The newly released concert film Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger offers a rare backstage pass to the Gallagher brothers’ 2025 world tour, revealing the nervous first rehearsal, Noel’s unexpected vulnerability, Liam’s disciplined comeback and a family reunion that had been years in the making. While the documentary bursts with electrifying live footage, it conspicuously sidesteps any discussion of the soaring ticket prices that left many fans facing bills well over £350.
First Rehearsal: Tension Breaks into Music
Filmed with discreet cameras tucked around the band’s practice space, the opening scenes capture Noel and the rest of the group running through songs before Liam’s arrival. The younger Gallagher storms in, quips to drummer Joey Waronker that part of his kit is “giving me the hump”, then grabs the microphone and launches into a vigorous rendition. As soon as his slot ends he walks straight out the door, leaving his bandmates chuckling and still playing. The moment marks the unofficial restart of Oasis after a fifteen‑year hiatus.
Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, aided by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, embed themselves with the touring crew, ensuring that even the most tentative interactions are preserved for posterity.
Noel’s Softer Side and Liam’s Point to Prove
Throughout the film Noel appears unusually open‑hearted. He admits to feeling nervous before the opening night in Cardiff and confesses to tearing up during a show in Ireland. The recent death of Stone Roses bassist Mani has prompted him to reflect on his own mortality, and he tells the camera that seeing fathers and sons embrace in the crowd “gets him”. “I had to turn my back on the audience a lot,” he says, a line that underscores his emotional exposure.
Liam, meanwhile, arrives at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff a mere twenty minutes before the band takes the stage. He has foregone cigarettes and alcohol, presenting a noticeably sharper physique and a voice that feels stronger than it has in years. His trademark wit surfaces with a joke about Mick Jagger that draws laughter from the crew. When asked about his approach he offers the now‑famous line: “It takes a lot of caring to not give a fuck.”
Family Ties, New Bonds and the Silence on Prices
The documentary also shines a light on the Gallagher sons. Four boys – aged 15, 18, 25 and 26 – meet for the first time during the tour, a moment underscored by a story shared by Noel about his eldest Donovan’s night getting “absolutely spangled” and ending up sick in a taxi. The brothers reveal that they now communicate constantly, exchanging silly videos and TV opinions in a group chat they describe as “like fucking mates”.
On the topic of politics, both Liam and Noel reject any right‑wing label, insisting that Oasis is about unity and “we and us”. Yet the film avoids the financial elephant in the room. Ticketmaster’s tiered pricing saw seats advertised at £148.50 balloon to more than £350, a fact never mentioned in the film, even in jest. Liam’s cheeky remark that “there are no cheap seats, sorry about that” feels ironic given the reality many fans faced.
Why it Matters
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger does more than catalogue a nostalgic tour; it captures a cultural flashpoint where a fractured band attempts to heal its wounds while delivering anthemic performances to a new generation. The film’s candid backstage moments humanise rock legends often reduced to caricatures, and its omission of ticket‑price talk raises important questions about transparency in live‑music economics. For fans who missed the live shows, the documentary offers a front‑row seat to a defining chapter in Britpop history, ensuring that the Gallagher saga remains part of the public conversation long after the final chord fades.
