By Guia Rossi. Cover image: Courtesy Oasis, source Instagram
On August 27, there was widespread excitement when Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher announced on social media that they would be reuniting for a tour planned for 2025. This news sparked enthusiasm among fans who had been waiting for 15 years since the band’s breakup in 2009, as well as among those who had only seen and heard that name on Spotify playlists. The announcement reignited a passion for the band’s musical style, aesthetic and enduring influence across different generations, which is rooted in epic moments of 20th-century music history and culture
In a genius marketing move, the Gallagher brothers are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe, the first album released in 1994, by re-releasing a deluxe version in all existing formats. This version will include juicy unreleased tracks such as the outtakes from Monnow Valley and Sawmills studios, as well as the fan favourite ‘Sad Song (Mauldeth Road West Demo, Nov “92)” sung by Liam. Not content to see fans go into a frenzy, the purchase of precious tickets for the Oasis live ‘25 tour, which opened on August 31, is fraught with rules and pitfalls similar to a challenging video game. Along with endless online queues, fans also have to answer questions (thank you Taylor for pointing the way!) such as identifying the name of the band’s original drummer. For example, last week, over a million people searched for Tony McCarroll’s name in a single day.
From the Oasis reunion to the eternal struggle of Mods vs Rockers
Nothing happens by chance. In the 1990s, there was fierce competition between Oasis and Blur for the top spots on the music charts. Oasis, representing the working class lads from Manchester, clashed with the cooler Blur, fronted by Damon Albarn, a valid response to the grunge movement from the US. Looking at this rivalry also reveals some interesting connections that add to the renewed passion. The musical genre of Oasis’ genre, dubbed Britpop, has its roots in rock music. And 2024 marks an important celebration – its first 70 years. Rock music is not limited to Elvis Presley’s ‘rock & roll’. From the 50’s to the present day, multiple addictive sounds such as glam, punk, hard, psychedelic and indie have emerged. However, it is the Mod sub-genre that has found a new space in these times of endless digital scrolling. Liam himself once told The Daily Mail: ‘[Mod was] better than the Madchester scene or Brit-pop or anything else. The clothes were cool. A lot of people had nothing in those days – just a scooter and a house party to go to in Brighton. But it was good.
In Madrid, the National Museum of Anthropology is currently hosting an exhibition called Chupas y Parkas (leather jackets and parkas) until September 22. The exhibition is a beautiful retrospective of the Mod vs Rockers factions. It features documents on the ‘Battle of Brighton’ on the 60th anniversary of those legendary riots that took place on May 18, 1964. At the same time, it also celebrates the 45th anniversary of ‘Quadrophenia’, a film released in 1979 that recounts the events. A project produced by the Who themselves, the emblematic music group of the British Mod scene, and was inspired by the eponymous album released in 1973.
Although Rockers may have sounded like neighbourhood punks and Mods like refined sons of the bourgeoisie, both subcultures originated from the working class. Mod is an abbreviation for ‘Modernist’, and refers to ‘Modern Jazz’, the music preference of early Mod kids. Several other subcultures, such as Northern Soul, Soulboy, Skinheads, (Football) Casuals and Rave were influenced by Mod culture and were later drawn upon by bands like Oasis.
What distinguishes Mod style from Rocker’s
If the Teddy Boys, later Rockers, were fascinated by American rock & roll, often sporting leather jackets, creeper shoes and banana topknots, the Mods sought to distance themselves from that mainstream look at that time by looking to Europe for new inspiration and donning skinny-fit tailored suits while riding Vespa or Lambretta scooters and staying protected from the elements with parkas worn over long-sleeved polo shirts.
As previously mentioned by Gallagher, the Mod style later inspired the aesthetic codes of Brit-pop in the Nineties. Want to know their key items? They include parkas, Harrington jackets, checked shirts and Adidas shoes. Bucket hats (preferably Kangol), baggy jeans such as Levi’s 504s, Lennon cut-lens eyewear and tons of Noel’s football shirts in pure Terrace-style, reminiscent of the English stadium bleachers. This bloke-core style, now so popular even on TikTok, also matches the bob haircuts with maxi sideburns seen on the heads of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, David Bowie and Paul Weller of the Jam.
And what can we say about the latest project with Stone Island where Liam Gallagher is the brand’s new ambassador for the new Autumn_Winter ‘24-25 campaign wearing the 75411 Jock-23_AW “83-”84 archive garment. Bingo! Lensed by David Sims and interviewed by none other than art curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, Liam Gallagher shares his favourite places, the advice he would give to the younger version of himself, what he is grateful for and much more.
When we start seeing more and more clones à la Oasis style around, let’s make sure we are ready. Once again, we must acknowledge that music is a powerful force that allows us to escape the present and experience every era on every level.
