In Toronto, which is the capital of Ontario, a large province of Canada, Oasis are quite popular. More popular than any other British group from the 90s. The end of the glory is likely with DBTT. I don't listen to commercial radio, nor have I even turned it on since about 2005, so I haven't a great idea of how the new record is going here.

But in 2005 Toronto sold out, the CD was on TV, it was in magazines, and the single was on the radio a fair amount. Now, not so much.

They were due a backlash, no one could have followed up Knebworth (250,000 people over 2 nights) and Morning Glory (15 million, or whatever, copies sold). They were never going to top that and there were unrealistic expectations of Be Here Now, thus every magazine praising it to the heavens.

In the same summer of Be Here Now's release, Radiohead released the incredible OK Computer, arguably their artistic peak and like Oasis with MG/DM, it's an album they've never come close to bettering.

The Verve released Urban Hymns which contained Bittersweet Symphony, which was responisble for shifting million of copies like Wonderwall did for WTSMG and it became a similarly ubiquitous national anthem in the UK. It was the last gasp of the Britpop era and the press and then public (in the letters pages) started championing these other bands for their novelty and brilliance and Oasis suffered in comparison.

They became less alternative music press darlings, Noel went to 10 Downing Street which was supposedly bad for the band's anti-establishment credibilty. I remember, one particular NME story in 1997 just after the death of Princess Diana which caused an embarrassingly hysterical reaction in Britain, at a gig either Noel or Liam dedicated Live Forever to Princess Di, and the press jumped on it, I remember reading "could you imagine The Stone Roses doing the same thing: dedicating one of their songs to a member of the royal family?" in the NME. To the casual music fan, the band probably was getting less fashionable by the day.

At the end of 1997 (it appeared in the Jan 1998 Q issue I think) Q mag interviewed Noel and baldly asked him (representing the current popular mood) whether he thought BHN was as good as their previous albums and whether he sensed that the new collection of songs had disapponited people.

First, he was robust in his defence : "when the dust settles this album will have sold as much as Definitely Maybe... we'll be back to the original fanbase", and sarcastically "my manager came in with a sad look on his face and said we've only sold 5 million... what a bitch eh?, ...we might as well pack it all in, I just said 'go tell that to fucking Echobelly'."

But gradually through the coming months and years when asked, Noel would begin to accede to the view that Be Here Now was a massive disappointment (later commenting that it was the album where the band 'lost it down at the drug dealer's') and so it became accepted in the press to trash it as a grandiose, cocaine-inflated load of indulgent rubbish.

Well, they're playing SOTL constantly on Edge 102 here in Toronto so that's a good sign. Plus any shows that have happened here in Toronto over the last few years have always sold out, esp. Noel & Gem's acoustic show - hardest tickets to come by!

Be Here Now era was when they changed from working class hero's into media tarts.

There was rarely a UK newspaper in 1997 that didn't run a daily story on Liam falling out of a pub, or Noel talking crap about drugs and God.

Yeah, that's why I said that the tours up until 2005 sold out well. Obviously Noel and Gem sold out - there were 180 seats (and I was there!!!)

There is no real buzz here this time around, though. There's some hubbub but it's not a big deal

A bit off topic, but was DBTT really the revival I've heard it to be in the UK? I've read quite a few comments stating how they thought Oasis lost it until they heard Lyla or TIOBI. Was DBTT really the album that pushed that back into the light?

Hope it's all right I ask this here, very interesting comments so far!

I remember that, the media spoiled that album so did noel by slaggin it himself, personally i liked it, and i know a few people who prefer that to doys.

Aye same here. When I saw them at Hampden in 2005, I went down with about 19 of my mates. I think probably most of them didn't buy DBTT. It's the same for next summers gigs too, most of the people I know who are going haven't bought DOYS and doubt they will.

There were rumours in 2004 that DBTT would be their last album and they would retire/split after that. The album was supposed to be released in 2004 but was delayed, Noel had said the recordings lacked direction, and they'd already aborted the Death in Vegas sessions. Also it was common knowledge that it would be their last studio album with Sony, and add to that the horrific Glastonbury performance.

In the November they announced three Manchester stadium gigs and a lot of the music press read it as the farewell shows. Bear in mind the rest of the tour hadn't been announced yet, so when the Man City gig tickets went on sale a lot of the press encouraged people to buy them saying "This could be their last ever show." They would have obviously sold out regardless, but I think a lot more casual fans bought tickets on the back of this. A few weeks later they announced the rest of the UK tour and later the world tour so it clearly wasn't going to be the last ever show/tour, but from January 2005 up to the release the press still went with the retirement line.

It was a semi-revival. NME and Q were building them up as wise, loveable veterans rather than fighting brothers, and it became cool for teens and indie boys to like them. With the Sony contract situation nobody knew when the next album would be released, so it was more appreciation than people liking the album.

DBTT received a lot of hype. It did sell well commercially, but I think more people discovered the first two/three albums on the back of the hype (i.e. those who were two young and missed them first time around) rather than people listening to DBTT and becoming fans off that.

In contrast Dig Out Your Soul has received very little hype and publicity. It's more an album for the fans I think.

Fuck knows why u would go to a gig if u didnt have the bands last few albums... seems pointless to me.. unless its one of those situations where u never got to see them live when u were really into them so this is the first oppertunity.

I think it was bad marketing by the record label, and no love from MTV/VH1 who make bands current with the youth. Shows like TRL would have been huge for them (as corny as it may have been). Liam did go on that show once and most of you know how that turned out. It did make for a good laugh though. Check out 'liam on trl' on you-tube sometime if you've never seen it.

That's a long list, but I must say it's comprehensive and pretty smart. Well done. There are too many problems with Oasis around then, but the bubble was meant to burst. Luckily they have carried on! That's all I can really say!!