Oasis has reportedly sued an auction house over its proposed sale of previously unreleased archival Oasis recordings. Littleton Auctions had announced the lot earlier this month, comprising 63 live shows, soundchecks and over 100 hours of rehearsal tapes featuring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher from the Britpop rockers’ chaotic 1990s heyday.
They were gathered by sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with the band from their 1994 debut album Definitely, Maybe until 2001. The auction house has now confirmed the sale is suspended following an injunction by the group, who recently announced their ‘Live 27’ tour.
Auction suspended after legal injunction
Managing director Ben Homer said: "Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings.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."
The collection was put forward by Richards’ son, Owain Richards, who said: "It is true that Oasis have sued me and my father to try to prevent the auction of the tapes made by my father many years ago. We have agreed to postpone the auction (of the tapes) to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way."
Remaining memorabilia sale to proceed
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." The remaining memorabilia auction will proceed, featuring original setlists, internal tour itineraries, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis tour Parka.
When the sale was first announced, Littleton Auctions called it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike”, but confirmed the band did not support the sale.
Background of the tapes and upcoming tour
Homer said at the time: “The Oasis camp is aware of the auction and has expressed concerns, which is entirely understandable given the scale and significance of the material. We’re handling everything with full transparency and proper legal process. Our focus is simply on presenting these items responsibly, with verified provenance, and allowing collectors and institutions to engage with an important part of British music history.”
The tapes were recorded by Richards, who served as the front-of-house sound engineer for Oasis during the height of their career in the mid-1990s. After joining Oasis’s crew in 1995, he worked with them on some of their biggest concerts, including the Knebworth shows in August 1996. He recorded the tapes directly from the desk, with Littleton Auctions calling the tapes in its sale “the only master archive of its kind in existence”. The Press Association has contacted representatives for Oasis for comment.
It comes after the band sent fans into meltdown by announcing a huge international tour for 2027, with the first date taking place at Glasgow's Celtic Park on May 21. They will then head to Manchester for an enormous 11-date residency at the Etihad Stadium, beginning on June 4 and running through to June 26. The tour will then take the Gallagher brothers across Europe and the US before they return to the UK for a major run of shows at Knebworth in September. The band will now play six nights at Knebworth, with additional dates added on September 25 and 26 following what was described as phenomenal demand. The Knebworth shows are particularly significant for Oasis fans, coming more than 30 years after the band's legendary 1996 concerts at the venue.
