Oasis fans have been struck by the emotion shown by Noel Gallagher at the Britpop band’s reunion gigs alongside brother Liam after years of sibling feuding.
The group’s guitarist and lead songwriter captured attention on-stage at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for Friday night’s comeback concert and last night’s follow-up.
Oasis devotees have been sharing online their affection for both Noel, 58, and 52-year-old Liam who appeared for the first time together since splitting in 2009.
There have also been suggestions that Noel appeared especially caught up in the sentiments surrounding Oasis’s seemingly triumphant revival.
Both brothers are tipped to pocket tens of millions of pounds if the mooted 41-date tour is completed.
Despite engaging in bitter wars of the words in recent years, they are said to have put their arguments on ice for the lucrative tour heading to London’s Wembley Stadium as well as other venues worldwide.
Liam has enjoyed chart-topping success with recent solo albums and tours, while his brother has performed as Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Twice-married Noel is also reportedly bearing heavy costs following his 2023 divorce from PR executive Sara MacDonald – with some fans suggesting the Oasis reunion provides a potential balm.
Anais Gallagher, Noel’s 25-year-old daughter from his first marriage to Meg Matthews, has spoken about the toll on him after parting from Ms MacDonald.
The couple had been wed for 12 years, since 2011 – following on from Noel and Meg’s union between 1997 and 2001.
Father-of-three Noel previously told how his separation from Sara changed the tone of his High Flying Birds album Council Skies in 2023.
He also pointed to the Covid-19 pandemic and Britain’s ensuing series of national lockdowns for putting an intolerable strain on their relationship.
He said at the time of that album’s release: ‘Divorce is a long, drawn-out process, so it affects the mood of the album, for sure.
‘The record goes up and down and for every kind of moody melancholy, there is an uplifting counterbalance after it.
‘When you’re an artist you write about what you know, and I don’t really have much to say about life in general, as I don’t really give a f*** about most things I see on the news.
‘So when things happen in your life that you can articulate, I tend to jump on them, and it makes for better art and it helps you come to terms with it.’
He had been living at a mansion in the South Downs in Hampshire with Ms MacDonald, as parents to children Donovan and Sonny, but has since moved out.
The reformed Oasis have won rave reviews after beginning their much-touted comeback on Friday night.
Their set, beginning with Hello from their 1995 album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, took in hits including Supersonic, Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger.
There has since been an online outpouring of goodwill towards Noel, as pictures were shared of him looking impassioned while alongside his younger brother.
One poster on X, formerly Twitter, said: ‘I keep thinking about how Noel was so emotional last night and it speaks volumes about what it meant to him despite his hostility over the years.
‘I think his divorce and the fact that the last NGHFB tour didn’t go to plan made him feel vulnerable and he was in need of some love.’
Another posted: ‘I really can’t get over Noel crying… this band meant everything to him. It was his baby.
‘I can’t even imagine what it felt like to walk out on that stage 16 years later reunited with his brother to bring those songs back to life.’
Other comments included, ‘Is it me or Noel was nervous as f and weeping when he saw the crowd?’ and ‘I still can’t get over the fact that Noel was crying’, adding: ‘Bless him.’
More than 75,000 fans gathered at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for the first night of the long-awaited Oasis reunion tour.
And on the second night there Noel and Liam emerged on stage linking arms – before the younger brother let go before bowing down to his elder sibling.
Throughout their sets so far, poignant pictures of the Gallagher family’s home in Manchester flashed up on the screen along with baby pictures of both brothers.
Old black and white pictures of their mum Peggy and dad Tommy were also flashed in the screen from time to time as Stand By Me played.
Elsewhere in Friday night’s show they honoured late Liverpool footballer Diogo Jotta, 28, who died alongside his brother Andre, 26, last Thursday in a car crash.
Portugal international Jota’s Lamborghini Huracan had a tyre blow out while he attempted to overtake another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora, Spain.
Oasis dedicated their 1994 third single Live Forever to Jota, raising an LED banner of the footballer in a Liverpool shirt with his back to the crowd.
Ahead of their final song Champagne Supernova, Liam told the Cardiff audience on Friday: ‘Thanks for putting up with us over the years – we’re hard work, we get it.’
The group’s next scheduled gigs include five nights at Manchester’s Heaton Park, including next Friday and Saturday, then five at Wembley.
These are due to be followed by performances in cities including Edinburgh, Dublin, Toronto, Mexico City, Tokyo and Buenos Aires.
Oasis are also scheduled to play Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne and Santiago before two final dates in Brazilian city São Paulo on November 22 and 23.
Support acts so far have included Cast and The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft.