“We are actually going to a wedding in England on July the 12th, so we are pitching to get to the gig in Manchester the night before and then the weekend after, down in London.”
For Spiby, Oasis is less of a love affair and more of a lifelong obsession born out of the heady days of Britpop culture. While working in a bar in Derby, England, in the mid-90s, Spiby capitalised on Oasis’s popularity by creating the tribute band to cater to punters who couldn’t see the real thing live.
Spending over $200k to emulate Liam Gallagher, Darren Spiby has dedicated his career to keeping Oasis’ magic alive.
“Oasis was in full swing, and getting tickets to see them was just impossible, so we figured we could plug that gap and capitalise,” he says. “We started playing gigs in a back room of the pub, and people seemed to love it.”
Before long, Noasis had a following of its own, landing them on the radar of Liam and Noel Gallagher.
“Back in 1996, we played in Derby, and Oasis was in town at the same time; rumour has it they popped into the backroom after their gig and watched us for 20 minutes,” says Spiby.
“I know they’re aware of us, but we haven’t had a chance to meet yet; Liam chucked me on his guest list when he toured Melbourne in 2022.”
The popularity of Noasis spurred Spiby’s quest to become the world’s most believable Liam lookalike. These days, he maintains a global network of scouters who watch for any Oasis merchandise.
“I’ll get messages going, ‘Oh, have you seen this pop up on eBay?’ just recently, someone spied a pair of Adidas Spezial trainers that Liam wears at a shop in South America,” says Spiby. “So we got packed up and shipped over.”
Walk this way. Darren Spiby’s collection of Oasis memorabilia includes rare Adidas Spezial trainers released by Liam Gallagher.
The Oasis reunion ends the long-running feud between brothers Noel and Liam, which has kept the band apart for nearly two decades. Fortunately, things are slightly more harmonious at Noasis, which is also a family affair.
“The boys really love it; it’s a bit of a dream come true, considering all I did was play Oasis records when they were younger,” says Spiby.
A family affair. Darren and his son, Tom, as Liam and Noel Gallagher.Credit: Ben Searcy
As for his wife? “She doesn’t know any differently, she just doesn’t like it when I wear the Liam wig to bed.”
The announcement of the Oasis tour has had a flow-on effect for Noasis, who are currently on tour around the country and have had to add more dates due to increased demand.
“The timing was incredible; people are just mad for Oasis again, and there’s nothing quite like being at a tribute show; everyone is just there for a fun night.”
While it remains to be seen if Australia will get to witness the Oasis reunion first hand, Spiby believes that a night out with Noasis is as good as the real thing – almost.
“When I hit those notes in Morning Glory, I reckon I’m not far off,” he laughs. “If nothing else, I look the part.”
Noasis are on tour now. For more info and tickets, visit NOASIS.com.au
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at thomas.mitchell@smh.com.au or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.