Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger Reminded Me Of My Own Journey From Hating To Loving The Band
Here’s my confession: I hated Oasis in the ‘90s. Having just watched Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger with my Hulu subscription reminded me why I stopped hating and learned to love Oasis (it’s also available with a Disney+ subscription). I like them so much these days that I’m planning to fly to Las Vegas next summer to see them. How did I go from trashing the band to loving them? Well, here’s what happened.
I Admit It, I Was A Snob
While Liam and Noel Gallagher were busy being the biggest band in the world, I was in college being as snobby about music as I could be. “Champagne Supernova” is and was the butt of a lot of memes and jokes for good reason. It was everywhere, and it was f’ing annoying. I went through all the music snob levels of Oasis-hate. They were ripping off The Beatles. Liam’s whiny voice is obnoxious. They think they’re way more important than they really are. All of that. Besides, I was in that phase of life that every Gen Xer went through: if it was popular, it probably sucked.
Then, as the ‘90s came to an end and the new millennium began, something changed for me. First, I saw them in concert (against my will) and thought they were great. Then, slowly over the course of a few years, I started to actually like some of their songs. Finally, I had to admit to myself that I really liked them. A lot. Sure, I still hate “Champagne Supernova,” but everything else? Well, I love it. I’ve even learned to stop hating Liam (I’ve always been more of a Noel fan).
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The Documentary Really Reminded Me Of How It All Happened
After loudly dismissing Oasis to everyone I spoke to about it, they went on tour with a band I’ve always loved, The Black Crowes, in 2001. The tour was appropriately called “The Tour of Brotherly Love” and also featured another combustible band of brothers, Spacehog. I saw three nights of the tour, all at Radio City Music Hall, and I was determined to only go to see The Crowes. I arrived casually late for the show on the first night, knowing that The Crowes were playing last. I missed Oasis completely.
My timing was off on night two, and we got there on time to see Oasis. I was actually kind of blown away by how good they sounded live. There is a lot of live footage in the documentary, mostly from their recent reunion, but some older footage as well. I was reminded of what made me change my opinion of them. They bring a certain ferocity to their live shows, and it’s exactly what I love in a rock band. They feel it as much as the crowd does, and both band and fans feed off their collective energy. It can be magical. I made it on time for night three, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
I get it, though. They aren’t for everyone. They can be as polarizing as another band I’m not supposed to like as a music snob, but do: Coldplay. It’s the price a band like that has to pay to be the biggest rock band in the world. I’m glad my opinion on Oasis has changed. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. I’m counting down the days until next August, and I plan on watching this great music doc, which hit the 2026 movie schedule earlier this year and came to streaming this week, again very soon.
