Music Appreciation

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After setting the mood with Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” and a hype video set to “Fuckin’ in the Bushes,” the two brothers walked out hand-in-hand to a roaring, salivating audience. From there, they immediately settled into their roles. Noel looked focused, a little strained, and didn’t say much outside of his song introductions, and Liam proved that he hasn’t lost an ounce of his rockstar appeal.

Seriously, it’s stupid how much snarky charisma Liam continues to boast in the year of our lord 2025. He’s certainly matured, learning to channel and control his angst in a way that won’t blow up the band for a second time, but he’s managed to retain a level of over-the-top, quick-witted ego that’s hard not to love. He chews up every second the camera is on him, from his iconic stance to blessing himself with his water bottle to having a little too much fun with his maracas and tambourine.

Sonically, the gang sounded as good as they looked. Both Liam and Noel’s voices were on point, soaring to particularly spectacular heights when harmonizing, and the band had their many, many amps cranked the hell up. Oasis entered Soldier Field to a warm audience; people were pumped. So, making it through the first few cuts without issue was almost inevitable. The real trick was sustaining that energy for two hours, and thanks to the strength of the songs and performances, the electricity rarely flickered.

In that way, Oasis’ “Live ’25” is kind of like the “Eras Tour” for blokes who enjoy themselves a pint and maybe a little horsing around. The excitement of the show almost precedes the night itself — everyone feeds off of it, and as long as the artist at the center of attention can keep up their end of the bargain, it’s bound to be a special time for everyone involved.

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