Denny was still in high school, living in Geelong, when she and two friends travelled to Melbourne to see Oasis play in 1998.
“We got to the concert quite early because we wanted to get up close to the front,” she said. “One of my girlfriends reminded me this week that Noel Gallagher winked at us, which we thought was just divine. He was wearing a black parka and looked directly at us when he was singing I Am the Walrus.”
Jay Smith, 37, was at home in Maitland when he heard the latest Oasis news.
Jay Smith’s tattoo of Liam Gallagher. Credit: Jay Smith
“My heart was racing and I thought I might need to go to emergency – that’s how excited I was,” said the superfan, who has a tattoo of Liam Gallagher on his arm.
He will pause his part-time gig of pretending to be Liam Gallagher to see the real thing in Britain next year if he scores tickets. A member of Oasis tribute band Wonderwall, Smith has been a fan of the band since childhood. He said he didn’t want to risk missing out if the band didn’t add Australian tour dates.
You Am I’s bass player and manager Andy Kent said Oasis quickly bonded with his band, following a couple of shows at Japan’s famous Budokan to kick off the 1998 tour.
“They loved our records, but hadn’t seen us play, and we became like their weird little brothers who they just loved,” Kent said. “They’re really good dudes, and their songs just resonate.
“When we were flying to Perth, Liam ended up getting thrown off the flight after he kept singing our song Junk really loudly with his headphones on. He was told to stop, but he kept going.”
You Am I frontman Tim Rogers (second from left) with Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher (far right) of Oasis, on tour together in 1998. Credit:
Almost 20 years after their last visit, does Kent see another Australian Oasis tour on the horizon?
“The whole thing is primed for everyone to be involved,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll do more shows, whether it be in America or somewhere else.
“I don’t know if it’s nostalgia, but there’s a craving for good bands. Who knows if they’ll come back to Australia … these things take a lot of time and effort to put together.”
Source Agencies
