Music / Oasis
Oasis afterparty DJ shares his memories of the Gallaghers
It’s a holy trinity of a weekend for Oasis fans in Bristol, as the band’s former manager and their afterparty DJ unite in one of the first venues the Gallaghers et al ever played.
The clubnight to celebrate the recently-announced Oasis reunion takes place on Saturday – the day tickets for their 2025 tour go on sale.
It’s a special one-off for Propaganda, the guitar music night that has been running weekly in Bristol for over 20 years and every Saturday at The Fleece for the last decade. The venue is one of only 11 that remain of the 34 Oasis played on their first tour, ‘Supersonic’, in 1994.
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Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, aka DJ Dan, set up the clubnight as a student and later became the band’s official aftershow DJ. He’ll be joined on the decks by Alan McGee, the co-founder of Creation Records who discovered Oasis in the early 90s.
McGee said he feared the Gallagher brothers would kill each other before the end of a reunion gig, but DJ Dan could not be happier.
“I was as shocked as I think everyone was about the news. I always hoped it would happen, but thought it never would,” he said.
“They’ve got such a special place in my heart. They were my favourite band as a teenager, and still are now. I’m so excited that they’re coming back.”
Noel in the booth with DJ Dan at the Brit Awards afterparty in 2007
Dan became the band’s go-to DJ after he played at their 2005 Milton Keynes Bowl gig.
“They loved my DJ set and energy so much that I started getting booked for all their after-show parties and special events,” he remembers.
“I did a party after the Brit Awards in 2007 – Oasis had won the Outstanding Contribution to Music award and had a party straight after the ceremony.
“As a DJ, I play predominantly guitar music, and so many of those bands I’d normally play were at the party. So I kept it pretty old school, a lot of 60s music.
“Liam Gallagher himself was the first on the dance floor, which was just so surreal. And Arctic Monkeys had snubbed the actual Brits, but came to this party and were there on the dancefloor.”
Dan said it was “surreal” to be DJing for his favourite band and to see others he loved, like the Arctic Monkeys, on the dancefloor
His dilemma about what to play was solved by the Gallaghers.
“Oasis, and Noel especially, love the Beatles. Noel came into the DJ booth and basically insisted I kept on playing Beatles and Kasabian, back to back,” he told Bristol24/7.
“Normally I try not play tracks by the same band too close together. But when Noel Gallagher is telling you to play the Beatles constantly, you’ve kind of got to constantly play it. He demanded I Saw Her Standing There, then ran onto the dancefloor and danced.
“I was in my early 20s at this point. It was just a dream come true.”
Propaganda is a stalwart of the Bristol scene, running for over 20 years and based at the Fleece for the last decade
Dan founded Propaganda while at university using just £400 of his student loan.
“It’s really special having Alan McGee DJing for us for the first time.,” he says. “He’s got such a great ear for music. I’m sure he will transport us all back to the golden age of Britpop.”
Dan will be playing his usual mix of singalong indie and classic guitar hits, focusing on the Britpop era with plenty of Oasis.
“When I’m DJing, I like to give out a lot of energy, I like to jump around, to show people I’m having a good time. I think it really encourages the crowd to do the same. I just like to get people dancing,” he said.
“I’m hoping we’ll have plenty of happy people who have managed to secure tickets and have come out to party.”
For new music, Dan would recommend Dead Pony and Ellur, a “fantastic” band he saw at this year’s Reading festival. But he’s also hoping the Oasis reunion will inspire a new generation to take up the mantle of the music that he loves.
“There’s some really good new music out there. But it’s been a long time since we’ve had that massive guitar band, at Arctic Monkeys kind of scale. I’m hoping that with Oasis coming back, it will encourage a whole new generation to rediscover guitar music again, and reunite the indie guitar scene.”
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Dan’s hoping the band will ask him to DJ for them again, but is also throwing his hat in the ring for tickets as “I don’t want to risk missing out on such a historical moment.” As for the gigs, he’s sure Oasis will live up to his expectations.
“There’s so much riding on this,” he says.
“I’m sure they’re going to be on top form. It will be such a special energy to have them both on stage again together. That love-hate relationship also plays a part in the Oasis magic – but hopefully there won’t be any bust ups!”
The Propaganda ‘Live Forever’ Oasis celebration runs from 11pm to 4am on Saturday, August 31. Find more information and buy tickets at www.fatsoma.com/e/cbxgto3z/propaganda-live-forever-oasis-reunion-special-ft-alan-mcgee-creation-records-and-oasis-legend
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