This Saturday, Manchester’s two footballing behemoths come to London for the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Manchester United will hope to put paid to Manchester’s City’s hopes of a historic treble.
While the city is divided by football, one of the common unifying factors is a love of Oasis, the band founded by Liam and Noel Gallagher (themselves City fans) who rose to stardom in the 1990s.
During that decade, London was central to their success and their rock-and-roll lives and there are plenty of landmarks to visit for those interested.
For fans coming to London (and good luck with travelling, with the train strikes) most of the places to visit are in north London, particularly Camden. And there is plenty more to do and see, with the area full of pubs and historic venues such as the Dublin Castle, Koko (formerly the Camden Palace) and the O2 Forum Kentish Town, as well as The Water Rats, featured below.
And if you’re interested in other rock landmarks around London, try Hoxton Market for the site of The Verve’s iconic Bittersweet Symphony video or Heddon Street, where the cover photo was shot for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
But for now, until they finally get the old band back together, here are some Oasis landmarks.
1. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Berwick Street in Soho has seen a significant amount of redevelopment but it is still ripe for a reconstruction of the cover of the sleeve art of the second Oasis album. Added to which, the street is home to Selectadisc, Sister Ray and Reckless Records music shops. (Photo by André Langlois/Creation)
2. The Water Rats
The first show of the Definitely Maybe tour is widely seen as a landmark gig for Oasis. They performed on January 27 1994 to a sell-out crowd at The Water Rat’s in King’s Cross, with hundreds reportedly turned away on the door. It is still a brilliant venue, and on FA Cup Final Day it is hosting Shade, presented by This Feeling. (Photo by Google Maps)
3. The Good Mixer
In the early and mid-90s, The Good Mixer in Camden Town was Britpop central. It’s unlikely anyone really knows who met there, who said what to whom and what record deals were signed (and why). But legend has it the Oasis/Blur rivalry started there with Liam meeting Graham Coxon and saying: “Nice music, sh*t clothes.” True? In this case, it doesn’t matter. The venue still welcomes a buzzing mix of locals and musicians in the heart of Camden Town. (Photo by André Langlois)
4. Abbey Road
Clearly it is a Beatles landmark, but Abbey Road Studios was also where recording began for Be Here Now by Oasis. Besides, I doubt many Oasis fans would begrudge a bit of Beatles history. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)