On This Day - June 14 1997 – Be Here Now World Tour Begins

The first live test of Oasis’s forthcoming third album took place not in Britain but in sunny Southern California. On 14 June 1997 the band headlined the KROQ Weenie Roast & Luau at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, an annual festival hosted by Los Angeles radio station KROQ. Setlist compilers note that this gig was the “first show of the tour”, marking the starting line for the Be Here Now world tour months before the album’s release.

The day’s bill was a who’s‑who of mid‑90s alternative rock. Variety’s review listed the line‑up as combining “the most popular Brit‑pop bands (Oasis, Blur, Radiohead), a few veteran acts (Social Distortion, the Offspring, a reunited Echo & the Bunnymen, the first L.A. show by the Cure in more than four years), a number of up‑and‑coming groups (Third Eye Blind, Chemical Brothers, Reel Big Fish) and a few station favorites like the Foo Fighters”. For American audiences it was a rare chance to see Oasis alongside their Britpop rivals Blur on U.S. soil. The festival format meant that most acts were limited to short sets, and the crowd’s mood fluctuated between enthusiasm and apathy.

The performance itself was memorable for reasons beyond the music. Variety criticised several bands for failing to engage the audience and described Oasis’s appearance as a “snide set”. Liam Gallagher, unused to a crowd less rapturous than the Knebworth throngs, reportedly stared defiantly at unimpressed faces. Only when Noel sang “Don’t Look Back in Anger” did the band connect with concert‑goers, and the brothers shared a brief embrace at the song’s end. Despite the mixed reception, the show served its purpose: it signalled that Oasis were back on the road and previewed the sonic onslaught that would characterise the Be Here Now era.

Oasis at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, 14 Jun 1997 | Setlist

Starting the world tour at a U.S. radio festival was an unusual choice but reflected Oasis’s ambition to crack the American market. With the album still under wraps, the set leaned heavily on familiar hits, but the very act of returning to the stage generated headlines. From Irvine the tour would extend across Europe, Asia and the Americas, encompassing huge outdoor shows and stadium dates. The June 14 opener therefore stands as a pivot point between studio isolation and global promotion—a night when Oasis stepped back into the spotlight, ready to unleash their most hyped record and to face audiences who would decide whether the hype was justified.

LA Times Review from 1997 Here