125. Live Forever
I.
Noel Gallagher left Oasis in August 2009, stating that he āsimply couldnāt work with Liam for another dayā. In the concerts leading up to this, the brothers had already finished their performances amid heated arguments and great ill-temper. They had both always been cocky, which was part of their appeal, but the boiling point had been reached.
I missed the concert Oasis had given at the Heineken Music Hall at the start of that year. I was 19, and I had no money. Iād see them next time. I hadnāt expected to have to wait until I was 35. Gradually, Iād given up hope of ever seeing the band again. Yes, I saw Liam and Noel countless times after that with their solo projects. But Oasis, that was of course the ultimate, and it kept gnawing at me.
Last weekend, at the legendary Wembley Stadium, my redemption finally came. These days, the Gallagher brothers walk onto the stage hand in hand. Then they play a rock-solid two-hour set of greatest hits, clearly enjoying themselves. After all these years, Liam still stands in a sweltering parka, hands behind his back and chin raised towards the microphone. He places a tambourine on his head as if it were a crown. Let it be clear that he is the king here.
Although Noel largely takes a supporting role within the band and plays at the side of the stage, it is, of course, the combination of the brothers that works. Liam with his arrogant attitude, a rock star of the āthey donāt make them like that anymoreā variety, and Noel as the writer and the brains behind the hits. Liam has the stadium in a frenzy from the very first second, but itās only when Noel gets to sing three songs in a row that it becomes clear why the contrast between the two works so well in a band. Noel takes the pace down a notch and so, during Half The World Away, we suddenly hear the whole of Wembley Stadium singing along. Men are in tears everywhere.
Iām not the only one whoās been waiting sixteen years for this. That feeling is shared by everyone here, which is why everyone is in ecstasy. There are tens of thousands of people here for whom this music means a great deal. Sixteen years ago, we all had very different lives, but Oasis remained a constant. That realisation suddenly hit me, there in Wembley. āSome people say itās just rock and roll,ā Nick Cave once wrote. āOh but it gets you right down to your soul.ā
- - -II.
What always makes the Fantastic Four superhero team so good is the combination of over-the-top science fiction and a family feel. In the comics, the focus is more often on conceptual dilemmas and personal relationships than on action. The makers of the new Fantastic Four film have understood this well.
The story in The Fantastic Four: First Steps is nice and straightforward. From outer space, the Silver Surfer descends to Earth to warn humanity that their planet will soon be devoured by Galactus. In this film, Galactus is a cosmic entity with an insatiable hunger, devouring one planet after another. As it happens, Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four are expecting a child with a cosmic power that could sate Galactusās hunger. Galactusās proposal is as follows: feed me your child, and I will spare the Earth.
Marvel has tried a few times to adapt the Fantastic Four for the big screen, but it never quite came to fruition. This time, it has worked out. Director Matt Shakman (of the excellent series WandaVision) sets the story in an alternate universe, thereby distancing the film from the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe. This Fantastic Four film stands on its own. With a retro-futuristic aesthetic and rather unsettling space scenes. Galactus is a cool threat thanks to his enormous, mysterious appearance. And the tone of the film isnāt as daft as other Marvel films.
There are certainly a few things to criticise. This mainly concerns the editing. The film is kept under two hours, but sometimes jumps from one thing to another. I think the editing was a bit too enthusiastic. Who knows, maybe thereāll be a Shakman cut one day.
- - -III.
The following video has been viewed a million times in a week. I get why, because this is yet another One of Those Videos the Internet Was Invented For. Itās all about an experiment to store data from an imageā¦ on a starling.
Benn Jordan takes an image and converts it into sound. He then hopes to teach the recording to a starling (which are even better at mimicking sounds than parrots). If the starling then mimics the sound and Jordan records that in turn, he should, in theory, be able to convert that data back into the original image.
In half an hour, musician and scientist Jordan explains in minute detail exactly how this works. Itās a bit technical, but incredibly fascinating.
- - -PS.
On VPRO Tegenlicht, you can watch an interview with Cory Doctorow, who is unrivalled in his ability to explain how āenshittificationā works in the digital realm. Good translation, by the way: āverkuttificatieā.
- - -This website creates line drawings of the streets in all cities.
Blogger Anil Dash reminisces about the last time he saw all the members of the Wu Tang Clan together on stage.
Thereās to be a sequel to the hilarious 1984 rock mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. The first trailer looks promising. In Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the band reunites one last time to play a farewell concert. Paul McCartney, Questlove and Elton John, among others, make an appearance.
- - -Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner and Miles Teller star in the new A24 film Eternity. Itās a fantasy rom-com about the afterlife. Deceased souls are allowed to choose one person to spend eternity with.
- - -A new film is on the way from Richard Linklater (the Before trilogy, Boyhood), about the American Broadway greats Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Roles have been cast for Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott. Iām not exactly up to speed with the pre-World War II musical scene, but the atmosphere in the trailer has already won me over.
- - -Youāve just read blog no. 125, written during the week of 28 July to 3 August 2025. Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive this blog in your inbox every Sunday.