PERFORMING ARTS

Oasis: Knebworth; Two Nights That Will Live Forever

Cassell: Octopus. Aug. 2021. 288p. ISBN 9781788402804. $50. MUSIC
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On the 25th anniversary of Oasis’s 1996 performance at Knebworth, England, Rachel (Isle of Noise) chronicles an unforgettable concert. In the summer of 1996, Oasis was possibly the biggest band in the world, and most definitely the biggest band in Britain. Over two nights in Knebworth, they performed for more than 250,000 people, setting a record for the largest attendance at an outdoor concert in the UK (an unrelated documentary has also just been released, as well as a live recording of the event). Before smartphones and social media, professional photographers were the only ones documenting events like these, and Furmanovsky’s exciting, comprehensive behind-the-scenes images depict everything from preshow rehearsals to the array of food laid out in the dressing room. With hundreds of photos and four brief but highly detailed essays by Rachel, this could be the greatest concert program book ever made. However, while this is certainly a must-see for Oasis fans, it may be of little interest to anyone else.
VERDICT An up-close and personal view of a cultural high point for Oasis.
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