This may be obvious, but the Gallagher brothers are not to be messed with. Earlier this month, news broke of an auction of Oasis memorabilia. Not just any memorabilia, but it’s a collection of 63 concert records and over 100 hours of rehearsals from the band’s heyday. This auction also includes soundchecks, tour itineraries, setlists, an Epiphone guitar, an original Kangol Oasis Tour parka, a rare pair of Adidas Kegler Supt Ostrich trainers gifted to Noel, and dialogue among the band.
Also included is a copy of the band’s 1996 performance on the banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland. This is believed to be the only copy of this concert. Huw Richards, the band’s sound engineer from 1994 to 2001, gathered these master recordings for the auction. Richards got them straight from the sound deck. Littleton Auctions listed the items under the name “The Desk Tapes”, with a sale date set for October 3.
In early September 2026, Richards’ son Owain Richards told The Times that the band wants the recordings back. They’re reportedly unhappy with the auction and with Owain handling it. Owain stated, “They don’t want these tapes to be sold through anyone else.” Little Auctions has admitted that they are aware that the band opposes the sale, but they can still legally hold the auction. They also said any potential buyer couldn’t commercialize the collection without the band’s consent, if that’s their concern.
Oasis Resorts To a Lawsuit
On September 30, 2026, the band took drastic steps to keep the collection from going to auction. Littleton Auctions’ managing director, Ben Homer, reported the news to the London Evening Standard with a statement. “Little Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings. We are very disappointed that we cannot offer this significant archive as planned.” Homer added, “The rest of the sale is unaffected and will take place as normal. We respect the legal process and will make no further comment on the proceedings at this stage.”
Owain Richards also weighed in on the lawsuit, stating, “It is true that Oasis have sued me and father to try to prevent the auction of the tapes made by my father many years ago. We have agreed to postpone that auction of the tapes to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way.”
Despite the removal of “The Desk Tapes”, the rest of the Oasis memorabilia will still be at auction as planned.
Photo by Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
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