‘Listen Up’… Seven rare pieces of Oasis memorabilia are being brought out of storage in Florida to go on display for a limited period at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester, to coincide with the band’s ‘Supersonic’ summer reunion gigs at Heaton Park.

The items - which include a prop from the ‘What’s The Story (Morning Glory)?’ album cover shoot and a shirt once worn by Noel Gallagher - have not been publicly displayed for several years; they have been shipped from Hard Rock Cafe’s famous warehouse in Hollywood, Florida, known as ‘The Vault’, which acts as a repository for the famous brand’s world-renowned and vast collection of rock and roll memorabilia.

The rare Oasis pieces, which will be displayed in a customised flight case, are:

  • Alessi sugar jar used on the inside sleeve artwork of the 1995 Oasis album,  (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? 
  • An eye-catching dragon print shirt worn by Noel Gallagher
  • A Fender acoustic guitar used by Noel Gallagher at Wheeler End Studios throughout the 1990s
  • Noel Gallagher’s handwritten lyrics to both (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now 
  • Oasis poster for their gig at The Filmore, San Francisco in February 1995
  • Hugely collectable Westwood One interview picture disc

Aneta Jarzmik, General Manager at Hard Rock Cafe Manchester, said: “The Oasis Manchester gigs are such a big moment in music that we wanted to celebrate in style; we put in a call to Hard Rock in the States and have managed to secure these amazing iconic items, which haven’t been on show for years.

“This is such a rare opportunity to see them before they go back into The Vault.” The restaurant at Printworks already boasts its very own ‘Wonderwall’ of memorabilia, as well as the song’s lyrics emblazoned along its balcony edge, making it a must-visit for the thousands of Oasis fans heading to Manchester in July.

The wonderwall’s contents include: 

  • Signed setlist – Signed by Oasis, it comes from a performance In Lisbon, Portugal on 17thMay 2000, as part of their Standing on the Shoulder of Giants tour. 
  • White suit– Liam Gallagher wore this two-piece for their 1998 video of ‘All Around the World’.
  • Acoustic guitar– A 1955 Gibson J-45 guitar previously owned by Liam Gallagher. In original condition, this J-45 was purchased by Liam around 2002 from Vintage & Rare Guitars in London. It was used on several demo recordings for the Oasis album ‘Don’t Believe the Truth’ and specifically on the recording of the track ‘The Meaning of Soul’.
  • Signed poster– A promo poster signed by the band for the third studio Oasis album ‘Be Here Now’, released on 21st August 1997. It was an instant commercial success, selling faster than their previous two albums. As of 2008, the album had sold eight million copies worldwide. 

The memorabilia is just part of Hard Rock Cafe Manchester’s celebration of the Oasis gigs; from now until July 20th, guests can buy tickets for a special prize charity raffle, to be in with a chance of winning a limited edition ‘Definitely Maybe’ artwork, handwritten by Microdot Boutique founder Brian Cannon, who oversaw the sleeve artwork for many of the classic Oasis albums, including ‘Definitely Maybe, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’, and Be Here Now. 

Proceeds from the raffle will go to Manchester charity Billy & Andy’s Music School, which runs accessible music workshops for young people with special needs. The restaurant is also the starting point on an exciting new Oasis tour of Manchester from Invisible Cities, which visits iconic city centre spots such as the Free Trade Hall, Microdot, and Afflecks Palace.

What’s more, DJ Rob Fiddaman will be playing all-day Britpop classics on each of the Heaton Park gig dates.