The recordings encompass 63 live shows, as well as soundchecks and more than 100 hours of rehearsal from Noel and Liam Gallagher.
Oasis have “expressed concerns” ahead of an unheard archive of their recordings going up for sale.
The recordings, which encompass 63 live shows, as well as soundchecks and more than 100 hours of rehearsal from brothers and bandmates Noel and Liam Gallagher in the 1990s, are set to be auctioned next month.
They were collected by the Oasis’ sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with the band from the release of their debut album Definitely, Maybe in 1994, until 2001.
However, Littleton Auctions, who have called the sale a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike”, has confirmed the band does not support the sale.
The auction house’s managing director Ben Homer said in a statement: “The Oasis camp is aware of the auction and has expressed concerns, which is entirely understandable given the scale and significance of the material.
“We’re handling everything with full transparency and proper legal process.
“Our focus is simply on presenting these items responsibly, with verified provenance, and allowing collectors and institutions to engage with an important part of British music history.”
The tapes, which are part of the wider collection dubbed The Desk Tapes, were recorded by Richards himself, who served as the front-of-house sound engineer for Oasis during the height of their career in the mid-1990s.
After joining Oasis’ crew in 1995, he worked with them on some of their biggest concerts, including the Knebworth shows in August 1996.
He recorded the tapes directly from the desk, with Littleton Auctions calling the tapes in its sale “the only master archive of its kind in existence”.
The recordings are being brought to sale by Huw’s son Owain Richards, with other items including internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis Tour parka.
Richards said: “Dad labelled everything, recorded everything and backed it all up to cassette, over and over.
“I grew up listening to these recordings.
“Oasis were part of the family as much as they were part of the culture.”
He explained that after the tapes had “been in my care” over the past 20 years, it now “feels like the right time to pass them on to people who’ll understand exactly what they are”.
The auction house has singled out “standout items” including a pair of Adidas Kegler Super Ostrich trainers, one of only 100 pairs ever made and given to Noel Gallagher.
They were produced in 2000 to mark the 100th birthday of Adidas founder Adi Dassler and only issued to friends and family of the brand.
Littleton Auctions added: “Taken together, the tapes and memorabilia are a rare record of one of the defining bands of their generation at the peak of their powers – the imperfections and the energy of a band working at the very top, caught as it happened. For those who were there, and for those who wish they had been, it is a chance to hold on to a piece of that moment.”
Homer added the level of interest they were “already seeing” reflected Oasis’ popularity as “one of the most beloved and closely followed bands in British music history”.
“Alongside the memorabilia and recordings of other legendary artists in the collection, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike,” he said.
The Times has reported that any buyer would not be able to commercialise the archive without the co-operation of the band as Oasis retain the intellectual property rights.
The Oasis auction will take place online and in person on Saturday October 3.
On Saturday the Gallagher brothers made an appearance at the Venice Film Festival ahead of the world premiere of their documentary Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger.
The project, written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, is part concert film and part documentary, and follows the band on their reunion tour that began in Cardiff in July last year.
Rumours of a follow-up to the band’s 2025 reunion tour have been rife in recent weeks, but no dates or venues have been formally announced.
Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger will be released in cinemas on September 9 and will also stream on Disney Plus.
It will include the first joint interviews with Noel and Liam in more than 20 years, following their 2009 break-up.
The band have had eight UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, with Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger and Roll With It among their best-known songs.
The Press Association has contacted representatives for Oasis for comment.
