What’s the Story? Oasis Is Back
Published on September 26,2024, at 10:26 a.m.
By Victoria Donato.
Oasis is officially done looking back in anger. The British rock band frontmen announced their long-awaited return after 15 years of fans patiently (or not so patiently) waiting. Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher posted the announcement on their individual and collaborative Instagram, X and TikTok accounts on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. Their unique public relations efforts certainly did not go unnoticed, as teasing and speculations quickly arose.
Brotherly feud’s media history
It is no secret that the band has been deemed problematic since they first formed in Manchester, England, in 1991. Liam and Noel Gallagher’s notorious ongoing feud has been in the public eye since the early 1990s, when it was published across broadcast and print media.
There have been numerous instances in which the brothers have publicly showcased their conflicts. From Liam hitting Noel across the head with a tambourine on stage to obscene comments made about each other in various interviews, the two have never been known to exchange brotherly love.
On Aug. 28, 2009, Noel Gallagher had enough of Liam and hastily quit the group following the cancellation of their show at the Paris Rock en Seine Festival. This split immediately made global headlines, and fans still have yet to forget about it.
“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer,” Noel stated at the time. Gallagher predicted correctly, as the media swirled into sensationalized statements, saddened to report that the world’s favorite British boys were officially going their separate ways.
PR that works
Speculations of an Oasis reunion have been circulating for years, but did we really believe the brothers would be able to put aside their differences for the sake of music? On Aug. 25, fans and followers were truly stunned when they opened Instagram to see a video displaying “27.08.24” and “8 a.m.” in the band’s signature font displayed across their feeds.
Immediate theories emerged, suggesting the date signified the potential release of another remastered version of Oasis’ debut studio album, “Definitely Maybe,” which originally dropped on Aug. 29, 1994. The group continued to tease the social media world by waiting over two days to release any content further explaining the sudden, vague announcement.
The intense anticipation surely amplified the final announcement; however, what began as strategic public relations efforts soon unraveled into much more.
Feud to feud
Although one feud might be mended, more have emerged across the social media world. Ticketmaster and the Gen Z audience have both caught the wrath of die-hard Oasis fans worldwide.
The group initially announced that they will be playing 14 shows across five cities. Immediately after this information was stated, comments like “imagine waiting 15 years for Oasis to reform only to lose out on tickets to Chloe, 21 from Stockport who just wants to hear Wonderwall live” surfaced on the web regarding the band’s younger audience. The social media jabs did not stop there.
As soon as the Ticketmaster and Gigs and Tours sales went live, tickets sold out in just 10 hours. Followers who entered the presale and were attentive to the strict secondary market reselling warnings were furious as their computer screens read “an error occurred and we could not reserve your tickets.”
After Oasis fans were accused of being bots or suffered from extreme computer crashes, the band finally listened to the social media platform users’ complaints. Oasis positively reacted to these negative public comments and added a show at three more locations: Heaton Park, Wembley and Edinburgh.
The band used teasing release dates and their infamous brotherly feud to get fans talking, proving that even drama and playful PR tactics can spark a big buzz. Although there are definitely no more maybes when it comes to an official Oasis reunion, the online feuds surrounding the band are likely to live forever.
