Oasis mark Knebworth anniversary

Stars describe the mega-gigs as a moment in history

The Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers and The Prodigy have described Oasis‘ massive Knebworth gigs as a pivotal moment in musical history, 10 years on from the Gallaghers‘ biggest ever shows.

With the band supported by all three acts in front of 250,000 people over two historic nights, the event was one of the defining moments of the Britpop years.

The shows marked a major turning point for The Charlatans after keyboard player Rob Collins was killed in a car accident just three weeks before.

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Frontman Tim Burgess told NME: “We brought people down to their knees, down to tears! I think if we’d played badly that would have been the end of the band, but we didn’t. It was a pivotal moment in The Charlatans story.”

Prodigy mainman Liam Howlett described the event as a “fucking big rave”.

He added: “Knebworth was just so beautiful, loads of people were on Es everywhere and stuff. It was an event never to be repeated, it was a moment in time.”

The shows also marked a career highpoint for the Manic Street Preachers after ‘A Design For Life’ brought the Welsh three-piece to the masses.

Bassist Nicky Wire said: “I’m not sure Oasis realised the gigantic nature of what they were doing. The moment for me was when John Squire came on and played ‘Champagne Supernova’. That moment did seem like a coming together of the great Mancunian mafia.”

Also in this week’s NME Knebworth 10th Anniversary Special, The Automatic reveal all about their mental week and we look back at the last ever Top Of The Pops.

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View the Oasis gallery by photographer Jill Furmanovsky from their Knebworth gig in 1996.

For more great Oasis pictures visit – www.rockarchive.com

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