Oasis: 'We'll never play the London O2 Arena'

Oasis

Noel Gallagher rubbishes residency rumours, but hints at live plans

Apr 14, 2008
19 Comments
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Oasis' Noel Gallagher has stated that his band will never perform at the London O2 Arena, quashing rumours of a residency.

As previously reported on NME.COM, the Sunday Mirror quoted an anonymous source as saying that Oasis were close to announcing a ten-date London O2 Arena residency at the venue for this autumn.

Despite quashing the rumours, Gallagher suggested to BBC News that Oasis have plans to play live dates in the UK in 2008.

"We'll never play the O2," he said. "We went there to see Led Zeppelin [last December] and, to be honest, the gig was fantastic, but it was the most soul-destroying venue I've ever been to.

"Much to our manager and agent's disappointment we came back and said we would never play there. So it means we are going to have to do 640 nights at Earl's Court, I would have thought.

"[The O2 Arena is] too Americanised for me, and it's too far away. Any gig you can get to by boat that hasn't got a beach is wrong."

Noel Gallagher also spoke about this year's Glastonbury Festival and the event's decision to put on Jay-Z as headliner.

See what the Oasis frontman had to say about the rapper on NME.COM now.

Where do you think Oasis should play? Post up your suggestions by logging in to MyNME below.

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Comments (19)

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Sachin

Apr 14, 2008

For the UK it has to be 3 nights at Wembley, 1 at Millenium Stadium, Villa Park (birmingham), City of Manchester, St James Park (newcastle), Hampden Park (Scotland) topped off by 7 nights at Knebworth

gazmassie

Apr 14, 2008

The smaller Oasis gigs are amazing. I seen them on their mini tour a few years ago at The Astoria, Clapham Grand and The Coronet and they were unreal. Obviously these gigs arent as financially rewarding so they could stick a couple of Wembley Stadium gigs in with it. Lets face it, they are the greatest Rock n Roll band of a generation so they will sell out wherever they play as they always do. It is just brilliant news that they will be back playing live.

Stefania22

Apr 14, 2008

I'm glad Oasis will never play that venue..Noel is absolutely right. I went to the O2 to see The Verve last December and it was alienating. I was surrounded by a bunch of people that were either chatting away loudly like they were in their living room, blocking your view every 10 minutes to go get drinks or asking others to sit down cause they couldn't see (sit down? at a Verve gig?) and my seat was so far away and high up that I felt like I was inside a spaceship..I still tried to enjoy the music concentrating on the stage but the atmosphere in that place is almost absent..So I think Noel knows that part of a good gig is being able to get into it to enjoy the music in full and a proper venue helps. The O2 is not that place.

liveon35mm

Apr 14, 2008

O2 has the worst sound ever experienced in UK.well done Oasisliveon35mm.com

ndjxh16

Apr 14, 2008

I am not a great fan of the 02 having been to the big gig but really is it really any worse than the souless venues that are Earls Court and Wembley Arena, nope.Lets face it anything bigger than Brixton Academy is pretty souless. Oh and its not easy to get to Wembley either!!

rick 13

Apr 14, 2008

im not arsed, just as long has oasis come to the north of england so i can see them again

Cooljon

Apr 14, 2008

If I'm honest Knebworth they will always do as its a mega venue. Villa Park, ha, they won't do that. I think they'll do low scale gigs in small venues, fact is though, they've pissed off with the Verve to Toronto and doing a Festival there.

deanglover

Apr 15, 2008

the 02 looks wank

mbowie9

Apr 15, 2008

i agree with Sachin - Oasis at St.James would be mega!!!

alxhut1991

Apr 15, 2008

i don't care where they play, just as long as i get to see them!

chadley

Apr 15, 2008

I wish Oasis would just go away. I hate Noel and Liam. They are a dried-up talent and have produced nothing interesting for years. It's a shame that artists that used to be good but now suck should get any attention. They had 4 or 5 decent songs scattered over a 2-3 albums back in the mid 90s but they have totally sucked ever since. Everyone knows it. Noel has some kinda nerve critiquing other bands like Green Day that have probably 20+ great songs and put out a very strong album just a couple years back.The Rolling Stones put out crappy music these days but they are on another level. They had 20 strong years of solid new music they put out and changed the face of music so they still deserve the attention they get. They must have 50+ great songs.There are 100s of bands like Oasis that have put out just a handful of decent songs.

wesley1

Apr 15, 2008

Nice one noely g. lets face it, the o2 arena is more about corporate than it is music!!!! aint bothered where they play otherwise just as long as they play!

shaunyeah

Apr 15, 2008

Why has this turned into some sort of uneducated political debate, if you think what Noel has said is racist you have clearly been brainwashed by political correctness. He is critisizing the choice of Jay Z on musical terms, not on the basis of the colour of his skin. If eminem was headlining he would probably say the same, would that mean he is being racist towards whites? I think not.Also all of these people critisizing right-wing politics, look at what left-wing labour has done to our country, turned it into a laughing stock, whatever happened to freedom of speech and British Pride aye?x

Zippit

Apr 15, 2008

Cooljon. Oasis are playing Toronto V Festival which is going to be awesome. The Verve are playing an ice hockey arena in Toronto not V Fest. I've got my tickets for both and its great news for all us Ex Pats. in the Toronto area. I was fortunate to go to some early Oasis gigs in the UK in the mid 90's (Wolverhampton Wulfren, Derby Warehouse, Nottingham Rock City). These were stand out performances when Liam would not blink for 60 minutes. Just staring out the audience whilst knocking out a great set. The last two times they came to Toronto their shows were nothing to write home about. I'm hoping at V Fest they will back to their former(morning) glory!

davidgreen8

Apr 15, 2008

hopefully the same will go for every gig venue on the planet

Chris Nicks

Apr 15, 2008

Thank God!! The 02 sucks balls!!

corey1982123

Apr 15, 2008

the o2 is not a good place for some people..BUt there are lot of people love that place..they cool there..My friend on "Tallmeet.c o m"write something about this on his blog .

Soundedd

Apr 15, 2008

Haha Chadley Oasis dried up, saying that was laughable there still world class, better than all of of todays Indie bands, and there are some mint bands. 4 or 5 good songs?, what planet do you live on. Then you went on to big up The Rolling Stones, without a shadow of a doubt the most overrated band ever, absolute cunts, Mick Jagger - "I want to retire, no longer required", take a leaf out of that Kaiser Chiefs song and step down, they are a dog shit band and Oasis are class.