Oasis shot from obscurity to stardom in 1994, becoming one of Britain's most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the decade; along with Blur and Suede, they are responsible for returning British guitar pop to the top of the charts. Led by guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher, the Manchester quintet adopts the rough, thuggish image of the Stones and the Who, crosses it with Beatlesque melodies and hooks, distinctly British lyrical themes and song structures like the Jam and the Kinks, and ties it all together with a massive, loud guitar roar, as well as a defiant sneer that draws equally from the Sex Pistols' rebelliousness and the Stone Roses' cocksure arrogance. Gallagher's songs frequently rework previous hits from T. Rex ("Cigarettes and Alcohol" borrows the riff from "Bang a Gong") to Wham! ("Fade Away" takes the melody from "Freedom"), yet the group always puts the hooks in different settings, updating past hits for a new era. Originally, the group was formed by schoolmates Liam Gallagher (vocals), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass), and Tony McCaroll (drums). After spending several years as the guitar technician for the Stone Roses-inspired group the Inspiral Carpets, Noel Gallagher returned to Manchester to find that his brother had formed a band. Noel agreed to join the band if he could have complete control of the group, including contributing all the songs; the rest of the band agreed and under the new name Oasis, they began a year of intensive rehearsing.
After playing a handful of small club gigs, the band cornered Alan McGee, the head of Creation Records, and forced him to listen to their demo. Impressed, he signed the band. The group released their first single, "Supersonic," in the spring of 1994; it edged its way into the charts on the back of positive reviews. With a melody adapted from "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," "Shakermaker" became a bigger hit in the early summer. Released a month before their debut album, the soaring ballad "Live Forever" became a major hit in England. The group's first record, Definitely Maybe, became the fastest-selling debut in British history, entering the charts at number one. Oasis mania continued throughout 1994, as the group began playing larger theaters and each new single outperformed the last. However, tensions in the group began to build -- Liam and Noel refused to do joint interviews because they always fought -- and Noel Gallagher briefly left the band at the end of a difficult fall American tour; he soon re-joined and the band headed back to England. As "Supersonic" began to climb the U.S. album rock and modern rock charts, the non-LP, string-laden "Whatever" hit number two over the British Christmas season.
At the beginning of 1995, the group concentrated on America, promoting the single "Live Forever." The song became a major hit on MTV, album rock, and modern rock radio stations, peaking at number two, and Definitely Maybe went gold in the U.S. Returning to England after a sold-out American tour, the group recorded a new single, "Some Might Say." On the eve of its release, drummer Tony McCaroll parted ways with the band, with Alan White taking his place. "Some Might Say" entered the charts at number one upon its May release; its success led to all of their previous singles re-entering the indie charts. Oasis spent the rest of the summer completing their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, which was released in October of 1995. Upon its release, the album shot to number one in England, becoming the fastest-selling in the U.K. since Michael Jackson's Bad.
Over the course of 1996, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? became the second-biggest British album in history, as Oasis became international phenomenons. On the strength of the single "Wonderwall," Morning Glory became a Top Ten success in America, eventually being certified quintuple platinum; it also reached the Top Ten throughout Europe and Asia. During 1996, the Gallaghers' combative relationship frequently made newspapers and gossip columns, particularly when they suddenly pulled out of their late summer U.S. tour. This followed the group's two concerts at Knebworth, which broke records for being the biggest outdoor concert in England. After Oasis abandoned their American tour, they concentrated on recording their third album. Where their first two albums were quickly recorded, they took several months to record the third, finally completing it in the spring of 1997. The album, Be Here Now, was released in late August, with the single "D'You Know What I Mean" preceding the full-length record in July. Greeted with generally enthusiastic reviews and robust sales, Be Here Now shattered sales records in the U.K. and nearly topped the U.S. charts, positioning the quintet as the de facto rulers of rock. However, a backlash set in among both critics and record buyers over the album's perceived excesses, which meant that Be Here Now lacked the shelf life of its predecessors. Not long afterward, typical infighting unraveled the band's tour, and the group disappeared from the spotlight for a time, although a collection of B-sides, Masterplan, did follow in 1998.
As the band was recording their fourth album in the summer of 1999, Bonehead left Oasis, claiming that he wanted to spend more time with his family. Interviewed by NME on August 11, the day after the parting was made public, Noel Gallagher seemed unfazed: "It's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles." Ex-Ride guitarist Andy Bell and onetime Heavy Stereo bassist Gem Archer signed on after the recording of 2000's Standing on the Shoulder of Giants was completed. In fall 2000, the band celebrated their monumental world tour success with the release of their first-ever live record, Familiar To Millions. The album highlights Oasis' July 2000 gig at Wembley Stadium and was released on six different formats including CD and cassette, DVD, VHS, Triple Vinyl, and Mini Disc. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

26th September Tokyo, Yoyogi Taiikukan
28th September Tokyo, Yoyogi Taiikukan
29th September Tokyo, Yoyogi Taiikukan
1st October Fukuoka, Kokusai Center
2nd October Osaka, Osaka Castle Hall
3rd October Osaka, Osaka Castle Hall
5th October Sendai, Miyagi-ken Taiikukan
7th October Hiroshima, Sun Plaza
8th October Nagoya, Rainbow Hall

Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants

01. F***in' In The Bushes
02. Go Let It Out!
03. Who Feels Love?
04. Put Your Money Where Yer Mouth Is
05. Little James
06. Gas Panic!
07. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
08. Sunday Morning Call
09. I Can See A Liar
10. Roll It Over

Familiar To Millions

Disc 1
01. F***in' In The Bushes
02. Go Let It Out
03. Who Feels Love?
04. Supersonic
05. Shaker Maker
06. Acquiesce
07. Step Out
08. Gas Panic!
09. Roll With It
10. Stand By Me
Disc 2
01. Wonderwall
02. Cigarettes & Alcohol
03. Don't Look Back In Anger
04. Live Forever
05. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)
06. Champagne Supernova
07. Rock 'N' Roll Star
08. Helter Skelter

Masterplan

01. Acquiesce
02. Underneath The Sky
03. Talk Tonight
04. Going Nowhere
05. Fade Away
06. The Swamp Song
07. I Am The Walrus (Live)
08. Listen Up
09. Rockin' Chair
10. Half The World Away
11. (It's Good) To Be Free
12. Stay Young
13. Headshrinker
14. The Masterplan

Be Here Now

01. D'You Know What I Mean?
02. My Big Mouth
03. Magic Pie
04. Stand By Me
05. I Hope, I Think, I Know
06. The Girl In The Dirty Shirt
07. Fade In-Out
08. Don't Go Away
09. Be Here Now
10. All Around The World
11. It's Gettin' Better (Man!!)
12. All Around The World (Reprise)

What's The Story Morning Glory

01. Hello
02. Roll With It
03. Wonderwall
04. Don't Look Back In Anger
05. Hey Now!
06. Untitled
07. Some Might Say
08. Cast No Shadow
09. She's Electric
10. Morning Glory
11. Untitled
12. Champagne Supernova

Definitely Maybe

01. Rock 'n' Roll Star
02. Shakermaker
03. Live Forever
04. Up In The Sky
05. Columbia
06. Supersonic
07. Bring It On Down
08. Cigarettes & Alcohol
09. Digsy's Diner
10. Slide Away
11. Married With Children