Oasis kicks off North American tour in Toronto

British rock legends Oasis kicked off the North American leg of their blockbuster reunion tour in Toronto on Sunday as ecstatic Canadian fans flocked to their first chance to see the band since 2008.

After shooting to fame in the mid-1990s Britpop era and dramatically breaking up 16 years ago, the once-warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have embarked on a massively anticipated world tour with their bandmates.

“Seeing them live has been a life-long dream because I thought they would never reunite,” Thunder Penir, holding aloft a huge Canadian flag, told AFP before heading into Rogers Stadium for the concert.

Amanda Ferraro, who was wearing a t-shirt from the band’s 2006 Canadian tour, told AFP that Oasis “have been my favorite band since I was 13.”

“All the songs really got me through a lot of things: my parents’ divorce, a lot of good things, milestones,” the 38-year-old said.

Shanon Simon, wearing a t-shirt bearing Liam Gallagher’s face, said part of the nostalgic appeal of the tour was that the band reigned supreme at a time before social media or music streaming.

“When that CD drops and you have it in your hands, it was… you can’t even describe it,” she said.

“It’s going to shows and not having phones up,” she added.

“This is going to be epic.”

Irene Dolan, wearing a sparkly Union Jack top, said that “Live Forever” from the band’s debut album was a “song that touches my soul.”

“Wonderwall,” meanwhile, was one of the first songs her daughter learnt to play on acoustic guitar. “It’s a fond memory,” she said.

Tickets for the North American tour reportedly sold out within an hour of going on sale.

The Manchester rockers have already played gigs in the UK and Ireland during the huge tour, which includes the United States, Japan, Australia and Brazil.

Oasis will play another gig in Toronto on Monday before heading to Chicago for a concert on Thursday.

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