Before the legendary Knebworth concerts, exorbitant recording sessions, meth-fueled brawls, the Battle of Britpop, and general hooliganism, Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher were just two brothers trying to become the next Beatles. Thirty-five years after
the band was founded, the Gallaghers’ rise from working-class blokes to British rock gods in Oasis has become the stuff of music legend. But even though they released generation-defining records back-to-back — 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995’s (What’s the Story), Morning Glory? — the Gallaghers’ prickly relationship came to define the band. Their rock n’ roll star dreams always seemed to be on the brink of collapse.
At their best, the Gallaghers’ cat-and-mouse antics with each other were blithe tidbits to tell your friends at the pub (remember when Noel called Liam “a man with a fork in a world of soup?”). But at their worst, immature spats became vitriolic melees. Their on and off-stage instigations eventually tore them apart, and they broke up in 2009.
The Gallaghers splintered and entertained separate solo projects and collaborations over the years; Noel patched things up with Blur frontman Damon Albarn by hopping on a Gorillaz track in 2017 and Liam got together with John Squire (formerly of the Stone Roses) for an album in 2024. The brothers reportedly spent approximately 15 years without stepping in the same room as the other. So when Oasis announced they would be reuniting for a world tour two years ago, the excitement was palpable but also anxious. With a history of touring bringing out the worst in the Gallaghers, how would they make it work? Even as the opening show of the tour in Wales was ready to kick off, there was the lingering fear they couldn’t shake off old grudges.
And then it happened. They rocked their way across the globe as OG Oasis-heads and younger fans flocked to their massive shows. With the good cheer flowing, rumors of a documentary and new music abounded; the brothers repeatedly denied and teased the gossip, but then confirmed the former with the release of Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, the official documentary chronicling their return. The film, directed by
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, immortalizes the cross-generational celebration of last summer while also digging deep into the brothers’ newfound admiration for each other. Here are seven things we learned from the film.
Noel Enjoys Rehearsing, Liam (Maybe) Not So Much
Don’t Look Back in Anger opens on a bearded Noel arriving for Oasis’ first day of a six-week rehearsal period. As the rehearsals continue, Noel points out in a voiceover he plans to work hard to polish their setlist during these weeks so they can let loose and enjoy the tour. He swiftly revises an arrangement of “Columbia” like a hard-nosed but well-meaning music teacher and later is seen strumming along to “Half the World Away.”
While this is happening, Liam has yet to appear on screen. On the day he does arrive, he strides in and does his job, but there’s little conversation between the brothers, and the documentary’s editing gives the impression of lingering tension between the duo. Noel gives him a note for singing the outro for “Slide Away” (which Liam laughs off, but ends up applying on tour), and in another clip, Liam sings the final lyric of the setlist closer “Champagne Supernova,” grabs his Adidas duffle bag, and walks out of the rehearsal space even before the final notes ring out. In another band, this would be considered egregious. But they all laugh it off, and Noel later says he respects Liam’s nonchalant attitude.
The Gallaghers Couldn’t Believe the Crowds Across the World, Especially in America
Throughout Don’t Look Back in Anger, the Gallaghers return to a singular point: they can’t begin to articulate the euphoria radiating from the crowd in every city (with a Welsh police chief describing the fans as engaging in “herd mentality similar to that of a football crowd.”) Noel says he blacked out the first 40 minutes of the opening night in Cardiff, Wales. While they were already shocked at the religious stupor they experienced across England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, their next shows would take them to North America where they’ve had a, er, “lukewarm” reception (in the Gallaghers’ own words). But no more: the footage from the film continues the party before Liam declares, “We finally woke America up.”
Their Irish Heritage and Mancunian Upbringing Is Integral to Oasis’ Identity …
For the uninitiated, Liam and Noel were raised by two Irish working-class immigrants in Manchester, England, and flaunt their heritage. The Gallaghers point out some of their songs meld melancholy with optimism, like Morning Glory’s standout “Some Might Say,” to reflect their Irish identity. As the story goes, Oasis’ working-class image resonated not just with the Mancunians who frequented the same haunts as them, but also fans all around the world who found hope in their songs. One Korean fan in the documentary put it poignantly: “Oasis falls down with you.”
… As Is Guitarist Bonehead
Rhythm guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs returned to tour with Oasis after he left the band in 1999. While he cracks plenty of jokes throughout the documentary to keep the group in high spirits, Noel states Oasis owes much to Bonehead: “He is the fucking sound of Oasis,” he says. After Bonehead departed Noel chased after the guitarist’s tone for the final decade of Oasis’ original run.
Noel Recognizes Younger Fans Flocked to Their Shows
Don’t Look Back in Anger is equal parts concert film as it is a video portrait of Oasis fanatics who have long awaited their return. The band’s “live everyday like it’s your last” mentality cultivated a youthful and carefree fanbase back in the Nineties, and in a voiceover, Noel recognizes the crowds during the Live ‘25 Tour still skewed young, which he imagines is due to younger generations’ parents passing down their love of Oasis. The’ songs mean something different to Noel now in the wake of their 2025 tour and fans can’t help but wonder if they plan on continuing with a 2027 tour.
The Brothers Respect Each Other Now, Flaws and All
“It’s not a power struggle [anymore],” Liam says near the end of Don’t Look Back in Anger. Petty grievances regarding the opposite Gallaghers’ personality would’ve cost them a tour 30 years ago, but now they respect each other’s differences while recognizing their own hubris. In one scene, Noel recalls how their single “Supersonic” opens up with the swaggering lyrics “I need to be myself/I can’t be no one else,” and Liam has spent his entire life living by that uninhibited M.O.; Liam himself says “it takes a lot of caring to not give a fuck.”
Noel also praises Liam’s fashionable cool (Stone Island parka, big sunglasses, tambourine as a fascinator) and how much his frontman persona resonated with fans worldwide. Liam describes their reconciliation as a massive weight being lifted: “It was all forgiven without saying a word,” he says, and is ecstatic they’re finally performing Oasis songs together again, as it was always intended to be.
They Text Each Other Now?
Liam and Noel are filmed in their first joint interviews in 20 years throughout the documentary and share how the good times continue off the stage, too, including chatting with each other via text message: “The bickering is over,” Noel says. For other families, this is a given, but for the Gallaghers this is huge; they joke about sending each other funny posts on social media (which we can only imagine are related to Man City F.C.) while their respective children (including Villanelle’s Gene, models Anaïs and Lennon, and Donovan) have become best friends. “I forgot how funny he was,” Noel chuckles about Liam.
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