Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger review – documentary glosses over the hard stuff

“The little things that used to annoy us about each other have all gone away,” says Noel Gallagher of reconciling with his brother, Liam.

“It’s not a power struggle any more.”

The scene comes towards the end of Don’t Look Back In Anger, a sentimental and affectionate portrait of the band’s comeback tour in 2025. But it’s about as deep as we get into the band’s 15-year hiatus.

In an opening montage, we hear how Oasis conquered the world in the 1990s with hits like Wonderwall and Roll With It. As their fame grew, so did the brothers’ animosity, until the party came to an abrupt halt backstage at a gig in Paris in 2009.

Fan shot footage shows the promoter on stage, informing the crowd that the concert is cancelled following “a huge fight together in the dressing room”.

“The band doesn’t exist any more,” he announces, sounding more irritated than sad.

According to Scottish singer Amy McDonald, who was also on the line-up, the altercation was seismic. “Liam smashed Noel’s guitar, huuuge fight!” she tweeted from backstage.

The film, however, never tells us what was said. Nobody explains the fall-out. We don’t find out who instigated the rapprochement, nor do we hear how it affected their family.

Instead, we cut to rehearsals for the comeback tour, with a caption informing us the brothers “didn’t speak for 15 years”, and an implication that all the wounds have been miraculously healed.

Tantalisingly, the first song they practice is Columbia – a fan favourite that never made the tour’s setlist – but there’s a tension in the room.

The band, under Noel’s instruction, is piecing together the setlist. Liam won’t arrive until later in the process, and no-one’s sure which Liam they’ll get.

When he arrives, he seems fantastically grumpy, complaining about the sound-proofing panels that have been placed in front of Joey Waronker’s drums.

“They’re already giving me the hump,” he huffs.