A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Their music is iconic, and so is their family feud. We're talking about Oasis, one of the most famous British bands in the 1990s, led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. You might remember their songs like this one.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WONDERWALL")
OASIS: (Singing) Today is going to be the day that they're going to throw it back to you. By now...
MARTÍNEZ: They helped define the '90s Britpop sound, which had crossover appeal in the U.S., as well. But the band broke up 15 years ago amid a fallout between the Gallagher brothers. Now they've apparently patched things up because today, they've announced a reunion tour. NPR's Lauren Frayer is in London. Lauren, so you get to see Oasis live.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: I hope so. I'm going to try for tickets. This has been one of the sort of will-they-won't-they things that music fans have obsessed over for years. The band teased a big announcement and then shared this video trailer on social media this morning advertising this new tour.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NOEL GALLAGHER: I know my brother better than anybody else.
LIAM GALLAGHER: When both come together, you'll have greatness.
FRAYER: And the trailer is accompanied by a message that says, the guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Tickets go on sale this Saturday. Prices are still TBA - probably expensive. So far, it's a tour next summer of a bunch of cities in the U.K. and Ireland, including four nights at London's Wembley Stadium, four nights in their hometown of Manchester, also Cardiff, Dublin. And they say plans are underway for more shows on continents outside of Europe, so U.S. fans could possibly be in luck.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So the band is back together, but does that mean the brothers have made up?
FRAYER: So Oasis officially split up in 2009 after Noel Gallagher left the band, saying he couldn't bear to work another day longer with his younger brother, Liam. We all have these sibling rivalries sometimes, right? They have had these notorious arguments, though, for years before that and since. They've both had solo careers. They both play Oasis songs at their solo gigs. But they've continued to sort of bicker at each other in the media over who had a hangover when in the early 2000s and what concerts got canceled because of it. They went as far as filing a lawsuit over one of those things, which was later dropped.
In recent years, they've been tweeting Merry Christmas messages to other. But, you know, that's different than working together again. And so a lot of fans are asking, you know, have they put this notorious rivalry behind them? Do fans need to buy insurance when they buy these tickets? One of Oasis' most popular songs is called "Don't Look Back in Anger." Let's hear a bit of that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER")
OASIS: (Singing) And so Sally can wait. She knows it's too late.
FRAYER: You know, a song like "Don't Look Back In Anger" seems pretty prescient now that the Gallagher brothers are ready to perform again. Are they looking back in anger? Today's announcement said fans will get to experience the spark and intensity that occurs when these two brothers appear on stage together.
MARTÍNEZ: I hope so. The songs are still too good. All right. So why? Why, Lauren, are they getting back together, and why now?
FRAYER: I mean, they're not saying - money, maybe, but they're already pretty rich. Noel just went through a divorce settlement, though, that reportedly cost him about $25 million. Nostalgia? I mean, there's a whole generation of fans who've enjoyed Oasis music but haven't been able to see them live. And you look through these footage of old concerts, and there are no smartphones swaying back and forth. That's how long it's been.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Lauren Frayer in London. Thanks a lot.
FRAYER: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF OASIS SONG, "WONDERWALL") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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