The film of the year has finally had its debut. Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger premiered at the Venice Film Festival today (September 5) to members of the press and industry, as well as the public finally got to see the docu-film retracing last summer’s Oasis Live ’25 tour.
Noel and Liam Gallagher arrived in Venice yesterday, swarmed by fans desperate to catch a glimpse and get merchandise signed ahead of the huge film premiere on Saturday night. The film will also be show in London on Monday night as part of a glitzy premiere event at Leicester Square.
The film, devised by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace follows Oasis behind-the-scenes of their Live ’25 tour across all 41 shows, which kicked off in Cardiff last July and ended in São Paulo in November. The eagerly-awaited tour also included five homecoming shows at Heaton Park as well as a residency at London’s Wembley Stadium.
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The new documentary, which has been directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, comprises rehearsals, on-stage footage and Liam and Noel appearing alongside together in their first joint interview since in decades. Filmmakers have said it will show how ‘the music brings them together’.
The film will be released in cinemas from Wednesday (September 9) for a limited run, before heading to Disney+ in the UK at some point later in this year. And as anticipation mounts about a potential new tour next year, I was one of the first to see the film – you can read our review here.
It’s hard to summarise two hours of a music documentary without missing out some bits but there were plenty of revelations, candid admissions, and insight into the working relationship between Noel and Liam, and the other band members.
The film lifts the curtain on the first rehearsals, where the brothers first reunited, as well as snippets from an interview between Liam and Noel where they reveal details and how often they communicate now, the impact it had on their family, and just how taken aback they were by the reaction to last year’s tour.
Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger film stills(Image: Simon Emmett)
Fans are also at the heart of the new Oasis film. Throughout, the audience get to hear testimonies from fans about the role the Manchester band have had in their lives.
The way the film is shot, viewers will also get to see the parts of the 41 shows from a range of perspectives, with many cameras deployed to show what the band were looking out onto, as well as being in the mix with fans.
The rehearsals are unscripted
Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger film stills(Image: Simon Emmett)
For the creators of the film, it was key that the moments where the brothers spent time together was mediated. They wanted the weeks of rehearsals to feel candid, raw and authentic to the journey Noel and Liam were on.
To achieve this, there were around 12 cameras in the room with them and each camera was locked in position to capture whatever happened in front of them.
This hands-off approach helped deliver some of the best scenes in the film. In the opening scenes we see that initial first tension as Noel and the rest of the band start rehearsals without Liam. When he does finally join them, he heads to the mic and simply states: “Are we ready then?”.
Arguably one of the funniest points is delivered after rehearsing. Champagne Supernova. Liam leaves with the band still playing the end of the track with no goodbyes.
After finishing the track, Bonehead jokes: “See ya!” And then says to Noel: “He’s not in tomorrow he’s saying. He’s gonna do Monday-Tuesday.”
Liam and Noel were more nervous than you might think
Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger film stills(Image: Simon Emmett)
Heading into the first night at Cardiff, both brothers are battling with their demons. Liam admitted he thought people were “sitting there thinking get the geezer a drink waiting for me to f*** it up”.
Meanwhile Noel was weighed down by the chance to “change the narrative”. He was determined to fix the band’s image.
Those nerves were on show in the first few minutes with, but according to Liam it was more Noel that was feeling the pressure. “I could see he was nervous, in the first one. I am not being big headed, but I wasn’t. I was right up for it.”
Noel meanwhile reflects on having a blank on stage. “I was a mess playing that song, I didn’t even know what I was playing.
“The first 40 minutes went by and I didn’t even know where the f*** I was.”
Bonehead is the ‘sound of Oasis’
Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher and Bonehead moments before their second show at Heaton Park(Image: Joshua Halling/Big Brother Recordings)
Everyone knows Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs as the band’s rhythm guitarist, but the co-founder also hold a very special place in both Liam and Noel’s hearts.
While the guitarist sadly missed the gigs in Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney for cancer treatment, he remained a contestant presence and source of unity for the band. His cardboard cutout was also present for the shows he missed.
Often stood between Noel and Liam in rehearsals like a “Bonehead” sandwich, you could see his genuine affection for the pair, and that he was having an amazing time on tour with them.
Speaking of Bonehead, Noel said in the film: “I haven’t played with Bonehead since 1997 so that was a big thing for me. When we were down in rehearsals, I had a bad back so I couldn’t do a thing, I was just listening. I was like f***** hell I didn’t realise he had a thing – he’s got a thing.
“He’s a massive part of not only the sound but the dynamic of the band as well. He’s also a pisstaking c****.”
“When he [Bonhead] left in 1998 we spent 11 years chasing that sound. He is the f****** sound of Oasis.”
There’s plenty of poignant Manchester moments
Oasis fans at Gallagher Hill during the band’s reunion gigs at Heaton Park(Image: Ryan Jenkinson | Manchester Evening News)
Understandably, the Burnage brothers couldn’t commission a documentary without plenty of airtime for their home city. Amongst the clips, we get to reminisce about the sea of bucket hats and colourful flares in Heaton Park and Gallagher Hill, where thousands headed to try and watch the five gigs – without a ticket.
Speaking about Manchester, Noel said: “There is nothing like Manchester it has got its own thing. It’s like an island. Oasis couldn’t come from anywhere else, and if we did we did come from anywhere else we would be s***.
“Imagine if I had a West Country accent saying ‘we are going be the biggest band in the world’. It’s not gonna work. So we are absolutely products of Manchester.”
There were two other very poignant moments related to Manchester. The first being the pair reminiscing about The Stones Roses’ Mani, who passed away last November.
During the last show in Sao Paolo and the song ‘Live Forever’, an enormous photo of Mani was emblazoned on the central screen behind the stage. Members of the band could be seen turned to face the photo as they played, with Liam blowing a kiss and applauding it.
Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield (Image: PA)
Now, Liam and Noel have opened up about the impact of Mani and how they found out about his passing. In the film, Noel details how a Manchester number kept calling ahead of the show, sadly it confirmed the worst news.
“I couldn’t believe it, it was a shock I have to say – a real shock,” recalls Noel Gallagher.
“Mani was genuinely happy for everyone’s success. He f****** loved Oasis, on the eve [of the tour] he said ‘you’re going to f****** smash it. He was a great mate and a funny f*****. We’re going to miss him.”
Liam, meanwhile, reminisces about going to The Stone Roses gigs in the late 80s and early 90s, recalling a gig of their’s where he was inspired to start his own band.
“The Stone Roses to me was my youth. I ran home after that and started Oasis,” he said.
“It was sad man. I still can’t get my head around it, like what the f***. Very sad man, very sad. Makes you realise life is precious.”
The film is also full of fan accounts. One moving moment is when a victim of the Manchester Arena Attack went to St Ann’s Square to pay their respects. It then shows a clip of all the flowers laid and people singing Wonderwall.
The poznan moment wasn’t planned
Liam Gallagher as Oasis takes to the stage at the Principality Stadium(Image: PA)
“I didn’t know about any of that,” chirps Noel as the two are discussing the viral moment instigated my Liam at their 41 worldwide shows.
One of the key moments of the Oasis shows was when Liam got everyone in the audience to “do the poznan”. On the opening night, he instructed the audience: “Everybody turn around, take each others arms do the poznan to this tune.”
As the crowd did as they were told, Liam added: “Come on it’s easy! You don’t need GCSEs man, turn around… it’s easy!”
As the opening thrash of Cigarettes & Alcohol kicked in, everyone in the audience linked arms and jumped up and down with their backs to the stage in what was an uplifting highlight for many fans. It then became a reoccurring part of every show – and it wasn’t even planned, with Noel suggesting Liam just decided to do it unscripted.
The poznan is a dance that was adopted by the Gallaghers’ beloved Manchester City some 15 years ago. It was a craze that would sweep the blue half of the City and become permanently ingrained in football folklore. It seems then that Oasis Live ’25 just cemented the blue half of the city’s love for it.