shadow from Morning Glory. This one's dedicated to Richard Ashcroft of the Verb, who was struggling at the time. Lyrics like bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say, are about feeling trapped by expectations. It's a beautiful and underrated track. Next up. Slide away. This brought back the early vibes from like debit, definitely maybe, uh. Noel wrote this love song for his then girlfriend with a passionate with passionate lyrics about escaping together. Liam's vocals are on this, are iconic and it's often called one of their best. So again, that great one to listen to if you haven't heard it. Slide away away. Next, whatever and this was a 1994 standalone single, not on an album. This features strings and a more orchestral feel inspired by Neil Ennis' how Sweet to Be an Idiot. It's about freedom and not caring what others think, and it's a perfect mid-set breather. It's just kind of like a refresher mint to go into the next section of the show.
Speaker 1:Next up is Live Forever. This one's an early single from Definitely Maybe. Noel wrote this as a response to the grunge scenes nihilism inspired by Nirvana's I Hate Myself and Want to Die. It's an anthem of optimism. Lyrics maybe I just want to live forever. Uh, the crowd went wild for this and liam has gone on record saying that this is his favorite oasis song and it reminds of his, of his mom. If you ever look any youtube up on these guys, you'll see him ask that question and he'll always say live forever, um, uh.
Speaker 1:Next up is uh rock and roll star, the uh opener from. Definitely maybe this sets the tone for their whole career. I mean this. This is them dreaming of fame, uh, while stuck in those factory jobs, mundane type of life. Uh, noel captured that aspiration perfectly and live it's explosive. I mean 62 000 people in a rock concert with a song called Rock and Roll Star. Absolutely, sign me up. Next, the Master Plan. It's a title track from their 1998 B-Sides compilation.
Speaker 1:Noel sings this orchestral song about fate and going with the flow. It's fan voted as one of their best and hearing it in Chicago it was just awesome. Now that was the end of the set and then we moved into the encore. And the encore wasn't just one song, obviously that if you've been playing along, you know anything about Oasis, some of the biggest songs I've yet to mention. Um, the encore encore started with uh, um. Another uh favorite and that was Don't Look Back in Anger from Morning Glory. Noel takes lead vocals here and it's inspired by John Lennon's Imagine sessions. The chords on the piano are the same two chords at the beginning of Imagine. You'll hear it. Lyrics are about letting go of grudges. It's really ironic, given that the brothers their own history. But that's what it's about.
Speaker 1:This was my bucket list moment of this show, singing along again with 60,000 plus people and Noel Gallagher himself. The stadium lit up with phone lights and the voices were just everywhere. I was completely blown away. Literal chills down my spine. And if there's one song that defines Oasis emotional depth, it's this song. Um absolute, absolute favorite and the crowd saying every word. Um, noel got up there and when the chorus hit he stepped away for the first time from the mic and just let the crowd take it. Uh, but the crowd was singing the whole song anyway. But it was just just one of those awesome live music uh moments. Uh, following that up that up. Wonderwall followed, followed and it was a mega hit from Morning Glory.
Speaker 1:Noel originally wrote it for his girlfriend, now ex-wife, meg Matthews, but it's become a universal love song. Liam's delivery is raw and everyone knows every word. Just pure magic. And then they closed with champagne supernova another uh, morning glory epic. I mean, uh, what's the story? Morning glory is like just a greatest hits album, a must-have, especially if you're a vinyl collector, get that album.
Speaker 1:Uh, this uh psychedelic closer is about fame's absurdity, with references to hallucinogens and wonder and um, british superstar paul weller, uh guests on a guitar on the recording and live it. It just it builds to this massive crescendo and that the crowd again singing. Every word. It was absolutely perfect with pyrotechnics and whatnot. Just just awesome. Um, overall, this was one of the greatest shows I've I've ever seen.
Speaker 1:Um, the energy set last uh set list, the reunion vibe, it all came together flawlessly. And the Gallagher's were on form. Uh, you know trading barbs back and forth, but there there was a lot of love between them. You could see it, which was crazy. Um came out holding hands. Um hugs, what I just unbelievable uh seeing this. If you get a chance, um, you know the tours have have swept through LA, so they're going uh South America right now. But, uh, if you get a chance and are interested, check out YouTube for the Chicago show, the New Jersey show, the ones in in England and the UK are just amazing. The crowds are but um, highly impressed, uh, highly impressed after all these years. So glad that I got to experience it live.
Speaker 1:I made it a day trip to Chicago In advance of the shows. They were doing pop-up stores a few days before and a few days after at the locations. You can buy merchandise there and um, you know just stores all dedicated to Oasis, and uh went and hit that beforehand. I think it was about a 35 minute wait to get into that. Um got out, made my way over to soldier field, got there early enough, got good parking spot which um in a lot and I hadn't been to a big tour in a while and this reminded me why I'm not going as much as I used to it was 57 to park, uh. So, granted, I got up close but was don't know that it was 57 worth of parking. Uh, it was not the don't know that it was $57 worth of parking. It was not the worst parking spot I've ever had, but I man, when, when you need to find a spot to park, they've really got you. So, um, but in and out of the the the stadium was easy. Uh got out quick, got out on the road and I live about three hours away and made it back home at uh 3, 15 AM.
Speaker 1:Uh did take the day off uh from work, worked a little bit from home, but uh, my age these days I'm not uh not able to do the concert in Chicago and drive home and go to work the next morning anymore. It just is, uh, just a bit too much. But, um, again, magic time loved it, something I love just as much as is being back on this podcast, and, um, I really missed it. You know, sitting here looking at the? Um, the control board and the microphone and, just you know, remembering back to when I started this and why I love doing it, and definitely I'm going to make time to go ahead and and make more episodes, uh, and and not take these long breaks. Uh, it's, it's a labor of love and I just really enjoy it. Um, but anyway, uh, that's it for this.
Speaker 1:Uh return episode of this won't teach you anything. Uh, again, it's, it's good to be back and I look forward to uh making more episodes. Uh, maybe next time we'll dive into something sports. Just kidding, that's not this um podcast, but here we'll hit the air soon with the? Uh kicking up the new season of rudimentary, where you can catch any sports views that might be interested from me and my brother and our friends. Until then, take care, keep rocking and remember that this didn't teach you anything. Oh, and don't look back in anger.