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Oasis Reunion Chaos: Liam Gallagher Banned, Tour Lineup Confirmed, & Ticketmaster Under Fire!

Published 5 days ago4 minute read
Precious Eseaye
Precious Eseaye
Oasis Reunion Chaos: Liam Gallagher Banned, Tour Lineup Confirmed, & Ticketmaster Under Fire!

The highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour is underway, with bassist Andy Bell confirming his involvement in the band's return to the stage. Bell, who previously played with Oasis from 1999 to 2009 and later with Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye, expressed his excitement in an interview, stating, “I’m in and I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll see each other on tour.” He is expected to be joined by longtime collaborator Gem Archer, along with Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar and drummer Joey Waronker, completing the live band for the extensive tour.

Oasis has scheduled 41 dates for 2025, commencing with sold-out stadium shows across the UK and Ireland in July, before expanding to multiple continents. Notable support acts for the tour include Cast, Richard Ashcroft, Cage The Elephant, and Ball Park Music. The band, fronted by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, is set to play three sold-out concerts at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium on August 8, 9, and 12, with approximately 10 million people from over 100 countries attempting to secure tickets which sold out in record time.

Despite the excitement, Oasis manager Alec McKinlay, also a director at Ignition and Big Brother Recordings, has dampened hopes for new material or additional tour dates. McKinlay confirmed that there are no plans for new music, stating, “This is very much the last time around, as Noel’s made clear in the press. It’s a chance for fans who haven’t seen the band to see them, or at least for some of them to.” He also shed light on the secrecy surrounding the comeback, noting that only a very limited and trusted group knew about the plans, leading to a “phenomenal” reaction when the news broke.

The reunion tour has not been without controversy, particularly concerning ticket sales. The UK competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has threatened legal action against Ticketmaster over its “misleading” sales methods for Oasis tickets. The CMA launched an investigation following thousands of complaints from fans who paid significantly over the odds, with some tickets surging to over £350 for an initial face value of £150. Key concerns include Ticketmaster's practice of labeling certain seated tickets as ‘platinum’ – sold for up to 2.5 times the price of standard tickets – without sufficiently explaining that they offered no additional benefits and were often in the same seating areas. Additionally, the watchdog claims Ticketmaster failed to inform consumers about two categories of standing tickets at different prices, with cheaper tickets being sold out before more expensive ones were released, causing long waits and confusion for buyers.

Oasis itself attributed the dynamic pricing fiasco to its management, clarifying in a statement that the band was “not aware” the system would be used. They stated that decisions on ticketing and pricing were left to their promoters and management, and while prior meetings aimed for a fair experience and to reduce touting, the execution “failed to meet expectations” due to unprecedented demand. Fans attending the Scottish shows, in particular, voiced complaints about paying far more than planned due to these sales tactics.

Adding to the tour's headlines, Liam Gallagher has made several outspoken comments during the Scottish leg. He revealed on stage at Murrayfield that he has been banned from throwing his tambourine and maracas into the crowd, a tradition curtailed after an incident at a Wembley show where two individuals mobbed a female fan to snatch his maracas. Liam expressed his frustration to the audience, stating the ban was due to fans not knowing “how to behave yourselves.” Furthermore, Liam took the opportunity to lambast Edinburgh Council Chiefs, who, in leaked documents, allegedly branded Oasis fans as “fat, drunk, and rowdy.” On the first night in Murrayfield, Liam retaliated by calling the Council “f*****g slags” and deriding the Fringe Festival, dismissing it as

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