The Gallaghers would hate this book.

This wasn’t for me. As an Oasis fan, I’ve read a lot about them, and I read a lot of this book in various places. Now, it feels like I’m reading a textbook. So dry.

I was looking forward to this.

I’d only recommend it to people who have very recently discovered Oasis.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

As a huge Oasis fan, I was excited to dive into <b>Gallagher</b>—but it read more like a college textbook than a rock biography. While PJ Harrison clearly did his homework, the tone is overly academic and lacks the raw energy that defines the band. There are some insightful moments, especially around Liam and Noel’s personal dynamics, but overall it felt too analytical and not enough fun. Great for deep thinkers, maybe not for die-hard fans looking to relive the chaos.

<b>I received an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</b>

#Gallagher #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy of Gallagher, in return for an honest review.

I was excited to see this "new" biography of the Gallagher Brothers in advance of the highly anticipated "reunion" tour of Oasis in the UK this summer, and the USA in September. Unfortunately this book by PJ Harrison seems rushed and trying to take advantage of the renewed interest in the Gallagher brothers and their long standing feud leading up to the making up last year.

I have always been "Team Noel" and a huge fan of the Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, having seen each of the North American tours, culminating in last summers co-headlining tour with Garbage. Nothing in this book made me a fan of Liam, except when he's singing songs written by the more talented older sibling.

The narrative was supposed to be about the break up of Oasis in Paris, 2009 and the divergent career paths leading up to the announced tour in 2025. I found the book repetitive and the "timeline" disjointed, not to mention a little effervescent and too often Harrison is fawning over Liam's rockstar quality while at the same time pointing out what an absolute arse he is.

I am sure there are better written and more informative biographies out there. This seemed like a fan letter to Liam and Noel and a way to profit off the brothers as they embark on their reunion tour.

This book was not for me. 

My first concert was Oasis's last US tour date in 1996 before the band broke up for one of many times. I have plans to see them during one of their U.S. dates later this year. So when I saw this book was available for ARC, I was excited to learn more about this band that has been part of my life for nearly 30 years. [Side note, when I requested the book, Netgalley listed the publication date as August 5, 2025; but now that I've finished, it matches the Goodreads publication date of May 15, 2025.] But reading this as the band kicks off their reunion tour, it just felt off as there seemed to be no real insights into how the brothers came back together or why, except of course, for at least one of them wanting/needing/liking money. (Duh.) 

The author takes pains to show his bona fides in the beginning by mentioning all the times he spent with the band (and curiously, includes photos of himself with the band in the photos section, which seems unnecessary), but most of the details seem to come from other articles, books, documentaries, and Liam's Twitter feed. But then there are times when the author asserts suppositions as facts (there are end notes that form that last 10% of the book I read, which would have been better as footnotes) - like how Liam felt (it was trauma) about Noel leaving the band in 2009 and having it brought up again and again or that "Wonderwall" is definitively about Noel's girlfriend at the time, even though he's walked that back since that relationship went south. 

I don't feel like I learned that much more than I already knew - the boys had a hard childhood, they don't get along, even when they are getting along, Liam is charismatic and Noel is reserved, etc - and much of the stories, anecdotes, and "facts" are repeated again and again. I can tell the author is a music journalist (or wants to be one) because there is more description of the sonic landscape of each of the brother's (especially Noel's) solo albums with namedropping galore about the production than of the actual "rise" of Oasis. 

I'm not sure exactly what this book was supposed to be before the brothers announced the reunion tour last August, but it's clear that this book was reworked and rushed to publication in advance of it to capitalize on it just as the brothers are capitalizing on Oasis nostalgia. I just hope my experience at the concert this year leaves me with better feelings about the band than this book did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mobius Books | Sphere for an ARC of this book.

I have always been a fan of Oasis but didn't know a lot about the band's history. These chapters are split into each brother, and I really liked it. The book was really detailed, but not boring. It was really informative

I wasn’t around for the peak of Oasis’s popularity in the 90s because of my age. I first heard them in 2011, after they had already broken up. And now, during their reunion tour, this book feels like a gift both for long-time fans and for those who are just discovering their music and story. It covers the highs and lows of the band, the complicated relationship between the Gallagher brothers, and moments from their personal lives. As a fan of Oasis, I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in their music, as well as to those wondering why, after all these quiet years, they’re still able to fill stadiums.

It’s a lot of information that is pretty readily available for sure. While this says it’s for the fans I really would recommend it more to people who don’t know much about the band. I think this book would be a great starting point for them. It was also slightly repetitive. Like for example there’s a brief introduction going over the bands history from the 90s-2009, but then the book later goes on to talk more about the band from that time period so the introduction wasn’t really needed. It also had a slightly weird timeline. Like it started right before the band split and went into Liam and Noels’ solo careers but in the middle talked about their childhood as well as the band’s early years. Some positives I thought it was written well. It didn’t feel super dry like nonfiction tends to. I also liked how the chapters were split between the two brothers.