Liam Gallagher at Knebworth next week: Share your memories of Oasis at the same venue in 1996

The younger Gallagher brother celebrates the 25th anniversary of Oasis' era-defining gigs at Knebworth Park with news that he'll return to Knebworth Park to play the biggest show of his solo career to date on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4.

Since embarking on his solo career, Liam's 2017 album As You Were topped the UK Albums Chart while a year later his second album, Why Me? Why Not also topped the charts, spawning singles Shockwave, The River and Once.

Gallagher's third solo album, titled C'mon You Know, is released on Saturday (May 27) with new tracks set to be aired next week at Knebworth including Everything's Electric and the album's title track.

Oasis at Knebworth in 1996

Rewind back to the mid-1990s and the North Herts venue near junction seven on the A1 hosted 125,000 people on each day - the biggest ever outdoor concerts in the UK at the time.

The event took place just after Euro 96, a matter of months before New Labour's landslide election victory.

After 'years of bleakness' as Noel Gallagher phrased it, in the mid 90s, as strange as it may seem now, the UK was seen by the world as uber cool - with Oasis, Kate Moss, Prince Naseem Hamed, Damien Hirst and the film Trainspotting leading the way.

Regional Nub News editor Layth Yousif was at the era-defining concert over the weekend of Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, 1996.

"I'd been travelling around Thailand in south east Asia all the summer of '96," Layth recalls, adding: "including a few Full Moon parties at the legendary Hat Rin beach on Koh Phangan - and completely by chance returned to the UK on the Friday evening.

"I spent the Saturday catching up with friends and family when someone in the pub said they had a spare ticket for Oasis on the Sunday. Looking back it was quite lucky as there were something like two and a half million people who applied for tickets apparently.

"At the time, though, it just seemed like the most normal thing in the world to get my hands on a spare, for what turned out to be one of the most iconic gigs in music history."

Oasis released their legendary No1 debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994, followed up by the even bigger (What's the Story) Morning Glory? the year after.

In a short space of time in the mid-90s Oasis went from playing small venues, nightclubs and universities to gracing stadiums, prior to gracing the Tudor stately home and gardens in Knebworth, North Herts.

"So, without too much sleep," Layth continues, "I headed over to Knebworth for Oasis on the Sunday with pals. I can't remember too much about the day. I think The Manic Street Preachers. Cast and The Charlatans were the warm-up, but it's all a bit of a blur.

"I do remember Liam's arrogance and swagger which I loved - and still do - and him telling Manchester United fans in the crowd to f*** off as it was the Charity Shield that day and United beat Newcastle 4-0 - which probably didn't help Liam's mood.

"Sometimes when you go to a gig at a large stadium, or field, or festival, you lose the band and the lead singer in the sheer size of the event.

"But I do remember thinking though everything going on at Knebworth back in '96, that, despite there being 125,000 people there, you could really sense that Liam was right on top of you, such was his gloriously spiky attitude and foreboding stage presence.

"I'm actually taking my 15-year-old son to Liam's Knebworth gig over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend so I'll have to be far more grown up this time around. Hopefully I'll remember it this time. I can't wait."

Email us your memories of Oasis' Knebworth gigs in August 1996 for a special Nub News Rewind feature