Former Ocean Colour Scene bassist Damon Minchella has lifted the lid on what it was like backstage on the Oasis Live ’25 tour.
Noel Gallagher was the happiest he’s ever been on the Oasis reunion tour last year, his friend Damon Minchella has revealed.
The 58-year-old guitarist buried the hatchet with younger brother Liam, 53, after being estranged from him since the band split in 2009 to play their first concerts together for 16 years.
Former Ocean Colour Scene bass player Damon Minchella was part of the tour as he is a member of Richard Ashcroft’s band. The former Verve frontman supported the Gallaghers on all their UK and Ireland dates.
Damon, 56, has been friends with Noel and Liam for over 30 years and he has never seen the Don’t Look Back In Anger singer so happy.
Appearing on The Oasis Podcast, he said: “Noel was in catering from 5pm, bear in mind they weren’t on stage until half eight, so there was no reason for him to be in catering with all the crew and with us lot just chatting. He was just so happy, with what Bonehead has been through with throat cancer and what have you, he was just so happy, obviously Andy, Gem [Archer], everyone was just hanging out. Far too many laptops and smartphones, back in the day no one had those things, I suppose that then helps you consume loads of things before a show. I’ve never seen Noel that happy actually, it was lovely.
“There was a lot of hanging about and they all watched our shows most nights. Even Noel’s kids would be watching the gig, it was just really nice. It gives it that element that takes it away from being the big rock money show and it kind of plugs back in to the reason we’re all here in the first place. We’re all separately mates, The Verve were mates with Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene were mates with Oasis, then me and Richard getting together. Then separately Noel and Liam having Richard do shows with them. It was just like, ‘Oh, okay, we’re all just a bunch of f***ing quite good musicians who came from relatively s**t backgrounds who people actually like.’ It brings that element of why we shouldn’t all be happy and hang out instead of being mysterious like Taylor Swift.”
Although Noel, 58, and the rest of Oasis – bass player Andy Bell, guitarist Gem Archer, Guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs and new drummer Joey Waronker – all hung out together before and after the concerts, Liam, 53, was nowhere to be seen backstage and would only arrive at the venues 10 minutes before Oasis were due on.
The reason for Liam’s absence was that he and brother Noel had agreed to be completely separate from one another backstage so they could get the Oasis Live ‘25 tour insured, due to their long history of fights which includes the bust-up in Paris that ended the band in 2009.
Damon added: “There’s many reasons for it but the main one is that they couldn’t get the tour insured because everyone was expecting Noel and Liam to fall out, there was too much riding on it, so I know they decided early doors this is the way it’s going to be. For Liam as well he’s got no off switch so if he’s hanging out backstage he’s just going to be talking, talking, talking and he’s just going to blow his voice out.
“Liam would arrive literally 10 minutes before they go on stage and then straight off.”
Damon was really impressed by how disciplined Liam was, committing to a teetotal lifestyle to ensure his voice was at its best for each show.
Although Damon is sure that Liam did use a vape on occasions.
He said: “Me and Rich spoke about it, the way he held it together to get that tour done. No drugs, no booze, not even smoking.
“He was starting to vape a little bit towards the end of it. You could see it, he had a little tent backstage when Noel is doing his songs in the middle, this little Liam tent, it went from having water in it, to water and a couple of vapes by the end of the tour. God bless him for it, because it was a such a big thing, and it was such a big thing to f**k up as well. You look at the ticket prices and people are putting hard earned money on the table here, they made it work. People have gone away from those gigs going, ‘I would have paid 10 times that, to witness those gigs.’ They were amazing every night. Liam’s voice was fabulous.”
Noel received the he Songwriter of the Year Award at the BRIT Awards 2026 on Saturday (28.02.26) and admitted the crowds at the gigs blew him away.
He said: “To come back after all these years, to get number one albums and all that is pretty mad, but we loved every minute and every second of it.
“The gigs were amazing, particularly the ones in Manchester, and I’m kind of lost for words for it, really. The gigs spoke for themselves.”
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is producing an Oasis Live ’25 Tour documentary, with renowned filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace on board to direct – the duo behind LCD Soundsystem’s concert film Shut Up And Play The Hits.
Cameras rolled throughout rehearsals and pre‑tour meetings, giving fans the ultimate fly‑on‑the‑wall look at the reunion.
He has only watched fragments of the cut so far, yet Noel is convinced it’s going to be “astonishing.”
He said: “I’ve only seen a tiny little bit of it, and it’s difficult to have an opinion on it because I’m only looking at little snippets.
“Everyone who has seen it, or seen more of it than I have, has said that it’s amazing. If it even captures five per cent of what that tour was, it’ll be astonishing. Looking forward to it.”
Oasis’ UK and Ireland shows – their first in 16 years – kicked off in Cardiff on July 4 and saw them joined by special Ashcroft and Cast.
The Supersonic hitmakers also played dates in the USA, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
‘He was just so happy…’ Noel Gallagher’s friend reveals what vibes were like backstage at the Oasis reunion tour
