Oasis - Knebworth setlist

Photograph by Paul McDermott.

An Instagram post by Alan McGee mentioned that today (10 August, 2024) was the 28th anniversary of Oasis’ gig at Knebworth. Oasis played two shows at the famed venue on the 10 and 11 of August 1996 to a combined audience of 250,000, a weekend that is often described as the climax of the Britpop movement. After Knebworth the band flew to Cork for two gigs at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 14 and 15 August.

I worked down the Páirc for the two Oasis concerts as part of the local crew. A gang of us spent a few days building the stage and then I was kept on to help the Oasis road crew setting up the band’s backline. I worked with Noel’s guitar tech rolling flight cases across the stage and sorting them into some kind of order. Lo and behold when I lifted the lid of one of the guitar amp cases, what did I find gaffa-taped to one of the amps...

Photograph by Paul McDermott.

I carefully peeled the setlist from the amp, folded it up and stuck it into my pocket and then started sorting out the guitars. I remember opening a guitarcase to reveal a Union Jack emblazoned guitar.

“We won’t be needed that one tonight,” said the guitar tech as he opened another guitarcase.

“This is tonight’s guitar,” he laughed holding up the exact same guitar, this time emblazoned with the tricolour.

Photograph by Paul McDermott.

I bought the first four Oasis singles on 7”. I then bought ‘Whatever’, their fifth single on 12” because it came with a free 12”x12” print of the sleeve artwork. It still really annoys me that I missed ‘Some Might Say’ - single No. 6. It just wasn’t available on vinyl in Cork in 1995. I did buy ‘Roll With It’ - single No. 7 - on 7” in August 1995. I was firmly on the side of the Mancunians in the “Battle of Britpop”. I still think ‘Roll With It’ is a far superior tune to ‘Country House’.

I bought the first two albums and six singles in total.

And that was it - I was done.