A gig from much-loved rock group Oasis lasted just half an hour when Liam Gallagher “picked a fight” with the crowd.
Though the Wonderwall singer has toned down his on-stage attitude, there was a time when the Oasis frontman would give the crowd a little more than they could take. A gig in Switzerland saw Gallagher pelted with bottles and cans, with both Gallagher and Alan White “hit” by the debris, according to a statement from the band. Paleo Festival organisers claimed no such debris was thrown and that only bits of rubbish had been thrown at the group, according to The Guardian. Oasis were subsequently barred from the festival, where their performance, which occurred on this day in 2000, attracted jeers from thousands.
In a performance which did not feature Noel Gallagher, the band were allegedly pelted by “several bottles, cans and coins”. Liam Gallagher left the stage, followed by the rest of Oasis. According to SwissInfo, the crowd had begun chanting the name of Gallagher’s at-the-time rival, Robbie Williams.
A statement released by Oasis at the time reads: “The band had taken the stage to a roar of anticipation from the audience. Approximately 30 minutes into the performance, several bottles, cans and coins were thrown on the stage, hitting several band members. A small group ruined it for the real fans.”
Festival organiser Daniel Rossellat disagreed with the statement, suggesting it was a “provocative attitude” from Gallagher which led to the incident on stage. Rossellat said at the time: “He insulted members of the audience on several occasions.
“As far as the Paleo Festival organisers are concerned, Oasis’s decision to cut short their concert was totally irrational and the result of a paranoid reaction by the group, and not based on a calm analysis of the situation.
“By cutting short their concert in this way, Oasis not only ruined what was to be have been a much-awaited musical performance for thousands of members of the audience, but also totally disregarded the public safety risk involved in depriving such a huge crowd of the band they had come to applaud.”
Oasis would get through just five songs that night, with three songs from at-the-time new album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants making up most of the set. The full setlist for the aborted gig can be found below.
- Go Let It Out
- Who Feels Love?
- Supersonic
- Shakermaker
- Acquiesce
- Gas Panic! (aborted midway through)
Oasis’ return to the stage has been a calmer affair for the band, with the group dabbling in controversy all the same with dynamic pricing during ticket sales and blocking off the so-called Gallagher Hill view at Heaton Park. Fans had assembled on the hill overlooking the stage, though a large wall was put in place to protect “the cows and saplings”.
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