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Oasis reformation breathes new life into tribute bands

Oasis’ summer 2025 return tour sold out on Saturday night, ending a frustrating day for thousands of fans who were unable to buy tickets and instead opted for cover bands like Definitely Mightbe.

“The phone keeps ringing!”: Since the announcement of Oasis’ reformation and tour in summer 2025, tribute band Definitely Mightbe, who perform covers of the band all over the UK, have been in greater demand than ever.

After fifteen years of estrangement between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, the iconic 1990s Britpop band announced their return last week to the delight of fans, accompanied by a series of concerts in the United Kingdom and Ireland in July and August 2025.

On Saturday morning, millions of people rushed to online ticket sales platforms to try to secure a ticket for one of the 17 dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin, causing massive outages at some venues and traffic jams at others.

Many fans have expressed their frustration at missing the return of their favourite band, which should benefit the «tribute bands»who pay homage to the British rock group by singing covers of their songs, such as the one called Definitely Mightbe.

“We’ve always had work, and I’ve managed to make a living from this band for a good twenty years. But since the tour was announced, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing!”reports Ian Alcock, who plays singer Liam Gallagher on stage.

Since the announcement of this “incredible news” Tuesday, group booking requests are in “strong increase”underlines the singer, met by AFP behind the scenes of a concert given Friday evening in Leeds, in the north of England.

Definitely MightBe, whose name is inspired by Oasis’ legendary debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994), said to be the oldest tribute band to English rockers, and to have played over two thousand concerts worldwide over the past twenty years.

Intergenerational concerts

“I’m a fan of the band. I saw them on their first tour in 1994 in a pub in Stoke-on-Trent, where I live. That was a long time ago!”jokes Ian Alcock, 58. A studio owner and performer, he started covering Oasis songs when the band’s fame was soaring in the UK, before setting up his own «tribute band» in the early 2000s.

A limited number of tickets have been released for the return tour – around 1.4 million, according to the BBC – which won’t be enough to satisfy all Oasis fans around the world. Alcock is hoping that tribute bands like Definitely Mightbe can “fill a void” for the disappointed. “Oasis will continue to create excitement (in the coming months), so I hope they come and see us.”he confided.

In addition to the usual audience, made up of people “aged 30, 40, 50 and 60 and over”a “very young crowd” also comes to their concerts, sometimes with their parents, underlines Paul Mitchell, 41, who plays guitarist Noel Gallagher on stage.

As fans, both members of the group are happy that the Gallagher brothers, who tore each other apart in 2009 after yet another altercation at the Parisian Rock en Seine festival, have buried the hatchet, at least for now. “We’ve been talking about it for so long, and to know that it’s finally happening next year… everyone is excited.”underlines Ian Alcock, whose band will play Saturday night for a special evening in London.

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