Listen: Oasis at Cardiff International Arena in 1996
Described by some as the greatest show Oasis ever played in Wales the gig on March 18, 1996 demonstrates a band at the height of their powers and an audience caught in the eye of the storm.
Just a few months before they played Knebworth, the band arrived in Cardiff to play the CIA and took no prisoners in an electrifying set that would be talked about for decades.
The description of the show on YouTube reads:
Oasis return from their stint in America to play a few more gigs in the U.K, this time playing in Wales and Ireland before playing more shows in wider Europe. Along with other shows with soundboard recordings, this gig is one of the most well known gigs of this tour, but the common date is actually mislabelled on the majority of sites and bootleg CD’s. Oasis are actually recorded here playing the first of their two nights in Cardiff. The reason on why this gig is definitely the 18th is Liam bigs up support act Heavy Stereo as Acquiesce begins and Noel mentioning Newcastle United regaining their lead at the top of that year’s Premier League. Heavy Stereo supported on the 18th, the same date as the Newcastle game therefore all signs lead to this not being the 19th.
As for the performance it’s fairly similar to New York, with Liam sounding pretty strong throughout and a tight band (though Alan White is a bit sloppy at points, especially the end of Cigarettes & Alcohol!). Noel lets the crowd take over on Wonderwall, something which he’d begin to do on the next few gigs, and it sounds mega. Being a home country gig, Round Are Way is brought back to the set, being sandwiched in between Shakermaker and Morning Glory. However this is the only U.K performance post Earl’s Court that doesn’t feature the brass band for whatever reason, therefore it’s more akin to the ‘raw’ early versions like Blackpool and Bournemouth the previous year.
A story eventually came out that this gig was possibly going to be released as a live album at some time in 1996 though I believe that’s since been debunked. The International Arena in Cardiff would soon be one of Oasis’ most visited venues however, with 8 performances in total up to their last visit in 2008. Lastly but certainly not least, Liam dedicates Live Forever to the 17 people who were killed in the Dunblane massacre, which occurred while they were over in New York. The shooting involved the deaths of 16 pupils and a teacher, and the shooting was and still is the deadliest mass shooting in Britain.
Setlist:
The Swamp Song – 0:00
Acquiesce – 3:10
Supersonic – 7:09
Hello – 12:35
Some Might Say – 15:59
Roll With It – 21:01
Shakermaker – 25:25
Round Are Way – 30:11
Up In The Sky (Round Are Way) – 33:52
Morning Glory – 35:22
Cigarettes & Alcohol – 39:38
Champagne Supernova – 44:36
Whatever (Noel acoustic) – 53:42
Wonderwall (Noel acoustic) – 58:12
Slide Away (Noel acoustic) – 1:02:46
Don’t Look Back in Anger – 1:08:01
Live Forever – 1:12:37
I Am The Walrus – 1:17:18
Location: Cardiff, Wales, U.K
Venue: Cardiff International Arena
Date: 18th March 1996
Source: Soundboard Recording
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I know the two individuals are not everyone’s cup of tea, but listening to this certainly beats watching an unattractive diva miming in a swimsuit and cowboy boots.
A sad reflection of how far music has retarded in the last generation.