Oasis live at the Principality Stadium (5.6.2025) with Richard Ashcroft and Cast supporting.
After all the hysteria, media and ticketing negativity and excitement, months of keyboard warriors chiselling away at the prospect of the Oasis reunion, now we are here. One glitch, one slip, one slight irritation, one inflammatory remark from a Gallagher and so many are ready to pile in.
What do we get? The ultimate response: a no frills blockbuster of a gig packed with familiar tunes and 75,000 grateful fans. Despite my lofty and distant viewpoint this was, without doubt, my gig of the year so far and I really have to rack my brain to think anything quite so impressive. It was such a beautifully intense event and you knew the World was watching.
Without any actual hand gestures, the Gallaghers stuck two fingers up at the naysayers, by just doing what they do and very well. Liam Gallagher’s controlled performance could not have been better, although maybe I could have been a bit closer.
I picked Cardiff in the pre-sale round of ticket buying as I thought the venue was smaller than Wembley, reasonable to get to and maybe wouldn’t have been so popular. I bought four face value £90 seats in the upper tier east stand, each with a £9 service charge, £1.50 facility charge and £2.75 order processing charge. That’s £101.18 each and they took 20 minutes to buy. I have no complaints. Bit pricey and no one likes the add ons but no surprises and if that’s for one of the gigs of the century, I’m fine with that.
Hotel prices were insane initially (around £1000 a night) and I planned a train in from Chepstow but as the day approached a normal priced opportunity appeared at The ex-Mecure Holland House Hotel. Pre-booked parking to add to it and was probably needed.
Great city centre to hang around in, Cardiff. Bit of drizzle didn’t dampen things much as the pubs started to fill. So many options and all so close to the stadium. Huge queues weaved around the first floor of the shopping centre for the merch sales shop. We wandered down to the stadium where the intimidating queue for merch moved quickly from over the river and my t-shirt was secured to mark the occasion.
After a bite and a final pre-gig pint in highly recommended Daffodil pub, we headed for the stadium for 5.30pm. Straight in, 30 mins after doors opening. The endless climb to level 6 for our seats was first. Then the final ascent half way up the east face of the seating. You really feel like you could fall out. Then it’s down and up again to the upper concourse for drinks.
Cast started at 6pm. Didn’t want to miss them. Sound not great – a bit echoey and lacking depth. Half an hour of familiar hits though, starting with Sandstorm including Walkaway, Guiding Star and finishing with Alright – they’re clearly happy to be part of this. John Power dons a bucket hat.
So Cast become my first band seen in this stadium. I’ve seen them several times but never in front of a crowd this size. Despite three play-off finals and an FA Cup Final (2006 West Ham v Liverpool), I’ve never seen a band in here…and I’ve never seen the roof closed – it changes it massively and preferable for a gig surely.
The main support act is Richard Ashcroft and his band. Most people are in by now. Ashcroft stirs the crowd with his anthems – I mean really stirs the crowd. Lucky Man and Bittersweet Symphony pretty sensational. The crowd are belting out the tunes with him. Every where I look people are already standing. An unstoppable monster of a crowd that was now on the run in to the night of their lives. I can’t think of a better crowd reaction for a support act and it would be hard for me to remember a better support.
I saw him play the Royal Albert Hall once – a Teenage Cancer Trust gig 2003 – and both Gallaghers joined him one by one for an encore and then Kelly Jones (Stereophonics) and Paul Weller. I would like to see Ashcroft on his own tour again soon. He’ll have a boom of his own coming.
The time was moving on so fast. After the 45 minute Ashcroft set the concourses were rammed with toilet queues squashed into people grabbing final drinks. No one wanted to miss the start of this one.
On 8.15pm the screens start flashing with Oasis headlines, reflecting the media hysteria and Fuckin’ In The Bushes sounded out that high pitched alarming drum beat. The buzz was immense. On they came. Liam in one of his coats – done up obviously – looking so gloriously rock ‘n’ roll. Without screens I would struggle to see much detail – even my camera zoom is struggling. (Does this mean I have an excuse to try and see them again?)
Some beer flies around to greet the band. I wonder what it was like in the mayhem on the ground floor.
After Hello to open, Acquiesce. I’m stood, everyone is stood, and my jaw must have been slightly dropping. This was everything we’d hoped for. It almost didn’t matter what the set list was but here it is. Morning Glory and onwards is like an encore – every song like an encore. I go to a lot of gigs but this was in the incredible category – right up there with the best I can remember.
The band and the songs were everything. There was no need to say much – no fireworks, no fancy stage set, no light up bracelet nonsense – just rock ‘n’roll stars pumping out the tunes….ok so we all did The Poznan to please Liam.
Liam’s performance was immaculate. Can he keep that up? I’d love to see a proper film of all this because it looked to me like a Liam masterpiece. Of course the others did their bit and Noel had a significant block of time fronting with his vocals, but Liam had the hardest role. The energy. The tension. I’m surprised he didn’t explode.
I waved my phone around a bit and my pocket camera but it’s difficult to capture anything from so far away. I grabbed a few clips with the camera – something to remember I was here. No full songs though. At the end of all this there will be some amazing film to put out, surely, and we can enjoy it all again.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Star was like a signature tune for the whole venture. Perfectly angry. (My clips in the links.)
Waves of emotion came over in Stand By Me , well to be honest waves of emotion came over in half the songs – involuntary singing with all the anthems rolling out.
Other vids I kept:
Liam says a few things but his finger pointing and gestures say all he needs. I couldn’t hear the detail. Nearly two hours of anthems roll by before the notional end of the set. An exhausted roar and then a lull before the cheering and clapping builds up again and Oasis return for a four song encore: The Masterplan; Don’t Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall (they had to eh) and Champagne Supernova.
All in all: a victory. My fourth Oasis gig and the best of all of them. Maybe that was because of the wait.
If the opportunity comes your way, take it.
Gigs with Ivan 
great write up. I feel very envious of the experience (apart from the stairs!)
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