Oasis audio archive to be auctioned in UK for $2.2 million

An archive of audio recordings of the British rock band Oasis with a total duration of more than 100 hours will be put up for auction in the UK. The initial estimate of the collection is up to £1.6 million ($2.2 million). This was reported on September 7 by The Guardian newspaper. It is noted that the collection includes recordings of concerts, rehearsals, soundchecks and informal conversations of the band members, including brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. The archive was compiled by sound engineer Hugh Richards, who worked with Oasis from the release of their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994 until 2001. The collection includes 209 DAT cassettes, 73 analog cassettes and three MiniDiscs. It is being put up for auction by the son of sound engineer Owen Richards. The Littleton Auctions auction house estimated the value of the collection at 1.2–1.6 million pounds, the auction is scheduled for October 3. "The Oasis camp is aware of the auction and has expressed concern, which is understandable given the scale and significance of the material," said Ben Homer, managing director of the auction house. According to him, the sale is taking place within the framework of established legal procedures, and the origin of the records has been confirmed. He noted that the archive may be of interest to collectors, researchers and music institutions as a document of one of the most important periods in the history of British rock. Among the materials, presumably, is the only surviving recording of the Oasis concert in 1996 on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. The archive also contains recordings of rehearsals, preparations for performances, and conversations between band members and members of the touring team. Richards said that he had previously discussed with Oasis representatives the possibility of transferring recordings to the band. According to him, the negotiations ended without result: the musicians wanted to return the tapes, rather than allow their sale. However, the archive buyer will not be able to freely use the recordings for commercial purposes. The rights to Oasis music and intellectual property are reserved by the band. Interest in the archive has grown amid the Oasis reunion after a 15-year hiatus. The band that became one of the symbols of British rock in the 1990s thanks to the albums (What's the Story) Morning Glory? And Be Here Now, started performing together again after years of conflict between the Gallagher brothers. Oasis leader Noel Gallagher's acoustic guitar was put up for auction in the United States in April. We are talking about the Epiphone EJ-200 guitar signed by the musician, which was used when writing songs for the band's second studio album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. As a result, it was sold for $ 96 thousand. Before the auction, the lot was estimated in the range of $ 60 thousand to $ 80 thousand.