We are now seven weeks into Oasis’ reunion tour. This past weekend, they played for two nights in Dublin, closing out the European leg. The band heads to Toronto next weekend to begin nine shows throughout North America. So far, things have gone smoothly, apart from an accident in which an audience member in Wembley stadium fell and passed from their injuries. The shows have been sold out, and from clips I’ve watched on social media, they sound great.

Unsurprisingly, neither Gallagher brother has sat down for an interview since the tour started. Noel broke his silence on Tuesday, though, when he called into the sports chat show talkSPORT to talk football and answer questions about the tour. According to Noel, the crowd’s reception has been “truly amazing” and he’s “completely blown away” by how fans have received them.

Saying he was feeling “a bit shaky” after the band’s two-night run at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday (Aug. 16) and Sunday (Aug. 17), Gallagher summed up the weekend by saying, “there was a lot of singing, a lot of drinking and a lot of talking nonsense… it was quite a night.”

Noel said he’s on “top of the world” at the moment, professing to be “completely blown away” by how the gigs the reunited band have played so far have been received. “It’s difficult to put into words, actually,” said the band’s lyricist. “Every night is the crowd’s first night, so every night’s got that same kind of energy. It’s been truly amazing… I’m not usually short for words, but I can’t really articulate it at the minute.”

Asked how he was feeling on July 4 in Cardiff, Wales, when the band were gearing up to take the stage for the first show of a tour pretty much nobody thought would ever happen, Noel said Oasis have never been one of those bands who have a prayerful “huddle” before they go on. That said, speaking just for himself, Noel admitted he, “grossly underestimated what I was getting into… After about five minutes I was like, ‘All right, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again?’ I’ve done stadiums before and all but, but I don’t mind telling you my legs are turned to jelly after about halfway through the second song.”

Summing it up, Noel said simply, “it’s been an amazing thing.” Reflecting on the emotional hug the brothers shared at the end of the first reunion show in July, Noel said, “we’re not those kind of guys, really… It’s great just to be back with [guitarist] Bonehead and Liam and just be doing it again. I guess when it’s all said and done we’ll sit and reflect on it, but it’s great being back in a band with Liam. I forgot how funny he was.”

Giving his former sibling rival props for sounding great at the shows, Noel said, “Liam’s smashing it. I’m proud of him.” After fronting his own band for the 16 years they were apart — the High Flying Birds — Noel said he knows the pressures of being the lead singer and admitted, “I couldn’t do the stadium thing like he does it…. I kind of look around and I think, ‘You know, good for you, mate.’ He’s been amazing.”

[From Billboard]

It’s so funny that Noel thought he could call in to talk about football and they spent time quizzing him on the tour. I don’t think any of us fans are surprised about how well the comeback tour has been received. Noel’s comments make me wonder if they really were caught that off-guard after being out of the arena game for 16 years. It’s nice that he took the opportunity to acknowledge how overwhelming the experience has been and compliment Liam’s performance. ”Don’t look back in anger,” I heard [his subtext] say.

This past Saturday, I was actually on a train from Belfast to Dublin. Oasis was playing in Dublin that evening, and the train was packed with concert-goers of all ages. More fans would get on at each stop. A group of 20-something men sat down at a table across the aisle from me, and I cannot stress enough just how much they smelled like weed, cologne, and whiskey. These dudes were so pumped that for a moment I forgot that they were probably in kindergarten the last time Oasis played together. The following morning, the Dublin airport was full of very tired-looking travelers wearing Oasis merch. One man, who looked like he was Gen X, was literally dressed head-to-toe, from bucket hat to socks. It was impressive and gave me so much FOMO.

Photos credit: Adam Hampton-Matthews/Avalon, Justin Ng/Avalon, Mike Gray/Avalon