Liam Gallagher says a lot of things, but his latest take couldn’t be more misjudged.
Oasis’ Live ’27 Tour was announced last month after plenty of speculation and following the Britpop band’s highly successful Live ‘25 Tour. Due to frenzied demand, the upcoming tour – which includes dates across mainland Europe - has been expanded to 42 dates, which are now all sold out.
So far, only Richard Ashcroft has been confirmed as support for their forthcoming shows, and we know of one act who won’t be joining them...
The gobby Oasis frontman has said that the Irish band Fontaines D.C. are “not good enough” to open for his band on their upcoming Live ‘27 Tour, adding that they “don’t have any tunes”.
With all due respect to Gallagher, the self-proclaimed “Godlike rasta icon legend biblical omnipresent prophet” (as per his X handle), his comment is a steaming pile of proverbial.
First things first, Fontaines D.C. are arguably the greatest act currently recording and gigging. Bold statement, but consider the evidence...
Since their 2019 debut ‘Dogrel’, Grian Chatten and his post-punk lot have been going from strength to strength at a borderline unprecedented pace. In the space of only eight years, they’ve released five albums, with each record outdoing their previous output, showing a band unwilling to rest on their laurels and pushing their sound forward.
Their third album, 2022’s ‘Skinty Fia’, felt like the band peaked, wrapping a three-album run that would leave most modern groups green with envy. But then came 2024’s ‘Romance’, a record we described in our Best Albums of the Year list as “a consecration” and confirmation that they are, without a shadow of a doubt, “one of the most consistently exciting modern bands around”.
This was confirmed with their recent live shows, as the band not only delivered the goods on stage but showed that they were also unafraid to stand up for what they believe in – unlike some saccharine, first-dance-at-the-twee-wedding singers.
Surely they couldn’t top ‘Romance’ and were due an inevitable dip... But once again, Fontaines D.C. have exceeded all expectations with the release of their fifth LP last Friday (16 October). ‘Dopamine Chamber’ is a doomy, gloomy, and cinematic(-y) record that cements them as the best band of their generation. They’ve embraced a synthier direction, with many tracks like lead single ‘Marianne’ and album standout ‘Mimesis’ recalling Depeche Mode. Another reference point throughout is The Cure, as the riffs on ‘Happy For You’ and ‘You Miss Me’ sound reminiscent of Robert Smith’s playbook.
Beyond these touchpoints, to the band’s great credit, 'Dopamine Chamber' never feels like it's leaning on the past for inspiration and always sounds like a Fontaines effort. Chatten’s show-stopping lyricism and vocals once again prove he’s a spellbinding frontman – one who invites the listener on the latest album to find power in confronting the darkness at the heart of the bleak times we live in, rather than seek refuge in blind optimism.
All to say that ‘Dopamine Chamber’ is an astonishing effort, one not far from masterpiece status, and Liam Gallagher would do well to actually listen to the tunes Fontaines D.C. have in their arsenal before slagging them off. No modern band has achieved their level of quality output, and when you consider that five-for-five track record compared to Oasis’ discography, it’s hard to not reach the conclusion that Gallagher’s recent take is, frankly, terminal.
No one is denying that Oasis was at the heart of the Britpop movement and contributed to defining a 90s sound for a generation. However, their output pales compared to that of Fontaines D.C.’s. Granted, ‘Definitely Maybe’ (one record deemed overrated in the good Euronews Culture parish) and ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ are considered classics, but Oasis haven’t released a cohesive album since 1998's ‘The Masterplan’. Their last effort to date, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ (2008), left much to be desired, and there are seemingly no concrete plans to return to the studio anytime soon. Just touring the hits.
There's nothing wrong with that, and this isn’t a bid to pit one band against the other; rather, recognising that respect needs to be paid.
So what gives with Gallagher’s comments? Maybe they’re due to a 2024 interview with Studio Brussel, in which Fontaines’ guitarist Carlos O’Connell said he “couldn’t give a shit” about the Oasis reunion. At the time, bassist Conor Deegan III added: “I’m not excited about it either, to be honest. I feel like we get caught in the last era – like the ’10s – and into such a nostalgic thing that we’re forgetting to make new things.”
This prompted Gallagher to respond: “Fuck them little spunkbubbles I’ve seen better dressed ROADIES.”
Sure thing, Liam. But beyond comments that feel they’re from an overgrown toddler throwing a hissy fit, those “spunkbubbles” are consistently proving they’re the future. They certainly don’t rely exclusively on nostalgia to sell tickets. ‘Dopamine Chamber’ only goes to show that Oasis would be lucky to have a band of Fontaines’ caliber as an opening act. As you were.
'Dopamine Chamber' is out now.