Oasis is a British rock band that first formed in 1991 in Manchester, England. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, bassist Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan, and drummer Tony McCaroll. Liam’s older brother Noel would soon join the band, taking over the lead guitar position and sharing vocals with Liam. The lineup changed drastically over the years, as Liam and Noel were reportedly hard to work with. Much of Oasis’ music is based on the two brothers, Liam and Noel. While the band is in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Longest Top 10 UK Chart Run By a Group,” for their album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory & smash hit Wonderwall

Vocalist Liam Gallagher is a tenor with an intermediate range, who has often been compared to John Lennon. The sound of Oasis themselves has often been compared to the sound of The Beatles, and The Beatles is one of Gallagher’s biggest vocal influences. Gallagher’s British accent is not lost within his vocals, so to imitate him, one needs to be able to imitate a British accent, as well as having a tenor range. Liam does occasionally play guitar, using a Gibson Hummingbird.

Vocalist and lead guitarist Noel Gallagher is also a tenor, and is a nice fit for harmonization with Liam. Noel usually played an Epiphone Supernova, which is his signature guitar. Gallagher uses very little guitar effects, and in the early days of Oasis, he merely turned up the amps for distortion and effect. In the later days of Oasis, he used the Ibanez Tube Screamer. For amplification, he uses Marshall cabinets and a combination made by Clark Amplification. Noel is a very talented guitarist with a penchant for soulful and punchy leads, with the ability of also being able to play quiet ballads. An intermediate to expert guitar player will be needed to replicate Noel’s sound, such as on the song Champagne Supernova.

Because Oasis’ lineup changed so much, the focus remains on the two brothers, who wrote all of the songs. To sound like Oasis, you will definitely need a strong backing band, but you will need a rambunctious and talented frontman, and an exceptional guitarist.

Keep Rockin’!!!
Oasis by mrrobertwade taken on January 2, 2010
Liam Gallagher by notalike taken on June 12, 2005
Noel Gallagher by pacomexico taken on May 12, 2011