Oasis Knebworth 1996
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Oasis Knebworth 1996
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Oasis Knebworth 1996 is a documentary about the British band Oasis -- and their two iconic concerts playing to 250,000 people -- with strong language throughout. It features performance footage, as well as interviews with the band and fans who give their accounts of the concerts. The movie pinpoints a time in the U.K. when guitar music swept the nation. The movie features strong language, including one use of "c--t" and frequent uses of "f–k," as well as British slang such as "wanker." The notoriously hedonistic band had fans who followed suit, so the movie features lots of smoking, alcohol use, and occasional drug references. A pure celebration of Oasis, it backs up its admiration with cultural history and band member Noel Gallagher comes across as confident, hard-working, and displaying self-belief. During some crowd footage, a man's buttocks and a woman's breasts are briefly seen.
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What's the Story?
OASIS KNEBWORTH 1996 is the story behind the British rock and roll band's iconic concerts at Knebworth House, with performance footage, interviews with the band, and fan accounts given 25 years later.
Is It Any Good?
Amid the slew of fans explaining that they had the time of their lives at the concert, eventually a, "I guess you had to be there" feeling starts to set in with this music documentary. If Oasis Knebworth 1996 were a straight concert film, the performance would convey the magic. But here a song starts, sounds great, and then is faded down to let another random fan say how good it was. The idea of "show, don't tell" clearly didn't cross director Jake Scott's mind. The first 30 minutes of the film is a solid scene setter with archive footage showing the cocky young band playing a tiny London venue. Fast forward two years and there's a national frenzy with 250,000 tickets available for a weekend of Oasis-mania. The buzz is on, let's go!
Then the first footage of the show begins and it's … OK. Some of the songs sound flat and tuneless, although others hit all the right notes. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are in perfect harmony, the crowd are jumping. But then the film continuously fades out for yet another voiceover. The documentary does get across what a big deal these concerts were, shows a pre-smartphone time that will never be repeated, and a couple of emotional fan stories do resonate. But so many don't. All of which eats into time that could be spent watching the headliner instead of the borderline tedious support act.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Oasis Knebworth 1996 depicted drinking, smoking, and drug use. Were they glamorized? Why is that important?
Discuss the strong language heard in the documentary. Did it feel authentic? Why do you think those that swore chose to do so?
Oasis included two brothers who famously haven't always got on. What do you think would be the best and worst thing about being in a band with a sibling?
How did this film compare with other music documentaries you've seen?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 24, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: November 19, 2021
- Cast: Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Paul Arthurs
- Director: Jake Scott
- Studio: Paramount+
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 110 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 4, 2022
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