Oasis Instagram video sparks reunion hopes ahead of 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe

Oasis has its rusted-on fans in a flurry after a video posted overnight to its official account flared up speculation for a long-yearned-for reunion between the feuding Gallagher brothers.

The short clip is an overhead shot slowly approaching what looks to be a house positioned next to a river, scored to the opening chords of a piece of music. There was no text or caption accompanying the video on Instagram.

Oasis fans would instantly recognise the building as Sawmill Studios in Cornwall, where the band recorded their debut album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994. The 30th anniversary of the release, which included tracks “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”, “Live Forever” and “Supersonic” will be in August this year.

While some Oasis diehards had hoped the video might signal a reunion is on the cards, it’s more likely it’s to tease an anniversary reissue of the Britpop band’s iconic album, or perhaps they will finally release the demos recorded with producer Mark Coyle.

The Sawmill recordings were heavily remixed by sound engineer Owen Morris so the original demos have rarely been heard.

The release of the demos would be a special bonus for fans and elevate any potential 30th anniversary re-issue, given Definitely Maybe has already been reissued twice before, in 2014 for the 20th anniversary and in 2019 at the 25-year mark.

Liam has already confirmed he will embark on a Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary tour across Ireland and the UK next month. He is expected to play the album in full at the Reading & Leeds festival in August, as the headliner on a bill that also includes Lana Del Rey, Blink-182 and Fred Again.

“I’m bouncing around the house to announce the Definitely Maybe Tour, the most important album of the 90s, bar none,” Liam said in October, with his trademark modesty. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without it and neither would you, so let’s celebrate together.”

Liam replied to a fan on social media who asked if Noel would be a surprise inclusion on the tour with a “He’s been asked and he’s refused”. Like most of Oasis’ early albums, Noel is the credited songwriter on Definitely Maybe.

Still, fans hold out hope for a reunion tour despite there being little indication Noel and Liam Gallagher have buried the hatchet Noel quit the band in 2009.

Oasis watchers can’t remember a time when the tempestuous Gallaghers weren’t quarrelling, with both brothers unbridled in sharing their opinions publicly about each other (and their rivals). Their history of feuding is notorious.

Noel famously walked out on the band during Oasis’s first American tour in 1994. He told Uncut magazine, “It’s the first night of the tour at the Whisky A Go Go, and everyone but me was wasted on crystal meth, someone got hit in the face with a chair, there was a big fight, the press called us a bunch of drug addicts and I got the tour float, my passport and f**ked off to San Francisco.”

While in SF, he met a woman named Melissa Lim, who talked him out of quitting the band. The song “Talk Tonight”, released as a B-side on “Some Might Say” and on the compilation album The Masterplan, is said to be about this encounter. Lim gave an interview in 2016 but Noel has said he doesn’t remember the woman’s name – one of the lines on “Talk Tonight” is “Hardly even knew your name”.

In 1995, Oasis, under the name Oas*s, released the single “Whibbling Rivalry”, composed of an interview between NME reporter John Harris and the brothers.

The song included an explosive argument between Noel and Liam, referencing an incident in which Liam and the band were kicked off a ferry to Amsterdam over a chaotic brawl, Liam told the Supersonic documentary, “It was f**king mayhem, I loved it, it was punk rock, man”.

Noel didn’t see it that way. On “Whibbling Rivalry”, Noel sledged at Liam, “Well, if you’re proud about getting thrown off ferries, why don’t you go and support West Ham and get the f**k out of my band and go and be a football hooligan? We’re musicians, not football hooligans”.

Liam responded, “You’re only gutted ’cause you was in bed f**king reading your f**king books”.

That same year, Liam reportedly led a group of drunk people from the pub to the studio where Oasis was recording (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. Noel wasn’t too chuffed about the disruption and it resulted in a scuffle between the brothers during which Noel pulled out a cricket bat and aimed it at Liam. That bat was later sold at auction.

In 1996, Liam bailed on an MTV Unplugged recording session when he turned up to the taping, “absolutely sh*tfaced”, according to Noel.

Eventually, after years and years of more squabbling, after seven studio albums and eight massive tours, in 2009, Noel announced he was done.

He told The Guardian, “It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”

In the years since, the brothers continued to have gos at each other including Liam’s repeated insult of Noel as a “potato”.

When the Spice Girls reunited with all five members at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, Liam would sing “Wonderwall” solo. Noel even admitted later on that he played “cat-and-mouse” with the organisers and, as the songwriter, didn’t give them permission for the performance until two days beforehand.

In 2011, Noel said this of the prospect of a reunion, “I would rather eat my own s**t than be in a band with him again. He’s a miserable little f**k, if you know what I mean. But if the fans want it, though, I’d do it.”

Ten years later, Noel conceded he’d do it if someone wanted to offer £100 million right then. He added, “I’ll say I’ll do it, but I think it’s ludicrous.”