Film review: Oasis Knebworth 1996 reminds us of the Gallaghers' glory days
Liam Gallagher of Oasis onstage at Knebworth in 1996. Picture: Roberta Parkin/Redferns
The most memorable scenes in Oasis Knebworth 1996 have almost nothing to do with Noel and Liam Gallagher or their chugging Britpop. Jake Scott’s documentary about Oasis’ historic brace of gigs at the 125,000 capacity venue is bookended with testimonials from fans who made the long journey to the Hertfordshire country estate to watch history unfold. And it is these reminiscings that, delivered at 25 years remove, leave the strongest impression.
One Oasis fan reveals that he was about to set off for Knebworth when his girlfriend of eight months told him she was pregnant. Another recalls standing next to her boyfriend, drinking warm lager from a plastic cup while singing along to Champagne Supernova. Was this as good as life got, she wondered? Perhaps it was.
Oasis are of course the stars of this concise two-hour film which rattles through many familiar concert doc scenes. We see Oasis arrive at Knebworth by helicopter, gawping at the crowd sprawling towards the horizon. And we watch as they bestride the venue, belting out hits such as Live Forever and Don’t Look Back In Anger to a combined attendance of 250,000.
Noel and Liam Gallagher may not be presently on speaking terms – but they did come together to co-produce the documentary. Noel also chimes in with voiceover comments, explaining, for instance, that Oasis stayed up until 7am partying two days before the first Knebworth to ensure they had a decent night’s sleep on the eve of the gig. And rhythm guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs confesses his disbelief when John Squire of The Stones joins the group for Champagne Supernova.
Inviting Squire up was Noel Gallagher’s way of acknowledging where Oasis had come from. He similarly paid homage when Oasis came to Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork several days later, at which he played Cast No Shadow with an acoustic guitar belonging to Rory Gallagher.
Not that Noel could be accused of undue humility. Oasis were not taking up the baton from John Squire, he says. They’d already seized it two years previously with their first streak of hits.
Oasis fans will be heartened to hear Gallagher has not lost his swagger. But for those agnostic about the Gallaghers, the real pleasure in this film is in how it evokes a long-vanished area.
As the camera pans out over Knebworth, it’s hard not to notice what is missing. There are no phones, nobody tweeting or Instagramming. They’re all swept up in the moment in a way that, a quarter-century later, would be simply unthinkable.
- Oasis Knebworth 1996 opens in cinemas on Thursday, September 23. The Oasis Knebworth 1996 live album and DVD/Blu-ray will be released on November 19
