By David Byrom

Staff Writer

Oasis is one of the most influential and popular acts of the 1990s. Their impact on music has been so significant that they have outsold and surpassed even the likes of Taylor Swift.

The influence of Oasis extends far beyond just their genre of Britpop or even rock as a whole. Jay-Z’s performance in 2008, in which he combined “99 Problems” with “Wonderwall” highlighted just how big and influential Oasis has been no matter the genre.

Despite disbanding in 2009 due to an infamous backstage altercation between the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel have given fans a highly anticipated reunion. 

Their comeback tour includes performances in Wales, England, and Ireland, with the pinnacle being their appearance at England’s iconic Wembley Stadium, one of the second biggest stadiums in europe. 

The band’s reunion tour at Wembley will feature 7 sold-out shows which will have 630,000 total tickets sold for all seven nights already surpassing ticket sales from Taylor Swift’s three-night eras tour, where she sold 270,000 total tickets. 

In 1991, Oasis was formed by Liam Gallagher and guitarist Paul Arthurs. Noel Gallagher, Liam’s brother, joined the band later that year, making the group a five-man ensemble with Noel becoming the lead songwriter. The band instantly rose to fame with the release of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994. 

The album succeeded, selling 100,000 copies within the first four days of its release. Definitely Maybe secured the number one spot on the British charts.

The band recently released their 30th-anniversary version of that debut to coincide with their reunion announcement. The re-release feature the second and third recorded sessions at Monnow Valley Studios, produced by Dave Batchelor, as well as subsequent mixing sessions for ‘Definitely Maybe’ and the Sawmill Studio outtakes recorded after Batchelor’s firing. 

“I thought we either go with his saneness or my madness and I’m in charge so, sorry mate, you’ve got to go,” Noel Gallagher said of Batchelor’s firing. 

The band eventually relocated to Sawmills Studio in January 1994. 

Seeking to “authentically” capture their dynamic live performances in the studio, the band opted to record without soundproofing between individual instruments.

This unconventional approach allowed them to maintain the raw energy and interplay of their live shows. Noel Gallagher later added guitar overdubs to enhance certain tracks, characterizing the philosophy behind this production technique as “less is more.” 

Welsh engineer and producer Owen Morris worked on the final mixes for the album at the studio with the former guitarist of The Smiths Johnny Marr in Manchester. 

In May of 1994 Morris completed the final mixes for Definitely Maybe with Marr, releasing one of the greatest albums to ever come out of the British rock scene.