Some bands just live forever

“Where were you while we were getting high?”
Its one of the most evocative lyrics from ‘Champagne Supernova’, the big finishing track from Oasis’s ‘Whats The Story (Morning Glory?)’ record but it could easily be said about the fans who have been flocking to see them in stadiums across Britain and Ireland in recent weeks. There are still plenty more stadiums to go as the band plough through their homeland with no great regard for pleasantries or niceties. Brothers Noel Gallagher, the main songwriter and guitarist, and younger brother Liam Gallagher are the public face and image of the group and they seem to polarise opinion very easily.
Of course, for those who lived through Britpop, it can be hard to think of Oasis, without mentioning Blur. The chart scrap between ‘Roll With It’ and ‘Country House’ may have saw two of the weaker songs in both bands arsenal fighting it out but their paths have taken a very different route since. Oasis have never left the stadiums but many say that they have lost the knack of song writing, whilst the individual stock of Blur members has never been higher since their split. Whether it is Damon Albarn in the Gorillaz, Graeme Coxon on his own or working with Pete Doherty, Alex James working with Damien Hirst and Keith Allen whilst selling cheese or even drummer Dave, who has dallied with helicopter flying, law and politics, the four members of Blur have been fairly active. This summer though, they are back and ready to do battle with Oasis once again as both bands fill stadiums and play major shows this month and for the rest of the summer. So whether you are “Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls” or even just looking to expand your ‘Parklife’, there’s a lot to enjoy this summer.
The Britpop era of music hasn’t aged too badly but another of the main stars of the era is also on the comeback trail and although Jarvis Cocker may be appearing on a smaller stage than Oasis or Blur, he doesn’t lack a fanatical fan base. His antic at waving his arse at Michael Jackson at the Brit Awards may have overshadowed some of the band music but there are very few fans out there who remained unaware of Jarvis Cocker after that incident. Many stars and people have came out and criticised the King of Pop for his actions and behaviour but few have managed it in such a manner that Jarvis Cocker did.
One thing that all three acts have in common is a debt of gratitude to bands like The Stone Roses, The Smiths and Joy Division. All three hailed from Manchester, giving an immediate Oasis link but their different styles of British guitar music and popular tunes can be heard in all the major acts of the Britpop era. There’s very little in music that is truly and of course, the music of bands like Oasis owes as much to the swaggering pomp of the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin as it does to the lyrical style of Ian Brown but there should be no doubt that Britpop borrowed heavily from music’s past.
For new generations, this is a great aspect about finding new bands, as it makes it easier to get into classic stars and great lyrics from a bygone era but as some of the biggest stars of the Britpop era return to ensure the world stills remembers their name, they will have to battle with some of the even older statesmen of indie and rock this summer. For some fans, it is all about Oasis and Blur but for those of a slightly older vintage, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and AC/DC will be of much, if not more, interest than the stars who first found fame in mid 1990s.