Japanese close to reuniting rock band Oasis reflect on members’ traits, chance of visit
November 9, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)
ロックバンド 「オアシス 」再結成に近い日本人、メンバーの特徴や来日の可能性を振り返る
2024年11月9日（毎日新聞）
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241109/p2a/00m/0et/012000com
TOKYO — Fifteen years after their breakup, popular British rock band Oasis have decided to reunite. While looking back at the social landscape in Britain in 1994, when Oasis rose to stardom following their debut, the Mainichi Shimbun interviewed insiders said to be the closest Japanese people to the band about the personalities of core members and brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, plus the prospect of a Japan tour.
Long-awaited new heroes
Noel and his brother Liam, five years his junior, are from the British city of Manchester. The two were brought up in a typical working-class family.
“When they first appeared on the scene in the 1990s, economic stagnation was continuing in Britain, creating a cooped-up feeling,” recalled Takeshi Uno, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Business Administration who has researched British society and culture. In 1979, the Thatcher administration, which continued for over a decade, had advanced social welfare cuts and the curbing of labor unions under the slogan of a “small government.” The unemployment rate rose and it was a tough period, particularly for the working class.
“The Conservatives stayed in power for 18 years, which was unusual for Britain, where changes of government had occurred regularly,” Uno explained. “The period when Oasis appeared was a transitional one, just before the inauguration of the Labour Party administration of Tony Blair (in 1997). Over 20 years had passed since The Beatles disbanded and members of the British public may have been looking for the emergence of new heroes.”
Liam Gallaher’s Beatles rendition in Tokyo’s Roppongi
Oasis were hugely popular in Japan, and they came to perform in the country 11 times between their debut and their breakup. Both before and after they disbanded, the members frequently visited “Abbey Road Roppongi,” a restaurant in Tokyo’s Roppongi area featuring live music events. The venue was the base of Beatles tribute band The Parrots, who had made a name for themselves worldwide and even been invited to a private event by Paul McCartney himself. The Gallagher brothers, fans of The Beatles, had visited the venue to see The Parrots. Member Takeshi Noguchi, who played the part of Paul McCartney, and Akihiro Matsuyama, playing George Harrison, had close contact with the Gallagher brothers for over 20 years.
Regarding the Oasis sound, Noguchi reflected, “The songs Noel wrote had a ‘simple beauty’ without any fastidiousness. And Liam’s persuasive voice was added to that. They were like no other.” As for their personalities, he said. “They were big stars, but they treated us with a humbling level of respect. They didn’t look down on us at all because we were from the East.”
During a visit to the restaurant in 2001, Liam suddenly came onto the stage and started performing The Beatles’ numbers “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” together with the band. “When he sings, even Beatles songs take on an Oasis edge,” Matsuyama recalled. “He commands the stage just like you’d think he would.” Regarding Oasis’ reunion, Matsuyama said, “I’m thrilled. It’s the talent of Noel and Liam together that make the band. I hope they come and visit Roppongi again.”
The brothers’ quarrel in Paris
On Aug. 27, the world learned of the reunion of Oasis and its live tour beginning in London, and as of the early morning of Aug. 28, there were over 47,000 posts in Japanese on X (formerly Twitter) featuring the word “Oasis” and 540,000 containing “oasis” in English.
Akiko Ozawa of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. has met and worked with the Gallagher brothers many times and is one of the closest Japanese people to Oasis. She recalled, “A ‘No. 1 world trend’ on X typically requires about 7,000-8,000 posts. The response to Oasis that day was extraordinary.”
It was a long-awaited reunion, but the split 15 years before had come out of the blue.
In August 2009, Ozawa received a message from a local staffer: “Did you hear? The band broke up.” She immediately got on the phone to find out the details. She learned that there had been a big fight in the band.
The quarrel apparently occurred between Noel and Liam in the dressing room during a performance in Paris. The Gallagher brothers were known for their wild comments and controversial characters, and fans were no strangers to their feuding. But this time Liam broke Noel’s guitar, and it was different from their previous arguments.
About a month before this, Oasis had come to Japan for the Fuji Rock Festival. “They were in a good mood at the time,” Ozawa recalled. But with several days of the Paris performances remaining, Noel announced he was pulling out of the band, and Oasis effectively broke up. The two each went on to pursue solo careers with different bands.
True brotherly bond, and hopes for a Japan visit
Ozawa maintained her connection with both brothers, handling contracts for their respective activities related to business in Japan. “I wanted to create the conditions for them to come back here anytime if they happened to reunite sometime,” she explained. It appears that her preparations are now ready to bear fruit.
“Liam always wanted to reunite. He has always adored his older brother but due to the natural inclinations of his personality, he expresses his affection in unusual ways,” Ozawa says.
After the breakup, Liam publicly branded Noel a “potato,” and there was apparently no apology for the fight, but he had hinted at his readiness for a reunion.
But is a visit to Japan on the horizon?
“Absolutely,” said Ozawa, but she added a word of caution: “The time, place and other details haven’t been decided. The details that circulated online right after the reunion announcement are baseless.”
reuniting ˌriːjuːˈnaɪtɪŋ 再結成
rock band rɑk bænd ロックバンド
reflect rɪˈflɛkt 反映する、振り返る
traits treɪts 特徴、性格
chance ʧæns 機会、可能性
stardom ˈstɑːrdəm スターの地位、名声
insiders ˈɪnˌsaɪdərz 内部の人、関係者
prospect ˈprɑːspɛkt 見込み、可能性
working-class ˈwɜrkɪŋ-klæs 労働者階級
stagnation stæɡˈneɪʃən 停滞、低迷
Thatcher administration ˈθæʧər ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən サッチャー政権
small government smɔːl ˈgʌvərnmənt 小さな政府
unemployment rate ˌʌnɛmˈplɔɪmənt reɪt 失業率
transitional trænsˈɪʃənl 移行の
inauguration ɪˌnɔgjəˈreɪʃən 就任
Labour Party ˈleɪbər ˈpɑrti 労働党
disbanded dɪsˈbændɪd 解散した
tribute band ˈtrɪbjuːt bænd トリビュートバンド
simple beauty ˈsɪmpəl ˈbjuːti 素朴な美しさ
persuasive voice pərˈsweɪsɪv vɔɪs 説得力のある声
humbling level ˈhʌmblɪŋ ˈlɛvəl 謙虚なレベル
quarrel ˈkwɑːrəl 口論、けんか
controversial ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜrʃəl 議論を引き起こす
feuding ˈfjuːdɪŋ 対立、確執
solo career ˈsoʊloʊ kəˈrɪr ソロ活動
brotherly bond ˈbrʌðərli bɑnd 兄弟の絆
connection kəˈnɛkʃən 関係、つながり
affection əˈfɛkʃən 愛情、好意
branded ˈbrændɪd 烙印を押した、名付けた
readiness ˈrɛdinəs 準備ができていること
reunion announcement riˈjuːnjən əˈnaʊnsmənt 再結成発表
baseless ˈbeɪsləs 根拠がない
東京–解散から15年、英国の人気ロックバンド、オアシスが再結成を決めた。オアシスがデビューして一躍スターダムにのし上がった1994年当時の英国の社会情勢を振り返りながら、中心メンバーでノエル・ギャラガー、リアム・ギャラガー兄弟の人柄や日本公演の可能性について、毎日新聞が最も親しいとされる日本人関係者に取材した。
待望のニューヒーロー
ノエルと5歳年下の弟リアムはイギリスのマンチェスター出身。2人は典型的な労働者階級の家庭に育った。
「彼らが登場した1990年代のイギリスは、経済の停滞が続き、閉塞感が漂っていた」と、イギリスの社会と文化を研究してきた明治大学経営学部の宇野維正教授は振り返る。1979年、10年以上続いたサッチャー政権は、「小さな政府 」をスローガンに社会福祉の削減や労働組合の抑制を進めた。失業率は上昇し、特に労働者階級にとっては厳しい時代だった。
「保守党が18年間も政権を維持したのは、定期的に政権交代が起こっていたイギリスでは異例だった」と宇野は説明する。「オアシスが登場した時期は、（1997年に）トニー・ブレアの労働党政権が発足する直前の過渡期だった。ビートルズ解散から20年以上が経過し、イギリス国民は新しいヒーローの出現を求めていたのかもしれない。」
リアム・ギャラハーによる東京・六本木でのビートルズ演奏
オアシスは日本で絶大な人気を誇り、デビューから解散までに11回も来日公演を行った。解散前も解散後も、メンバーは東京・六本木のライブハウス「アビイ・ロード六本木」に頻繁に足を運んだ。この店はビートルズのトリビュート・バンド、ザ・パロッツの拠点であり、彼らは世界的にその名を知られるようになり、ポール・マッカートニー本人からプライベート・イベントに招待されたこともあった。ビートルズのファンであるギャラガー兄弟は、パロッツを見るために会場を訪れていた。ポール・マッカートニー役の野口武史とジョージ・ハリスン役の松山明宏は、ギャラガー兄弟と20年以上にわたって親交があった。
オアシス・サウンドについて野口は、「ノエルの作る曲には潔癖さのない 「シンプルな美しさ 」があった。それにリアムの説得力のある声が加わっていた。他にはないものだった」 彼らの性格については、こう語っている。「彼らは大スターでしたが、謙虚な敬意をもって接してくれました。東部出身だからといって、私たちを見下すようなことはまったくなかった」
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