Oasis fans surprised by the origin of the band's name

Oasis fans are eagerly awaiting next year, as those lucky enough to secure tickets for the band's reunion concerts are marking off the days. The group, formed in 1991, rose to stardom just two years later with their debut album Definitely Maybe.

Despite splitting up in 2009, it appears that brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have finally buried the hatchet and are preparing to tour together as Oasis for the first time since 2009. The story of how Oasis got their name is tied to a lesser-known Madchester band (a term referring to the music and cultural scene in Manchester in the late 1980s) that enjoyed its own measure of success.

It seems that Oasis may owe their name to an Inspiral Carpets tour poster – a band that Noel Gallagher was part of before teaming up with his brother Liam. Noel, who served as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, found inspiration for the name after being dismissed by the Saturn 5 hitmakers.

A tweet from Twitter/X shed light on the band's naming history, stating: "Before joining his brother Liam's band, Noel Gallagher was a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets. An Inspiral Carpets gig at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon was an inspiration for their name..." This revelation has left many Oasis fans wondering what might have been if Noel hadn't been "fired" by Inspiral Carpets.

Oasis enthusiasts have been reflecting on the intriguing turns of fate that influenced the band's trajectory, with fans speculating over a range of 'what ifs'. One fan wrote: "Oasis' fate is so weird. What if Liam and Noel never saw The [Stone] Roses, what if Noel didn't get fired from the Inspiral Carpets, what if Liam didn't get hit with the hammer, what if Alan McGee wasn't there, what if they never played at King Tuts," reports the Irish Mirror.

Others are bewildered by the curious fact that Noel Gallagher once aimed to be the lead vocalist for Inspiral Carpets in 1988 but instead joined their crew.

This detail is one of many shared by The Oasis Timeline Project, which also states Noel was part of Inspiral Carpets' road crew during their 1989 tour. Adding his own insight, Liam Gallagher has divulged how the name "Oasis" came about, attributing it to a poster in his bedroom related to Inspiral Carpets.

In a resurrected TikTok video, he explained: "There was a poster in our room with the Inspiral Carpets. It certainly wasn't about Swindon Oasis it was like - you know there was a kebab shop called Oasis, a f****** taxi rank called Oasis, that f****** name keeps coming up. Oasis."

In addition, the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon appears to have made an impression on the Manchester music scene — Shaun Ryder and Happy Mondays' early track Oasis is believed to reference this renowned spot.