Oasis, the day of reunion

The countdown to the Gallagher brothers' reunion will come to an end this evening, when at 9:15 p.m. Spanish time, the music will be pumping out of Cardiff's Principality Stadium, thus kicking off one of the most anticipated and lucrative reunion tours, if not the most, in recent years. In a country in turmoil due to Brexit, Oasis' return to the stage has become a reason for unity and big business, with Adidas launching a clothing line in line with the tastes the band popularized in the 1990s. The BBC will broadcast a live program from the Welsh city to follow the reunion. The anticipation for Oasis' reunion is a result of their own legend, as well as the brothers' good form. Despite not playing together since their acrimonious split in 2009, they have continued to perform on their own. Their songs are also in top form, and their streams have multiplied since the tour was announced. Tonight, they will test their appeal among both longtime fans and the younger generation, who only knew the band through their recordings. "I can't wait to reunite with all of you who said rock was dead," the outspoken Liam proclaimed on social media a few weeks ago. Read also The nineties are back: Oasis celebrates its upcoming world tour with an Adidas collaboration. Viola Lumina The youngest of the Gallagher brothers' social media activity has been one of the elements that has helped keep the flame of Oasis alive, known as much or more for their arguments and annoyances than for their music. Just over a year ago, Liam was still calling his brother Noel "tofu captain," continuing a tradition of insults that led him for a time to post photographs of his brother's head alongside the nickname "potato" on the social network X—where he has 3.8 million followers. Details of the concert have been revealed in recent days, where Noel and Liam will be supported by three former members of the band who have also been part of the brothers' solo projects. Paul Arthurs, aka Bonehead, is the most notable for having been part of the original quintet. His rhythm guitar earned the right to be considered part of the band's original sound, which he left in 1999 to be replaced by Gem Archer, who will also be in Cardiff after having played in both Beady Eyes, the band formed by Liam after the breakup, and Noel's High Flying Birds. Andy Bell, who played bass in Oasis, replacing Paul McGuigan, and later did the same in Beady Eyes, has followed a similar path. The biggest change will be on the drums, a longtime fixture for the band with four replacements, including Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr and former percussionist for The Who. Tonight, American Joey Waronker will take charge of the rhythm, adding another line to a resume that includes REM and Beck, as well as collaborations with Roger Waters and Thom Yorke. Read also Liam and Noel Gallagher's secret meeting to reconcile DRAFTING Cast and Richard Ashcroft, another protagonist of the Britpop wave leading The Verve, will be in charge of warming up the crowd. The added curiosity is that, in their early years, it was Oasis who supported the Bitter Sweet Symphony authors. Less information is available about the set list for the concert, one of the band's best-kept secrets until now. Beyond entertaining predictions, the only information comes from Cardiff's Principality Stadium, where sound tests have been underway since last Monday. Those who have been to the stadium, home to the Welsh rugby team (it was built to host the 1999 World Cup), have heard several songs played in recorded format and listed by the newspaper Walesonline. Must-see songs like "Champagne Supernova" and "Live Forever" are also included, as well as others that could be a real showstopper, such as the B-sides " Half the World Away," "Talk Tonight ," and "Cast No Shadow," which they have rarely performed live. The success of Oasis is linked to the electoral triumph of the promising, but ultimately frustrating, Young Labour MP Tony Blair, a politician who participated in the chemical weapons farce in Iraq (also in the New Labour one) and whom the Gallaghers even publicly supported, in addition to snorting cocaine in the Downing Street toilets when he invited them for tea. This would be nothing more than an anecdote if it weren't for the fact that his return occurred just as Labour has regained power, this time under the leadership of Keir Starmer, who, as the polls show, has far less charm than the man in the Azores photo. Coincidence or sign of change? The Gallaghers became world-famous thanks to their (mainly media-driven) confrontation with Blur, where the Manchester band represented working-class pride with their rock guitars and insubstantial lyrics, while Damon Albarn and company were considered the intellectuals of south London. A brawl that, in a country where Brexit has skyrocketed the price of bread, has dissolved to turn the Oasis tour into the perfect circus to forget one's troubles and boast about the last band capable of planting the Union Jack on stereos around the world. Read also Back and forth breakups Sergio Lozano This is demonstrated by the success of Liam Gallagher, who has reached number one with his three solo albums and also embarked on a venue tour last year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe , an album he performed in full with Bonehead on guitar as his squire. These concerts, in retrospect, may seem like a dress rehearsal for what's to come in 2025. The tour, which kicks off today in the United Kingdom and Ireland, is expected to gross more than €1 billion, including tickets, accommodation, food and beverages, and merchandise. This figure would make the Gallagher reunion the most profitable tour in English history, according to a Barclays study cited by The Guardian, which establishes an average spend per fan of €880. However, 24% of attendees admit they would be willing to spend even more to secure a spot on the coveted tour. These figures include ticket price increases due to the implementation of dynamic pricing, perhaps the most controversial aspect of the tour, which sold 1.4 million tickets in just one hour. As of last week, tickets for today's Cardiff concert could still occasionally be found for prices around €500. This is based on official Ticketmaster channels, because resale websites like Viagogo were still offering tickets for €300. Those tempted to take this option should bear in mind that fans have lost €2.3 million to fake scams, according to a study by Lloyd's bank. Crumbs for the Gallaghers, who will take home €57 million each as a prize for having lasted a year without insulting each other and sharing the stage at a few shows. Meanwhile, a few hundred miles from Cardiff, Black Sabbath's farewell concert will be held in Birmingham this Saturday, with the four original members backed by the elite of hard rock, a performance with the most tradition in musical history that has been overshadowed by the media hype surrounding Oasis. Ozzy and company will take care of the real hype.