When a friend offered me two spare tickets to the sold-out Oasis concert, I jumped at the chance. Then I realized I’d have to choose which of my twin sons to take. To make it fair, I sent both the same message: “Who wants to see Oasis with me? I can only take one of you.”
Of course, Charlie replied instantly, as they’re his favorite band. We had a year until the concert, and Charlie spent it playing Oasis constantly. Most nights, I’d hear him belting out Oasis songs from the shower.
I didn’t anticipate the concert to be one of my most memorable experiences.
Twelve months later, we were ready
Our general admission tickets meant arriving early to get a good position close to the stage. We showed up at 5:30 p.m. for the 8:45 show, both wearing the Oasis jerseys I’d bought the day before. People had been queuing since six in the morning, and I worried we’d be stuck far from the stage. So when we ended up four rows from the front, I couldn’t believe it.
I sent Charlie for food and drinks, giving him my credit card, which is always a risky move. He came back with burgers and beers. When he suggested another round, I was surprised. He doesn’t drink much, and never with me. We ended up having several beers while watching three levels of the stadium fill up around us, thousands of people taking their seats far above, as we stood just feet from the stage.
We talked about which songs we were looking forward to most and whether his friends who’d chosen seats had made the right call. It was just the two of us, without his brother there to rib him or fight for attention like they do at home. Charlie wasn’t even scrolling through his phone like he usually does. Standing for three hours should have been tiring, but we were too busy drinking and talking to notice.
The lights dimmed, and 60,000 people roared
When Oasis walked onstage, I looked over at Charlie. His eyes widened, and he broke into a grin, starting to clap and cheer. For the next two hours, we sang and danced together. All that shower practice paid off because Charlie knew every word to every song. His enthusiasm outmatched his voice.
The moment that stands out was when they played “Half the World Away,” a ballad that only devoted fans would know. Charlie pulled out his phone and filmed it. He never takes photos or videos, not even on family trips to Disney or New York.
During the final song, “Champagne Supernova,” we had our arms around each other, singing at the top of our lungs.
The expensive night was worth it
After six hours of standing and dancing, my legs ached. As we walked to the train station, Charlie pulled out his phone and posted the video he’d filmed to Instagram. He posts maybe twice a year.
Raising identical twins means they do everything together. Same age, same interests, always a pair. Time alone with just one of them almost never happens. That night, from the moment we put on those jerseys until we walked out of the stadium with our arms around each other singing, it was just Charlie and me.
There’s something special about Oasis being the soundtrack to both our lives at the same age. They were my favorite band at university, and now they’re Charlie’s. Every time I hear an Oasis song now, I’ll think back to this concert.
It cost $1,000, and it’s the best money I’ve spent all year.
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