Episodes
It's the moment so many people had been hoping for - Oasis are back. Steve and Jo reunite to tackle the biggest musical story of the year, the return of Noel and Liam. But what do we know about the reunion so far?
Presented by Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley
Written and produced by Paul Sheehan and Phil Smith for BBC Audio
Published 09/06/24
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Britpop!
Published 08/10/24
As the 90s hurtled towards a new millennium, Britpop wasn't just making big headlines, it had also become very big business.
As money flowed through the UK music industry, everyone was desperate to be part of Cool Britannia. However, with the arrival of money came the arrival of excess.
In Episode 7 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, legendary Evening Session hosts Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq re-unite to look back at what life was like for those in the eye of the storm.
The Rise and Fall of...
Published 08/10/24
In August 1995, battle lines were drawn and the North vs South rivalry was reignited as Blur and Oasis battled it out for the top spot in the UK charts. What started off as banter soon became a full Britpop war, with offices, classrooms and friendship groups divided.
In episode six of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley tell the real stories behind the ‘Battle of Britpop’.
Listen only on BBC Sounds.
Presented by Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq
Written by Steve Lamacq and...
Published 08/10/24
Despite Blur and Oasis dominating the headlines, one band more than any other came to represent the soaring highs and crushing lows of Britpop - Pulp. From recording in a semi-detached house in Sheffield to writing songs in a tent the night before headlining Glastonbury, the Pulp story has it all.
Thirty years on from the legendary Radio 1 Evening Session, Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq look back at the history of Pulp, discuss the band’s impact and reveal how the intervention of Bob Mortimer...
Published 08/10/24
As Britpop and lad culture became intertwined, did this heady relationship do a disservice to the women behind the music?
30 years on from Britpop, Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq take a trip back to the 90s to reassess the scene’s relationship with sex and gender. From the front covers of lads mags, to music videos, they delve into the day to day experiences of many band members.
Featuring new and archive interviews with Louise Wener, Shirley Manson, Miki Berenyi and Justine Frischmann, Episode 4...
Published 08/10/24
Thirty years ago a youthquake of creativity took hold of the UK, as Britpop sucked everything into its cultural orbit.
From supermodels at Fashion week, to Edinburgh’s underbelly and from Match of the Day montages, to puppets interviewing rock stars on Breakfast TV, the attitude and aspirations of Britpop reverberated across the country.
In episode 3 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley dust off old note books, photo albums, CDs and tapes and look at the effect Britpop...
Published 08/10/24
Britpop, as a term landed in the spring of 1993 but it was a full year later, that everything changed over the course of just twenty days.
In Episode 2 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley revisit the key moments on the road to Britpop’s explosion. Including on air resignations at Radio 1, a band of rowdy Mancunians and a tragic death, which caused shockwaves around the world.
30 years later Steve and Jo are taking advantage of their contacts, going through old note...
Published 08/10/24
What was life like before Britpop? Join Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley as they rewind the tape to hear how the UK sounded at the start of the 90’s.
Britpop emerged at a very specific time in British History, recession and war had dominated the headlines, the Iron Lady left Downing Street for the final time and the UK’s music scene was fractured. Rave was still in relatively rude health, terrifying the tabloids and the parents of teenagers, Morrissey had felt the wrath of music fans after...
Published 08/10/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 8 - Live Forever?
With both Liam and Noel having successful solo careers, and a new generation of fans discovering Oasis, there is endless talk of the band getting back together. And whilst they seem to have been staying out of each other’s way, the constant jibing has moved to social media. We look at what the band means to a new generation of fans, and if they ever will just give each other a call?
The Rise and Fall of Oasis was presented by Jo Whiley...
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 7 - Fade Away… A Plum In Paris
Oasis during the 2000s dutifully continue to play the hits to a committed and enthusiastic audience. However, when the final show does eventually come, it’s a largely unsatisfying end for a band that always seemed stronger than the rest. Oasis. Killed, by a plum. In a portacabin. In Paris.
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 6 - Where Did It All Go Wrong? The Death Of A Party
As the millennium approaches, Oasis are no longer sound tracking a generation. They are flat and limping along; trying, in vain, to find their place in a shifting musical environment. Noel chooses this period to get clean but he, and Liam, have divorces pending. Bonehead and Guigsy leave the group, and the band release ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ - their comedown album. Add to this, their “worst...
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 5 - Be Here Now… Blair, Blur And A Backlash.
In the lead up to the release of Be Here Now, Oasis tabloid mania is at fever pitch, but what should be the crowning glory of their career is slowly unravelling. The band faced a series of challenges, many of their own causing, and the album is released to massive fanfare... and industry paranoia. We learn about the chaos that followed the group at the time, the backlash that came after the release of Be Here...
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 4 - Champagne Supernova...? The Missing Gallagher
Oasis are Massive. Earls Court, Knebworth and actual success in America. But with that comes arrogance, defiance and a fight so ferocious that the band appear to have finally split up. We cover the chaotic month that sees the band play Knebworth, have a meltdown live on MTV, and a US tour that starts without one brother, and ends without the other. Utter chaos, and pure drama at the very peak of their...
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 3 - Morning Glory… And A Cricket Bat
With a number 1 single under their belts, the band headline Glastonbury on Boneheads’ 30th Birthday, welcome a new drummer and release the era defining album - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? But this episode is not without drama - a studio fight almost derails the Oasis express and the Blur Vs Oasis rivalry reaches a nadir.
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 2 - Talk Tonight… A Riot In Newcastle
It's 1994 and Oasis’ constant touring is underscoring their reputation as rock n roll hell-raisers, a reputation which comes to the fore at a gig in Newcastle just days before the release of their debut album. Then, just a few weeks later, the hottest new band in the UK are in a mess in America. Their first US tour is a shambles. Frustrated at blowing their big chance, Noel Gallagher walks out of the band, flying off...
Published 07/05/24
The Rise and Fall of Oasis - Episode 1 - Bring It On Down... The Fight On The Ferry
Oasis is Liam Gallagher’s band, and after their first gig at the Manchester Boardwalk he asks his brother, Noel, to be their manager. Noel instead suggests joining as songwriter. Episode 1 focuses on the exciting and breathless start of the band - new experiences and new dynamics. Yet turbulence, chaos and confusion is never far away with Oasis... as a disastrous trip to Amsterdam proves.
Published 07/05/24
Join Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq as they delve into the complex relationship between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, a fascinating sibling rivalry that both made, and ultimately destroyed, Oasis. Featuring archive material, music, outrageous anecdotes, and first-hand accounts from bandmates, producers, and industry insiders.
Published 07/05/24