Live Forever
The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis
Published on 5. June 2025
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-00-875136-4 (ISBN)
Description
The finest book on Britain's most popular rock 'n' roll band
'Read on ... It's all true' Noel Gallagher
Featuring an exclusive interview with Noel Gallagher and bespoke artwork by celebrated Oasis album designer Brian Cannon
Think Oasis was just Britpop and brawls?
Think again.
John Robb was there every step of the way. In this, the definitive book on Britain's biggest band, he peels back the layers of Manchester's best-known musical export, revealing a tale of ambition, ego, talent and a whole lot of attitude. From the estates of South Manchester to the dizzying heights of global stardom, Live Forever is a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers' turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. But it is also a portrait of Britain around the turn of the millennium and the cultural forces and places that shaped, and were shaped by, two cocksure upstarts from Burnage - from art to fashion, and from football to politics.
Playful, funny and irreverent, and drawing on dozens of interviews and first-hand stories, this book puts Oasis squarely in the pantheon of music royalty as the last great rock 'n' roll stars.
'John Robb is a great writer.' Mick Jones, The Clash
'Read on ... It's all true' Noel Gallagher
Featuring an exclusive interview with Noel Gallagher and bespoke artwork by celebrated Oasis album designer Brian Cannon
Think Oasis was just Britpop and brawls?
Think again.
John Robb was there every step of the way. In this, the definitive book on Britain's biggest band, he peels back the layers of Manchester's best-known musical export, revealing a tale of ambition, ego, talent and a whole lot of attitude. From the estates of South Manchester to the dizzying heights of global stardom, Live Forever is a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers' turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. But it is also a portrait of Britain around the turn of the millennium and the cultural forces and places that shaped, and were shaped by, two cocksure upstarts from Burnage - from art to fashion, and from football to politics.
Playful, funny and irreverent, and drawing on dozens of interviews and first-hand stories, this book puts Oasis squarely in the pantheon of music royalty as the last great rock 'n' roll stars.
'John Robb is a great writer.' Mick Jones, The Clash
Reviews / Votes
'I've known John for over 35 years now. He was there. He's always been "there". Any of the great Mancunian bands you care to think of will ALL have had a relationship in one form or another with John. He was one of the 50 heads who attended EVERY single gig worth seeing in Manchester. If anyone is qualified to articulate what it felt like when Oasis first appeared, it's John. Read on ... it's all true.' Noel Gallagher'Incredible. The one book you need to read this year. John Robb is the best journalist to come out of post-punk and he was there from day one with Creation and at the Broadwalk. This overview of Oasis and the scene they came from is truly unique. Get it!' Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records
'I love the music of Oasis, and I love the writing of John Robb on music. So this book makes me very happy.' Irvine Welsh
'Reselling the band as a thrilling cultural phenomenon ... Live Forever deftly catches the creative rather than destructive chemistry between the brothers.' Sunday Times
'An authoritative inside track by one of pop culture's grand inquisitors.' Telegraph
'Live Forever benefits from Noel's involvement as interviewee, and also Robb's granular knowledge of Manchester's music scene.' Financial Times
'An excitable, painstakingly researched and greatly detailed dive into their career, through pre-formation to their life-changing Britpop triumphs and beyond, complete with exhaustive analysis of Oasis' catalogue.' The I
'Utterly brilliant!' Loaded
'Robb is vivid and detailed on the druggy, after-hours Manchester bohemia of the early 1990s.' The Quietus
'Perhaps the most effective straight biography yet ... you'll be entertained.' MOJO
'The ambition, rivalry and hedonism of the band's rise to the top is laid out in exquisite detail.' Irish Independent
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Illustrations
20 col plates (8pp)
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
648 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-875136-4 (9780008751364)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2025
HarperCollins
€7.79
Available for download
Person
John Robb is bassist and singer for postpunk dark energy mainstays the Membranes. A bestselling author, presenter, journalist, DJ, publisher, model and talking head, he also founded the music and culture website Louder Than Words. He was chosen by Noel Gallagher to do the exclusive Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary interview.