Oasis blocks planned auction of archive recordings
Oasis blocks planned auction of archive recordings
Roisin O'ConnorWed, September 30, 2026 at 7:53 AM UTC
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The son of Oasis’s former sound engineer Huw Richards claimed the band are suing them (PA Wire)
Oasis have filed an injunction for the planned auction of tapes made by their former sound engineer, including master recordings of concerts and rehearsals.
The Manchester rock band blocked the sale of the archive, which includes 63 concert recordings, more than 100 hours of rehearsals and “unfiltered dialogue” between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, just days before it was set to take place on 3 October.
The collection gathered by the band’s former sound engineer Huw Richards – who was with the band from the release of their 1994 debut Definitely Maybe up until 2001 – was due to be auctioned with a guide price of between £1.2m and £1.6m.
Ben Homer, managing director of Littleton Auctions who were auctioning the lot as part of its Icons and Artefacts sale on 3 October, told The Independent: “Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our 3 October auction in light of legal proceedings. We are very disappointed that we cannot offer this significant archive as planned.
“The rest of the sale is unaffected and will take place as normal. We respect the legal process and will make no further comment on the proceedings at this stage.”
Owain Richards, the son of Huw Richards who was orchestrating the sale, said in a statement: “It is true that Oasis have sued me and my father to try to prevent the auction of the tapes made by my father many years ago.
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“We have agreed to postpone the auction to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way.”
The Independent has contacted Oasis’s representatives for comment.
Mr Homer said the rest of the auction was unaffected and would continue as normal with memorabilia including internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis tour Parka.
Shortly after the auction was announced earlier this month, Littleton Auctions confirmed to The Independent that the band were opposed to the sale, which was “entirely understandable given the scale and significance of the material”.
“We’re handling everything with full transparency and proper legal process,” Mr Homer said at the time. “Our focus is simply on presenting these items responsibly, with verified provenance, and allowing collectors and institutions to engage with an important part of British history.”
The buzz around Oasis is back at fever pitch after the band announced a new tour for 2027, including a return to Knebworth more than 30 years since their historic 1996 shows.
They are also the subject of a new feature documentary from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Don’t Look Back in Anger, which filmed in the lead-up to and during their huge 2025 reunion tour.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
