For those who could pry tickets from Ticketmaster’s money-grubbing hands, Oasis are back up and running. The internet exploded into a multitude of memes and Liam Gallagher costumes as soon as the rumours hit social media. The recent announcement of a 2025 UK tour sparked a frenzy among fans, but also revealed a troubling trend of sexism and gatekeeping that unfortunately female fans of rock music are more than accustomed to.
The term ‘Wonderwall warriors’ started to circulate and strangle young fans, female ones in particular, on social media, telling them they weren’t worthy of the tickets and couldn’t possibly know more than one song. It seemed if you weren’t moshing in the 90s and a man, it was impossible to enjoy the music of one of the country’s biggest bands to date, and you can forget seeing them live (what are the two main guys called again, and aren’t they cousins?)
‘Wonderwall warriors’ is a twist on one of Oasis’ biggest hits (“Wonderwall”), and the idea that some people wanted to get tickets simply knowing the one song. While this is a silly phrase that is easy enough to ignore, the sexist and ageist connotations of it make it something worth talking about.
Misogyny is no stranger to female rock fans as for years one of the pillars of the genre was objectifying women through its lyrics. Whilst we can’t go back and change these past attitudes towards women, bred from sexist approaches towards women in society, we can at least change the attitude towards women who see the power in enjoying the genre. Women are often stereotyped as ‘groupies’ or having superficial reasons for listening to certain artists, which some feel is a perfectly valid reason for our opinions to be dismissed and seen as illegitimate – even though this reason is complete fiction without realistic grounds.
Sexism runs deep in the music industry, with 51% of women experiencing discrimination whilst working as a musician (Musicians Union) compared to 6% of men, and the same can be said for fans. Female fans and artists are underrepresented and undervalued in the industry and even when women start to create their own communities, they are discriminated against and face a patriarchal wrath of hatred. It’s important to note that these are just a few examples, and the experiences of female fans can vary widely. However, it’s clear that discrimination against female fans is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
The staggering amount of hate experienced by Taylor Swift’s ‘Swifties’ on social media during her recent Eras Tour is rooted in misogynistic and violent feelings towards women having a safe space in a place that men dominate – there is blatant anger sparked by women taking charge in the industry.
Anais Gallagher, Noel Gallagher’s daughter, spoke out about the issue on TikTok saying, “One thing I won’t stand for is the ageism and the misogyny around people getting tickets.
“Sorry if a 19-year-old girl in a pink cowboy hat wants to be there, I will have my friendship bracelets ready.”
There is something to be said however about wanting real fans of the music to be the one to get tickets. The uproar sparked from many fans’ inability to get tickets to the Oasis 25 tour has made movements in Parliament, with MP’s wanting to crack down on reseller sites that raise the prices to ungodly amounts. According to ITV, tickets for one of the London Wembley shows were going for £5,909 on the site Viagogo (a notorious reseller site). Oasis themselves said in the backlash of this that only face-value tickets purchased from the official sellers, Ticketmaster and Twickets, are valid for the shows and that any others will be cancelled.
This, along with the ‘in-demand’ ticket prices that Ticketmaster decided to spring upon us, is a real reason to get angry about real fans not getting tickets to the shows. This reason is not rooted in misogyny or ageism but instead a shot at ticket seller companies that either do not know how to operate or want to take advantage of people.
I was one of the millions enraged at the prices of tickets on re-sale, as Oasis have been my favourite band since I was a child. I have almost every record, have seen both Liam and Noel separately live and actually set up a bit of an Oasis shrine in my kitchen when the reunion was announced – and the fact I was born four years before they split and was also born a girl has no impact whatever on my ability to be a fan of the band.
Music acts as a community to many, and without community, the industry loses its touch. Gatekeeping (the act of wanting to control/limit access to something) only impacts fan bases negatively, by either discouraging new fans or turning said community toxic. It insults the art and makes it lonely for those who find their people in their interests.
Oasis were, and to many still are, the sound of the North in the 90s and a band for the people. Their music was always going to be passed down like heirlooms from generation to generation for others to enjoy, as good music should be.