At The Cinema: Oasis - Supersonic
There was a time when Oasis was the biggest band on the planet. It's a time I remember well, because as I've said many a time, I was one of the many superfans enamored with the brothers Gallagher. Oasis: Supersonic focuses on those heady, halcyon days at the top, covering the genesis of Oasis and their ascent to the pinnacle of unparalleled popularity, before things slid into their inevitable, bitter end.
Directed by Mat Whitecross (Amy), Oasis: Supersonic is utterly engrossing from start to finish. The film begins, and ends, in 1996. Oasis is helicoptering in to play at Knebworth for about 250,000 of their most devoted fans, a feat that even appears to astound the band themselves judging by the slightly awed looks on their faces in the final moments of that helicopter journey. As the band plays "Shakermaker," footage of the larger than life band is replaced with footage from three years earlier, practicing that very same song in their basement rehearsal space. The message in that change of scenery is startling; in the space of a mere three years this band went from humblest beginnings to being the biggest musical brand around.
It's all here. All the tales that encompass the legend of Oasis, and so much more. And all in their own words, primarily spoken by Liam and Noel. Noel's time as a roadie with Mancunian scamps Inspiral Carpets (and eventual firing by said band). Noel checking out Liam's band The Rain and eventually joining (and wisely insisting on a new name). And, of course, Oasis playing that stars-aligned gig at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and leaving with the offer of a record deal from none other than Creation's Alan McGee. "Fate's just a word to some people," says Liam after the show. But not to him. And not to Oasis.
Between fate and luck, this is a band that rode incredibly catchy songs and unapologetic rock and roll behavior to heights few bands (real, non-shitty non-pop bands that is) could hope to wrap their heads around these days. Noel hit the nail on the head, saying; "We made people feel something that was indefinable." As I wallowed in Oasis-centric nostalgia, I realized how true those words really are. There was no one like Oasis, and there really hasn't been another band like them since.
Consider this an imperative purchase for anyone who was an Oasis fan over the years. Even if you preferred the music of their peers, this will take you back to some real glory days. There's so much detail here, from the soundbites provided by the brothers Gallagher to all the live footage to the candid, often hilarious video of the band in the studio and on the road. Oasis: Supersonic is a gem, offering the band up warts and all but always with a loving, tender touch. It's a wonderful tribute to what was and what could have been.
[posted 5.6.17]
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