Definitely Mightbe are an Oasis tribute band who formed 18 years ago. They've played over 2000 shows and luckily, whilst they have a lot in common with the real Oasis, a rivalrous relationship between two brothers leading to the band's demise is not one of them!
The band arrive onstage at 8:30 sharp. The crowd is peppered with parkas in true Gallagher fashion as well as a few similarly inspired haircuts. Definitely Mightbe kick off with 'Columbia' as lead singer Ian Alcock strolls onstage in a parka and shades, shaking a tambourine and nonchalantly chewing gum. He certainly looks the part!
The vocals are strong. Ian's voice has certainly held up better than Liam's has in recent years. No painfully falling short of the high notes, Alcock reaches them with apparent ease. Guitarist Paul Mitchell plays the solos with as much effortlessness as Noel, whilst bassist Mike Brooks and drummer Pete Coppard hold the band together with confidence. Technically, from a musical perspective, the band are immaculate.
The tribute band explore Oasis' back catalogue focusing mainly (and unsurprisingly) on the hits from their early years. Definitely Mightbe power through 'Roll With It' and 'Rock n Roll Star', before Alcock boldly asks the audience, amidst cheers, if anyone is feeling supersonic yet? You can probably guess what song came next.
Definitely Mightbe take requests for 'Champagne Supernova' and 'Some Might Say', with the lead singer breaking out the harmonica for the former. The band then calm things down a bit for a few acoustic numbers. Ian leaves the stage as Mitchell takes the lead to lend his soaring and resonant vocals to 'Half the world away'. Alcock then returns to the stage now dressed in a white Adidas hoodie for some more classics such as 'She's Electric', 'Wonderwall' and 'Live Forever', the 'last one for the night', before leaving the stage.
A few people who haven't quite cottoned on head to the exit and just miss the band walking back onstage for their encore, 'Cigarettes and Alcohol'. It's as bold and 'Oasisy' as you could hope for, with Alcock shouting, 'let's have it' at the audience as a mosh pit forms. He then strolls off stage for the final time as the band end the song alone, with Mithchell grinding his screaming guitar down the mic stand in proper rock 'n' roll fashion.
The lights come up. The floor starts to clear ahead of the silent disco starting in an hour.
Overall, if you're an Oasis fan, Definitely Mightbe are certainly worth going to see if they're nearby. Their covers are clean, convincing and a case can even be made for Alcock's voice sounding better than Liam's does these days. They're energetic and don't take themselves too seriously. Give them a go!
I'm sure they'll be back in Oxford in a year or so, keep your eyes peeled!