One of the most anticipated weekends of the year is upon us as Ireland witnesses the return of the Gallagher brothers and Oasis to the island.
The last time the band were together in Ireland was in Slane in 2009, just weeks before they split.
According to reports today, the Gallagher brothers will take €61 million away from this weekend alone.
Oasis: Croke Park return
Newstalk's Alex Rowley spoke to The Pat Kenny Show about the building excitement amongst fans and Ireland's preparations to welcome Oasis.
Dave Berry, host of The Dave Berry Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio in the UK, gave his insights into their recent performances.
“They’re finishing the shows and they’re looking after themselves. Apparently, Liam is going to bed nice and early after each show; he's not drinking, he's not up for the excesses of the Oasis of the 1990s.
“With people getting tickets and people so desperate to see their favourite band back together at last, there’s a great weight of responsibility with that.
“I think that now that they’re older and - hopefully - a bit wiser, they are realising that you can’t just come on after a big night out and do 'Wonderwall' and everyone’s going to be happy.
A mural on Hall Street, Dublin“People have spent an awful lot of money on tickets -this is a big deal for everyone on so many levels."
The brothers don’t shy away from the fact that they have Irish roots.
Indeed, a museum in Dublin is not shying away from this fact either, as EPIC Museum has launched 'Definitely Irish : The Oasis Tour' that runs until Sunday 17th of August.
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Newstalk got an exclusive look into one of these tours, as tour guide Matthew Butt described Noel and Liam Gallagher’s Irish heritage.
“They have a huge Irish connections, both personally and in their music.
“The museum has lots of connections to Oasis’ heritage, being Manchester-Irish, working-class Irish.
Noel and Liam Gallagher in times gone by © PA Wire/PA Images“The Gallagher brothers talked constantly about the discrimination that they felt growing up, particularly during the Troubles period because they were Irish, and that is a very familiar story to a lot of Irish immigrants that went over to the UK.
“They described one of their albums, ‘Definitely Maybe’ as the sound of second-generation working-class Irishmen."
“Noel said that the very first [type] of music he was exposed to was [Irish] rebel songs, and that contributes to the kind of ‘punching the air’ feel to Oasis songs.
Alex visited one the many pop-up shops dedicated to Oasis merch - this time on St. Stephen’s Green - and noticed the intergenerational element of Oasis fandom.
One fan detailed that she had paid a substantial sum for her ticket but said, “I would pay it again.”
Another described the influence they've had on her as she says: "I don’t think there’s been a band like them since they were around [years ago]”.
While Croke Park may have witnessed a 16-year-old Noel Gallagher's GAA point across the bar in 1983, it's about to witness scenes far from where that came from this weekend.
The stage is set & Ireland is ready to definitely, maybe welcome the brothers with open arms!
Written by Cara McHugh
