Oasis reunion tour: Mumbai musicians, insiders on the Gallagher brothers reuniting

Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher announced the reunion by posing together for a photograph

Fingers crossed
Ehsaan Noorani, music composer and guitarist

It's refreshing to see a duo come together after parting ways and pursuing solo stints. As someone who has been a part of collectives, I can vouch for the fact that disagreements and differences are common. But it takes a lot more than you'd imagine for a band to make amends. I can only hope the brothers keep it together this time. They are much older now, and by the looks of it, wiser as well.

Liam and Noel on the banks of Seine river in Paris during a 1995 visit. Pics courtesy/Instagram

I remember listening to the distinct alternate grunge guitar tone in the song, D' you know what I mean?, when it was released in 1997, and it instantly stuck with me, especially the part when the chorus comes in in all its glory. Many contemporaries in the 1990s like Nirvana and Pearl Jam had a similar sound, but what set Oasis apart is their consistency. That's the reason you see traces of their style in new releases even today. For me, The Second Beatles tag is justified.

Right place, right time
Sahil Makhija, guitarist, Demonic Resurrection

Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher announced the reunion by posing together for a photograph

I am one of those musicians who still believe that the band simply happened to luck out. Their signature Brit-pop sound was fresh, but definitely not revolutionary. However, I do remember listening to Don't look back in anger, and falling in love with it. Being a metalhead who was deep into the genre around the same time as Oasis was making waves elsewhere, I would have loved to experiment with the track, and add a heavy metal twist to it. A thumping layer of double bass, atmospheric keyboards and some death growls would have made Don't look back in anger a great headbanger. I'd retain the soft chorus though. I think it defined the song, and the Gallaghers' style in many ways.

Lessons to be learnt
Zubin Balaporia, music director and founding member, Indus Creed

Oasis stood out as one of the bands that had their own sound - something musicians today are constantly in the pursuit of. Funnily, it's not something you can work towards. It comes naturally, as it did to the Gallaghers. While their sound didn't permeate the band culture here in India in the '90s to find a reflection, I'm excited to see that young musicians are discovering the band through this bit of news now.

The brothers perform at the Coors Amphitheatre in California in 2005. PICS COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

It's unfortunate that factors like money, fame and commitments would inevitably come in the way of something so beautiful. But there's a lesson to learn from it all. To the young, feisty rockers who are just now kicking off their own journeys, I'd recommend settling your arguments and calling it quits on good terms if you ever have to.

Logistical masterstroke
Edison Prithviraj, festival organiser and artiste manager

I grew up listening to Oasis in the '90s as a teenager. I would have never imagined they'd pull off a reunion. Putting together a show of this scale is a mammoth task. We often deal with ego clashes and heated arguments while managing smaller bands behind the scenes. I cannot fathom what strings were pulled to get Liam and Noel, two firebrand powerhouses, on the same stage. With all the talk around tickets [buyers have been complaining of online glitches in ticket sales], I can only hope that the tickets are not being hoarded and resold later. All in all, the reunion tour will be one to learn a lot from if executed well.