It’s less than a month to Christmas and Noel Gallagher is tuning up a guitar. But it is not his own guitar. As a roadie for the band Inspiral Carpets he has traveled the world during the past year. The tour has come to Argentina and the band is about to play Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires. Gallagher is 24 at the time and music is his life. He watches the gig from the shadows of the stage and listens to the audience singing along to every word of the song This is How it Feels.
Christmas comes and Gallagher is back in England. His younger brother Liam has started a band called The Rain. Noel listen to them and he’s not impressed. He approaches his younger brother and tells him that he himself has written a few songs that could work out well for the band. And for Liam’s voice. Noel joins in on the rehearsals and they change their name to Oasis.
It is not 1991 anymore. It is 2009. Noel Gallagher has come back to Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires. But this time he is tuning up his own guitar. The band he joined nearly 20 years ago are only months away from dissolving. Noel knows that. He will be the one that hits the last nail in the coffin. Noel also knows he will never play Estadio River Plate again. A solo career will take off, but it will not take off as it once did when Oasis exploded into the world.
When the band comes back for an encore Noel takes center stage. The arena is filled with the young and the hopeful. Liam has stayed behind. Noel will sing the first song of the encore alone. He looks out over an ocean of people. He’s not in the shadows anymore. He’s not a roadie to another band anymore. And this time the audience will sing along to every word of a song that he has written. Gallagher is 42 and music is still his life. And together with the audience they promise to Don’t look back in anger.
The concert at Estadio River Plate was the bands biggest one outside of Britain and by many considered as the greatest gig of the Dig Out Your Soul-tour.
You got one thing wrong. The band was called The Rain before Liam joined in cause they needed a singer. At first it only Bonhead, Guigsy and Tony McCaroll. Liam came up with the name “Oasis” cause he thought the first name was too bad. After all this Noel joined in.
Good note Oskar. Things became a bit more clear after watching the Supersonic documentary. Appreciate the read.