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8. What the World is Waiting For Mar 16, 2026

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As Tony Wilson once told Newsweek Magazine in 1990 - "If there is any idea at all, it is about community and collective strength. There is power in people being lovely to each other."

It might be more than 30 years ago but today, Madchester both made its mark and left its mark. Madchester did more than just transform the music of its own city – it rewrote the rule book on how a movement could emerge, free of music industry controls, and produce the sort of bands, DJs and records that labels could never create. It brought dance culture to the masses and laid the foundation for Britpop.

In this final episode of the The Rise and Fall of Madchester, presenters Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell share their take on what it stood for, who it influenced, the changes it brought about and the legacy that still lives on, featuring archive interviews with Tony Wilson, Mani, Shaun Ryder and Noel Gallagher.

“The Rise & Fall of Madchester’ is a BBC Audio Production for BBC Sounds. It was presented by Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell. It was produced in Salford by Catherine Earlam. The Editor for BBC Audio was Helen Hobday. It written by Philip Smith, Catherine Earlam and Steve Lamacq. Technical Production by Philip Smith. The Commissioner was Will Wilkin, and the Commissioning Producer was Hannah Clapham.

The producers wish to thank all the contributors and archive interviewers and interviewees.

7. Regret Mar 16, 2026

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In 1995, after five years of court cases, silence and mounting expectation, The Stone Roses are finally back. The Second Coming has been released, and a Glastonbury headline slot awaits. Then on a rare day off in America, guitarist John Squire falls from his bike and breaks his collarbone. The momentum snaps.

Meanwhile, Britpop storms the charts. Blur and Suede set the tone and Oasis inherit Manchester’s swagger and carry it into a different decade. Then, on 15 June 1996, a bomb detonates in Manchester city centre. The physical damage is vast. The city rebuilds quickly, shinier and safer, the rough edges that once nurtured experimentation begin to disappear.

By the time The Stone Roses limp onto the stage at Reading Festival in August 1996, expectation outweighs belief and the performance falters. Within months, the band are finished. The Happy Mondays have already collapsed under the weight of addiction and excess. Factory Records is gone. The Hacienda is fading. The party is over.

Episode 7 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester charts the slow unravelling of a movement that once felt unstoppable. This is the story of how Madchester dissolved and how the city it transformed, moved on without it.

A BBC Audio Production.

8. Live Forever? Jul 05, 2024

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With both Liam and Noel having successful solo careers, and a new generation of fans discovering Oasis, there is endless talk of the band getting back together. And whilst they seem to have been staying out of each other’s way, the constant jibing has moved to social media. We look at what the band means to a new generation of fans, and if they ever will just give each other a call?

The Rise and Fall of Oasis was presented by Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq. It was written by Paul Sheehan and Philip Smith. Technical production by Tim Heffer and Sarah Hockley with additional production by Berni Botto, Anna Richards and Merrily Grout. The Editor for BBC Audio was Helen Hobday, the commissioning producer was Hannah Clapham and the Commissioner for BBC Sounds was Will Wilkin. It was produced for BBC Audio by Philip Smith and Paul Sheehan.

Archive comes from - The Brits, Channel 4, ITV, MTV, CBC Radio, 9News, Sky One Productions, OasisMediaArchive and the BBC Archive.

The producers wish to thank all the contributors and archive interviewers and interviewees including: Matt Everitt, Dermot O'Leary, Ben Walker, Christine Boar, Anna Richards, Zane Lowe, Mark Radcliffe, John Wilson, Paul Kobrak, Mista Jam, John Harris, Felix White, Stephen Sackur, Hannah Farrell, Jolie MacKereth, Elizabeth Alker, Mark Goodier, Shaun Keaveny, Tony Visconti, Brian Cannon and Lisa Moorish.

7. Fade Away: A Plum In Paris Jul 05, 2024

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Oasis during the 2000s dutifully continue to play the hits to a committed and enthusiastic audience. However, when the final show does eventually come, it’s a largely unsatisfying end for a band that always seemed stronger than the rest. Oasis. Killed, by a plum. In a portacabin. In Paris.

6. Where Did It All Go Wrong? The Death Of A Party Jul 05, 2024

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As the millennium approaches, Oasis are no longer sound tracking a generation. They are flat and limping along; trying, in vain, to find their place in a shifting musical environment. Noel chooses this period to get clean but he, and Liam, have divorces pending. Bonehead and Guigsy leave the group, and the band release ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ - their comedown album. Add to this, their “worst gig ever” live at Wembley stadium and a fight in Barcelona that will fundamentally alter the brother’s relationship. And we look at how the tabloid demand for the band lead to cases of phone hacking and leaks within the camp.

5. Be Here Now: Blair, Blur And a Backlash Jul 05, 2024

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In the lead up to the release of Be Here Now, Oasis tabloid mania is at fever pitch, but what should be the crowning glory of their career is slowly unravelling. The band faced a series of challenges, many of their own causing, and the album is released to massive fanfare... and industry paranoia. We learn about the chaos that followed the group at the time, the backlash that came after the release of Be Here Now, the Australian tour affair that almost resulted in a major diplomatic incident and how Noel’s visit to number 10 changed everything.

4. Champagne Supernova? The Missing Gallagher Jul 05, 2024

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Oasis are Massive. Earls Court, Knebworth and actual success in America. But with that comes arrogance, defiance and a fight so ferocious that the band appear to have finally split up. We cover the chaotic month that sees the band play Knebworth, have a meltdown live on MTV, and a US tour that starts without one brother, and ends without the other. Utter chaos, and pure drama at the very peak of their powers. Post Knebworth, Oasis really didn’t know what to do next, and as they lurch from one drama to another, the British tabloids have made them a front page priority.

3. Morning Glory: And a Cricket Bat Jul 05, 2024

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With a number 1 single under their belts, the band headline Glastonbury on Boneheads’ 30th Birthday, welcome a new drummer and release the era defining album - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? But this episode is not without drama - a studio fight almost derails the Oasis express and the Blur Vs Oasis rivalry reaches a nadir.

2. Talk Tonight: A Riot In Newcastle Jul 05, 2024

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It's 1994 and Oasis’s constant touring is underscoring their reputation as rock 'n' roll hellraisers, a reputation which comes to the fore at a gig in Newcastle just days before the release of their debut album. Then, just a few weeks later, the hottest new band in the UK are in a mess in America. Their first US tour is a shambles. Frustrated at blowing their big chance, Noel Gallagher walks out of the band, flying off to Las Vegas. He returns after a week, with a new vision for Oasis, and with a set of clear objectives. Episode 2 looks at the live reputation that the band was starting to form, where an Oasis gig would either be biblical or diabolical, and how that debut American tour helped bring a new focus to Noel’s leadership.

1. Bring It On Down: The Fight On The Ferry Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

Oasis is Liam Gallagher’s band, and after their first gig at the Manchester Boardwalk he asks his brother, Noel, to be their manager. Noel instead suggests joining as songwriter. Episode 1 focuses on the exciting and breathless start of the band - new experiences and new dynamics. Yet turbulence, chaos and confusion is never far away with Oasis... as a disastrous trip to Amsterdam proves.

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