“I feel a bit exposed, talking about it”: Pete Townshend reveals the Oasis song that brought him to tears
The Who’s Pete Townshend was once moved to tears by one Oasis track, and feels their ability to delve into normal life is far more magical than their “swagger” at times.
Oasis will kick off their Live ‘25 reunion tour on 4 July in Cardiff. It will mark the first time the band have played live together since their infamous split in 2009, following a backstage dispute between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. Their debut album, Definitely Maybe, also celebrated its 30th anniversary in August last year.
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Ahead of the monumental tour, which spans across the globe and concludes in November this year, Townshend – among many other artists – has reflected on how their music impacted him, selecting Half The World Away as an especially poignant track.
The song was originally released as a B-side to Whatever, and later featured on The Masterplan album. It was also used as the theme tune to the British sitcom, The Royle Family, which captured working class life through the living room of a family in Manchester – a show which Townshend was also a fan of.
“The thing that got me about Oasis was Liam’s voice, not so much the attitude. It took me a while to get used to the attitude, and I felt Noel was the one with the most edge,” Townshend tells The Times.
“Liam used to come to Who gigs with his girlfriend and he was always charming. And despite the fact that it was intended to be threatening and to have no emotion, it was loaded with emotion,” he says.
“The songs were inspired not just by The Beatles, The Who and The Kinks, but also had this feeling of coming from an entirely new place and I don’t really know where it is. I feel a bit exposed, talking about it now, but the song that brought me to tears is this one. I’ve heard it again and again because I’m such a fan of The Royle Family, and it moves me. Beyond the swagger is an incredible view of normal British life they seem to tap into.”
Oasis will play at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 4 July. You can view the full list of Oasis Live ‘25 tour dates via their official website.
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