Anticipation of Oasis reunion is huge – and it’s a long way from the band’s modest debut
It all began in front of 20 people at a club called The Boardwalk. Tickets were £3 each. It was a modest debut for what became one of the biggest bands in British music history.
The news that Oasis is expected to return to the stage 34 years after that first gig in Manchester has created the greatest buzz of all in their home city.
The band has teased that an announcement is coming on Tuesday morning after weeks of growing speculation about comeback gigs next year.
For a band that has sold 75 million records worldwide – making them one of the best selling ever – the anticipation is enormous.
And in Manchester, where murals and artwork still pay tribute to the band’s place in the city’s cultural fabric, the expectation is huge.
Noel and Liam Gallagher in 1994. Pic: Paul Slattery
Like most fans, Chris Green wasn’t at The Boardwalk in October 1991 but he did see early Oasis at Manchester’s Academy three years later, just as their debut album had become the fastest-selling in history.
He has been a fan ever since.
Of the reunion, he said: “It matters because they’re a big part of our culture. I’m old enough to have been there first time around but the second time around what has surprised me is that my kids and my grandkids are saying ‘Dad, we’re going to see Oasis next year’.
“For us in Manchester, when they went global, with the look, that football terrace look, to see local boys doing that and taking us along with them and making unbelievable stadium anthem rock music was just amazing.”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds perform in 2017. Pic: Reuters
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The fractious family dynamic of Noel and Liam is almost as famous as their music and the band’s ultimate split in 2009 came as no surprise.
Rumours of a reunion have come and gone over the years but recently there has been a noticeable and very public softening in the brothers’ relationship.
Noel Gallagher and Meg Matthews seen arriving a the BRIT Awards Launch in 1996. Pic: AP
Veteran Manchester music journalist John Robb’s recent interview with Noel appeared to confirm the sense that they could be putting the band back together.
“They’re brothers, aren’t they,” he told Sky News. “At the end of the day no matter how much your brother annoys you, you still love your brother as well. So there’s a lot of sentiment and maybe Noel just felt like doing it again.
“People have wanted it to happen for so long and they’ve timed it perfectly, where everyone isn’t too old and everyone isn’t too young. it’s exactly the right time.”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds perform in 2017. Pic: Reuters
In Manchester’s northern quarter, Afflecks Place bazaar has long been a regular stop for Oasis fans.
The band hung around there in the early days, buying clothes and even once recruiting a drummer from its notice board.
The pair performing on the BBC’s Top of the Pops in 2002. Pic: AP
Alistair Hall runs the Vinyl Resting Place record shop on the top floor.
“I think there’s not a day goes by that we don’t get asked for an Oasis record or CD. The brand itself just seems to be constantly popular,” he said.
“I think because they’ve been broken up for 15 years it’s gathered a bit of momentum. There’s people growing up who have never heard them before and I think the nostalgia thing plays a part. People revisit everything in a cyclical way and the vinyl boom has added to the snowball effect.”
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That is certain to gather even more momentum with the likely reunion – not least for the band itself, with estimates that the comeback shows at Wembley and in Manchester could net tens of millions of pounds.
It is a long way from that October night at The Boardwalk.
Entertainment
BAFTA Games Awards: Astro Bot tops leaderboard – with psychological horror close behind
Astro Bot was the big winner at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, taking home five prizes, including the coveted best game.
The 3D platformer, which was launched to critical acclaim in September to mark PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, was nominated for eight gongs, while Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, led with 11 nods.
But in the end, the critics – some of whom had dubbed Astro Bot a “perfect game” – were right as it dominated the awards at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, hosted by comedian Phil Wang for the second year running.
Astro Bot. Pic: Team Asobi
Nicolas Doucet with his five awards for Astro Bot. Pic: PA
BAFTAs for audio achievement, game design, animation, and best family game completed the set for developers Team Asobi, who designed multiple galaxies and dozens of levels for the titular Astro to journey through, retrieving spaceship parts and rescuing lost robots.
“We’re a team based in Japan, but we have over 12 nationalities. We really mix it up and get ideas from everyone,” Nicolas Doucet, president of Team Asobi, told Sky News.
“We do a lot of jokes in the game, but the joke has a different meaning depending on where you are in the world. So it’s really, really nice to go around and ask everyone ‘is that joke fine in your country?’ And then together we come to a kind of universal playfulness.”
Among the gongs for Astro Bot was the best game award. Pic: BAFTA
It’s a very different atmosphere than that generated by British psychological horror Still Wakes The Deep, which won three awards for best new intellectual property and best supporting and leading roles.
Compared to John Carpenter’s 1980 sci-fi horror The Thing but on a Scottish oil rig, the game sees players take on the role of an electrician trapped on a damaged facility while being pursued by monsters.
Still Wakes The Deep. Pic: Sumo Digital Limited
Developer The Chinese Room has been praised for using home-grown talent to voice the characters, including comedian and actress Karen Dunbar, who picked up best performer in a supporting role for voicing Finlay.
“I’ve been nominated for quite a few BAFTAs in my time in Scotland, and I’ve never won one,” said Dunbar.
“It was such a great category, so many great performances. When they shouted my name, I think I started clapping for someone else!”
Read more: See full list of winners
Still Wakes The Deep star Karen Dunbar won best performer in a supporting role. Pic: BAFTA
Meanwhile, best multiplayer game went to Helldivers II – a satirical, sci-fi shooter that sees players fight bugs, aliens and robots with the gumption and gullibility of the characters in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers.
It has gained a cult following since launching in February 2024 with so much initial interest it created server problems.
“Games for me are about connecting people and forging those bonds of friendship and the multiplayer award is exactly what it stands for,” said Johan Pilestedt, chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios.
Helldivers II. Pic: Arrowhead/Sony
From outer space to a fictional Yorkshire town called Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You’re Here! – a cartoonish, comedy platformer – won Best British Game. Like Still Wakes The Deep, it has won praise for the authenticity of its actors and setting.
“I think it’s been a real privilege to be able to represent Barnsley on the silver screen,” said Will Todd, who is from the town and one of two game designers behind the project.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! Pic: Coal Supper/Panic Inc
Co-creator James Carbutt added: “Me and Will wrote everything in our tone of voice, quite literally. The further along development we got, the more we lent into it. I think the voices from different parts of the UK and different voices in gaming are super important, and hopefully we’re one of them.”
By the time the BAFTAs wrapped up, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was only handed one of the 11 BAFTAs it was nominated for, technical achievement.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Pic: Ninja Theory
But developers Ninja Theory are already adding this year’s win to a tally of five BAFTAs they were awarded for the first game in the series, which created a protagonist with psychosis by drawing on clinical neuroscience and the experiences of people living with the condition.
Blondie drummer Clem Burke has died at the age of 70
The band said Blurke had been diagnosed with cancer, and described his death as a “profound loss”.
He featured on all the Debbie Harry-fronted group’s studio albums since joining a year after their formation in 1975.
Blurke was with the band from their self-titled debut, through their 1978 classic Parallel Lines, to 2017’s Pollinator.
Drummer Burke.
Pic: Reuters
In a statement on Blondie’s Instagram, Harry and the band’s guitarist, Chris Stein, said: “It is with profound sadness that we relay news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer.
“Clem was not just a drummer, he was the heartbeat of Blondie.
“His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable.
“Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
“Clem’s influence extended far beyond Blondie, a self-proclaimed ‘rock and roll survivalist’, he played and collaborated with numerous iconic artists.”
Burke in his performance at Festival Estereo Picnic 2023.
Pic: AP
Burke featured on Iggy Pop’s 1982 album Zombie Birdhouse and also performed with Bob Dylan, The Ramones, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend and Joan Jett.
The statement went on to say Burke had left an “indelible mark on every project he was part of”.
It added: “We extend our deepest condolences to Clem’s family, friends, and fans around the world. His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched.”
Burke, who performed on classic tracks such as Call Me, Heart Of Glass and One Way Or Another, made his final live appearance with Blondie last year.
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Blondie performing during Glastonbury Festival in 2023.
Pic: Invision/AP
Among those paying tribute to him was Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, who said: “I feel saddened that Clem Burke was taken from us so soon.
“May he rest in peace, spectacular drumming, we were friends.”
Nancy Sinatra said: “My heart is shattered. Clem became an icon as a member of Blondie, but he was also an important part of my band, the K.A.B. I was blessed to call him my friend.
“If I ever needed him, he was there. Always. Sending healing prayers and comfort to his widow, Ellen, his family, and all who loved him.”
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