Hey people, I guess being a deviant for little under a year, it's probably about time I wrote one of these.
First things first, I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I hadn't actually noticed how long I'd been away for, without commenting, posting or faving. I truly am sorry. I also have about 400 deviations to get through, including ones that were there before I went away. I am now going through my deviation inbox and if I haven't looked at yours yet I WILL GET TO THEM! I promise. It may be in a few years time, but I will get there.
Anyway, I've posted something new - Heartbreak Hill [link]
Second, it is with no relief and great sadness that I say goodbye to one of my major inspirations - Oasis. (I couldn't resist paraphrasing Noel there, sorry). For those who don't know, Noel Gallagher, the engine of the band and the man behind such classics as Live Forever and Wonderwall, issued a statement saying he was leaving the band with "great relief and some sadness", after a final fight with his younger brother and lead singer, Liam, who has since said that Oasis is "over" and that he will never have a reunion with Noel.
Now, I can't write something as inspired and moving as wrote in her journal (and while you're there, check out her drawings. They are immense!), but I can tell you my Oasis story. If you're not bothered, then skip.
I only really got into Oasis last autumn. I'd been given a few songs by a friend via bluetooth - five of them, I think - on a trip to stratford-upon-avon with school. Back then I was more into stuff like Keane (I still am) and Killers (well, perhaps not so much now)at the time, but I was looking for a bit more to listen to, and Oasis seemed interesting. I liked the songs, but it took me a couple of months before I actually did anything. It was in Belfast, visiting my uncle for my cousin's dedication, and on a shopping trip a day or so after, and we went to HMV. Now, I love HMV, love the chance to get new music, hear new, or even old, bands, and increase my collection. I hadn't been in one for a while though, so I bought a Keane album I hadn't seen before (Perfect Symmetry), a Kaiser Cheifs album I hadn't seen before (Off with their Heads) and a couple of Oasis CDs, because I couldn't find the best of, and recognised a couple of the songs. For those who want to know, they were (What's the Story) Morning Glory, and Be Here Now
However, being the utter idiot I am, I'd forgotten to bring a CD player.
I think it was the day after, when, with my new CDs only just opened, we went to the Oddessy in Belfast because I have lots of little cousins and there's a place there called W5 which would appear to have been designed especially for them. And for my uncles too, but hey, they've always been big kids.
However, it wasn't really my thing, so my Dad suggested we saw who was going to be playing at the arena. I was hoping Keane or Killers or Snow Patrol or someone would be on, but none of them were. Instead, there was Oasis.
Thinking perhaps I wanted to go, because, well, the five songs I'd heard I'd liked. I wasn't sure though. But we went along to the ticket office, expecting them to be sold out. We were amazed when they said they had tickets left. UNfortunately, we thought they were a bit pricey for a band I wasn't sure about, so we went away. We walked round W5 for a couple of hours, seeing as the activities there weren't really my thing. Eventually, after much deliberation (well, moaning about my science teacher, but deliberation sounds better) I decided I wanted to go after all. We went and bought the tickets, despite warnings that the seats may be restricted view.
I returned to the HMV after that, and bought Definatley Maybe after a little bit of research and the new album, Dig Out Your Soul, which was what they were touring.
I think it was the night before the gig, or the day of the gig that I discovered I could play CDs on my portable DVD player. Dig Out Your Soul was the first album I listened too, and my first Oasis album. I loved it. I once read some review saying it was good, but asking if anyone would really be as enthusiastic about this band 15 years on if that'd been there debut. My answer was yes.
However, I haven't mentioned any individual track, (although I do remember thinking this would be another sort of experimental The Killers at the start of Get Off Your High Horse Lady) because at that point I hadn't the time to listen to and know all the songs. I ended up going to the concert knowing only one song - my favourite - Don't Look Back in Anger.
My uncle Ben (the same one who we were visiting) gave us a lift to the concert. The support act was The Hours, alright, but not amazing. Before the concert I thought Oasis were a good band, not as good as Keane, perhaps, but good. One of my other aunt and uncles (yes, I've got a lot) said I was spoilt, having Oasis for my first gig.
They were right. I was wrong. Oasis weren't just good. They were amazing, blowing all keane and all those other nearly men out of their way as they catapulted themselves to being my favourite band.
That concert was sensational. They began in fantastic style with Rock 'n' Roll Star. They played hits like Wonderwall and Supersonic, and though I'd never heard them before, they felt right, they felt brilliant. I can't imagine a better way to hear Morning Glory, Songbird or Live Forever for the first time. I loved the chorus' of Cigarettes and Alcohol and The Importance of Being Idle as soon as I heard them, the latter really hitting home. Slide Away was utterly beautiful, and imagine my shock as I realised I recognised Lyla! Champagne Supernova, was, well Champagne Supernove, but ten notches above the little recording on my phone. Falling Down, The Shock of the Lightning, I'm Outta Time and To Be Where There's Life were all sensational, and I was delighted I recognised them. The lighting was spot on, although it made it hard to take photos. Noel's guitar was dead on, as was his singing, and superbly soulful. Liam's stage prescence was just something else. (I remember Dad calling it immense, and I swelled with pride when he said the same about me for my performance as Death and others in my Drama exam practice). AND WE HAD THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE! The only dissappointment, when they went off stage, was that they hadn't played Don't Look Back in Anger.
Then Noel came back on for the encore.
I can remember singing every line of that song back at him as loud as I could. I remeber the fantastic, electric atmosphere as he came on, the screams as he began to sing. And if I thought that was fantastic, I was blown further back as, just before the first chorus, he stepped away from his mic, and thousands of voices sang the chorus at him, as this one man played guitar. Thousands of voices, as loud as they could, all in unison. I've never felt such a thrilling atmosphere, although Anfield was very close. It was even better, if that's possible, when he sang the second time around. I can't actually describe it. No thousand words would be enough. They might be able to describe a picture, but no amount can describe a moment like this. Then it ended, Liam came back, and they ended with I am the Walrus, which was absolutely immense, and a really strong finish.
As soon as I got home, to England, I bought the remaining three albums, listened and loved them. I got Masterplan for Christmas and fell in love with that too. I found respect for Noel, although I just liked Liam's singing. I was ecstatic when I got Whatever, and really happy at getting the Falling Down single. I started downloading B-Sides and others from itunes, listening and really savouring every last one. They cemented themselves as my favourites, and helped me get into new bands - The Kooks, Stereophonics, Thirteen Senses - but none were quite as good. I just couldn't get enough of their music. I found my soul with Live Forever, Wonderwall, Columbia, Supersonic, The Importance of Being Idle, Let There BE Love, Champagne Supernova, Little by Little, Some Might Say, endless brilliant tracks, and at the top was always Don't Look Back in Anger. However I felt, the music helped. There was a track for everything. They've helped me through the bad times, and been the soundtrack for the good ones. Nothing could compare. They gave me the inspiration to write poems and songs, and I kept finding random lines from Oasis whenever I reread them. The tune of Be Here Now was the main inspiration for Double Dutch [link] along with the lyrics of Supersonic. I dreamed of seeing them again, knowing all the words, or even forming my own band, learning guitar and performing as their support band.
And now I can't.
You see, that's what all the journalists who write about them don't understand; what they mean to the fans. To those who love every track, every album. Every last lyric. The critics don't realise their reviews, while worth a lot to a happy mentality, aren't worth the paper they're written on. They won't buy a million albums. While they might provide a guideline, it's the fans who'll buy the album, it's the fans who'll love the songs. I'm not going against critics here, in fact, I think it would be fun to be one. But some don't seem to notice that the fans love the stuff they hate. For a fan, seeing/supporting Oasis would have been a dream come true. The critics couldn't care less. The fans loved everything. The critics panned their more recent albums because they weren't up to the standard of the first two - tell me ten, from any band that has ever played, that have.
You see, for me, although I wasn't there from the start (I was only just alive!) so I can only talk retrospectively, Definately Maybe is the perfect debut, (What's the Story) Morning Glory the perfect classic, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and Heathen Chemistry the perfect underrated albums, Be Here Now the perfect fun one, Don't Believe the Truth the perfect soulful one, and Dig out Your Soul the perfect farewell (although I'm sure it was unintentional), their best the perfect songs and Oasis the perfect band. And when I do learn guitar, it'll be their songs I learn, not some nearly band like Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs and Stereophonics. Oasis. Pure. Simple. Brilliance.

"These could be the best days of our lives"
Oasis, Digsy's Dinner
They were. Oh, they were. Thank you Oasis. Thank you. Good luck. Goodbye. We love you. And always will.