The Great Oasis Reunion Gig of 2029 - Definitely Fiction
Paul Carroll
Makes Woodstock ’99 and Fyre Festival look like Sunday school outings.
When Oasis reform for a one-off gig on a wind turbine eco-island in the middle of the North Sea, it’s billed as the greenest live music event of all time.
The stakes are high for all involved, but it turns out some of the festivalgoers have bigger personal problems to deal with than the survival of the planet.
Rachel, for one, on a trial break from her husband. The gang of four middle-aged Manc mates trying to re-capture their youth. Not to mention a bunch of activists who plan to disrupt the gig.
Can such an ambitious event live up to the hype? (And has anybody checked the weather forecast?)
Pack your parka, grab your solar charger and get ready to party like it’s the end of the world.
The perfect read to accompany this summer’s Oasis reunion tour, Be Here Now is a wicked send-up of today’s over-hyped music festivals, the rock music business, fan rip-offs, sponsorship and greenwashing.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
For middle aged fans of open air festivals, and of course, Oasis gigs. It would be a good book to pass the hours on a beach while on vacation. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
The year is 2029. After a few false starts, the band Oasis is finally reuniting for one gig only: on Holm Island - the British eco-island powered by wind and refuse. Tickets are at a premium - only the richest or most dedicated Oasis fans can afford to spend the weekend camping in eco-pods and participating in Oasis themed activities before the show on the last night.
Meet the players: Rachel, a competition winner. She isn't that keen on Oasis, but after winning tickets in a competion, she's taking a friend while she works out while she works out what to do about her marriage. Dave, and his buddies, JJ, Ent and Stoggy. Long-time Oasis fans from Manchester. Two of them hell-bent on reliving their wild glory days on the island; two of them wondering why they bought the others. Dave fancies Rachel. Amanda, the Governent minister for pulling the show together, and more concerned about optics and getting the recognition for doing so than actually being there. Salt, Ross, and Martin - the promoter, the logistics engineer, and the "Genie of Making things Happen" Eclipse, the government-sponsored eco warrior overseeing the green credentials of the event. And Bryan, Cody and Bob, the anti-green, anti-woke campaigners determined to put a stop to the concert.
This books starts off slow, as all the pieces move into place, but the shit really hits the fan as we get closer to the concert and the climax of both the weekend and the book.
This was a really fun read that taps into the zeitgeist of eco tourism at it's capitalist, excessive height. I did NOT see the end coming.
~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~
Paul Carroll invites you to step inside the eye of your mind and Be here now, the now being 2029 and the here an Oasis reunion on an eco-Island off the windswept coast of England. Uncannily Paul started the novel before the 2025 Oasis tour, a put-aside-our-differences so we can top up our pension fund extravaganza was announced by the Gallagher brothers. The publication of this one therefore hits a sweet spot in terms of being a relevant summer read, coinciding as it will with the tour. And if you, like anybody born pretty much outside the period 1960-1980, think Oasis are an irrelevant load of shite, think again - this one definitely isn’t just for aging fans of the obnoxious Gallaghers - the readership scope for this great entertaining all-round read shouldn’t be limited to a couple of Ethiad-stadium’s worth of diehard (and dying out) fans. The themes herein, satirically tackled without too much of a bitter edge, resonate with the times we live in, with Paul’s ironic digs at political correctness / wokeism, greenwashing, corporate hypocrisy and the unholy public/private partnership of corporatism with political clientelism. Oasis, their entourage and the vermin that feed off them are just the vehicle to article these themes.
As he does in his other novels Paul exposes the profiteering and greed at the heart of the industry in the spotlight, in this case the music and concert promotion business. While light and humorous in mood, as an industry exposé there is at the same time a serious and hard look at the underbelly of the music promotion industry as well as a warning on the dangers of unchecked greenwashing when married in convenience to a commercialism facilitated by lax regulation on sustainability claims and credentials.
The cast of characters is wide and interesting without being overly deep; we meet a nice mixture of the naïve with the nefarious, the devious with the desperate. The central theme evolves well and flows throughout, that of nostalgia for a past and lost youth that not only cannot be re-created whatever money you throw at it, but which may never have existed at all or at best be misremembered. Additionally, Paul subtly warns of the dangers of projecting the values we hold today back onto a time in the past when different values prevailed.
The reader her or himself can decide if this is homage, admiration or mockery towards Oasis and their blatant Stones-type grab at retirement riches; or if it’s just a cynical lashing out at the crass commercial circus that surrounds a loved band’s longed-for reunion much as a swarm of flies descends on a pile of dung. Spoilers alert, and on the subject of dung, with the Oasis reunion tour about to kick off less than a couple of months shy of time of writing this review, even the most ardent Blur fan of the 1990’s wouldn’t wish the commupance from the hilarious climax of this one on Noel and Liam’s reunion.
It's 2029 and Oasis are about to reform for a one off gig that nobody wants to miss. Set to be the greenest live event ever, the gig will take place on a wind turbine eco-island out in the North Sea. Rachel is on a break from her husband, looking to find herself. Dave is hoping to relive his youth with his three high school friends. Bryan has an entirely different plan in mind. Can such an ambitious concert go off without a hitch? Or have the organisers bitten off more than they can chew?
This book caught my eye on NetGalley because I've got tickets to see Oasis in Melbourne later this year, and what better way to help build excitement (as if I need any help!) I must admit, I considered giving up after the first few chapters because I found it hard to get into and wasn't really gelling with the characters. I decided to give it a bit longer though and found myself enjoying it more as things moved on.
Characterwise in this one my favourites were the festival organisers. I found them to be the most entertaining, and a brilliant characature of the money hungry live entertainment industry. The rest of the characters were OK, but nothing out of the ordinary in my eyes. Maybe this is the tone Carroll was going for, but I found them to be very mundane (particularly Rachel, Dave and their friends).
The setting was great. It definitely did take me back to the festival days of my youth, which is a wealth of memories in itself. There's a certain something about music festivals that you either love or hate, there's no middle ground. Carroll has definitely encapsulated a lot of the festival bingo card as it were that nearly everyone who spent time in those environments would have experienced along the way - good, bad and ugly.
There's some highly entertaining moments throughout this one, but also aspects that I found a bit slow going. Overall I enjoyed the read though, and am likely to check out some of Carroll's back catalogue next time I want something light and humorous to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and DreamEngine Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Be Here Now is a worthy addition to any summer beach read and any fan of Oasis. Let's see, I was given a copy from DreamEngine Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is within a yard's stretch of four stars. Paul Carroll could be Ben Elton or any similar author who can create a complete book with relatable characters, charming foibles, and small, relatable goals. I feel the story was a little messy. Let's get to that.
We have four Mancunian men aiming to relive their youth through Oasis. Two are okay, two are born-again losers. They're middle-aged, putting much of their youth and nostalgia into this gig. We also have two women going through a midlife crisis. They won a VIP pass and want this gig to leave a lasting impression. We then have top brass and a government minister, who organise this green-powered Oasis gig to showcase Britain's green credentials. Finally, we have eco/populist terrorists looking to upset this multimillion-pound one-off gig on an island off the North Sea.
Was it readable? Absolutely! Was it intelligent to wield all the chapters around an Oasis track? Absolutely! Was the story credible? Not particularly. Did I stay until the gig took place? For sure. Would I read another of Carroll's book? Definitely, maybe.
This was meant to be the festival of all festivals. Oasis playing a reunion gig on a wind turbine eco island. However, while the stakes are high for those involved and problem solving is up there amongst other things, the festival goers have their own problems. Rachel is there with her friend Justine as she is on a trial break from her husband. He loves Oasis but she took the opportunity whilst he stayed at home with their son. Then you have the 4 Mancs school friends who are trying to turn back time and regain their youth. Throw in some activists who want to disrupt the gig and a government minister for good measure. Will this gig be able to live up to the hype and expectations? You will need to read it to see.
Ok with the hype over the Oasis reunion gigs I was excited for this book. It did have some funny parts but also it had a serious side as well as an eco message. The characters were not really likeable, apart from Justine as they were all quite selfish in my opinion. This was a slow starter for me and whilst I get the government minister had a major part I just feel like she wasn’t needed as a character. Maybe I’m wrong though as reading is subjective. I didn’t like all of the book but some parts were good so 3.5 stars for this one.
I grew up listening to Oasis, so for me, this appealed straight away, and it certainly did not disappoint.
I'm sure you won't look back in anger once you've read this so step inside the eye of your mind, and get ready for Be Here Now.
Will you enjoy it? I'd say definitely, maybe.
It's 2029 and Oasis are reuniting for an eco-gig on a wind turbine island off the coast of England.
Rachel is going, who's on a trial break from her husband, Dave is looking forward to reliving his youth with three old friends, but Bryan's plan is different altogether.
Will all go to plan? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.
So all in all, for me, this was just great nostalgia, and would be the perfect holiday read.
The author has captured the music festival feel just perfectly, and there's lots of fun and entertaining moments throughout the read.
I will say though, it was a little slow to start, but soon picked up the pace and bobbed along nicely from then on.
The characters were believable and felt real, but for me, could maybe use a little more fleshing out.
Paul Carroll’s Be Here Now is a sharp and funny satire that imagines an Oasis reunion gig on a wind-powered eco-island in 2029. It’s a clever premise, but the real strength lies in how Carroll explores the people drawn to this bizarre event—from middle-aged fans chasing nostalgia to activists out to expose the whole thing.
The humour is dry and smart, and while the story pokes fun at greenwashing and corporate nonsense, it also finds real warmth in its characters. Carroll balances satire with sincerity, making this more than just a spoof—it’s also a reflection on growing older, chasing meaning, and letting go of the past.
A smart, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest, unbiased review.
An amusing look at what could have happened if Oasis reunited for a gig in 2029. Cleverly written with a different spin. This is imagined as a one-off concert 'festival' on an oil rig in the North Sea. What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything. I imagine that Paul Carroll started writing this before Oasis announced their reunion. However, as this is a different spin on the reformation it really doesn't matter. For an easy and light-hearted read for the summer give this a go!
As a huge Oasis fan, I was really looking forward to Be Here Now by Paul Carroll. The concept of blending real life with the possibility of the band reforming sounded brilliant on paper. Unfortunately, the execution fell completely flat.
The book spends so much time setting things up that the supposed “premise” never really lands. The band never actually comes back—and while I think that was supposed to be the point, it just felt frustrating and unsatisfying. I kept reading, hoping for more, but the ending left me cold.
The characters were vague, unlikeable, and hard to connect with. The storyline itself was both ridiculous and, somehow, still dull. It honestly felt like the Oasis name was tacked on to attract fans like me; the same plot could have used any band, real or made-up, without changing a thing.
Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this at all. As an Oasis fan, I came in with excitement, but left disappointed
The Great Oasis Reunion Gig of 2029 - Definitely Fiction Makes Woodstock ’99 and Fyre Festival look like Sunday school outings When Oasis reform for a one-off gig on a wind turbine eco-island in the middle of the North Sea, it’s billed as the greenest live music event of all time. The stakes are high for all involved, but it turns out some of the festivalgoers have bigger personal problems to deal with than the survival of the planet. Rachel, for one, on a trial break from her husband. The gang of four middle-aged Manc mates trying to re-capture their youth. Not to mention a bunch of activists who plan to disrupt the gig. Can such an ambitious event live up to the hype? (And has anybody checked the weather forecast?) Pack your parka, grab your solar charger and get ready to party like it’s the end of the world. The perfect read to accompany this summer’s Oasis comeback tour, Be Here Now is a wicked send-up of today’s over-hyped music festivals, corporate rock, fan rip-offs, sponsorship and greenwashing. 💚 Review - I hadn't heard of the author before but I will definitely be reading more by them. I found the novel easy to follow and I loved the author's writing style. Growing up in the 90s with older siblings who were Oasis fans, I knew that I had to read it. It's the perfect summer read. I can't recommend this book enough. I look forward to reading more by the author. 💙 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Did I absolutely love Oasis - hmm, maybe not so much - but you cannot deny that they definitely made an impact on the Manchester music scene - which I was absolutely all there for!
Growing up in Manchester in the 80's/90's this book brought back so many amazing memories of my youth/early adulthood and I honestly got quite emotional reading this at times.
It had me laughing and crying in equal measure.
We head off to a remote eco-island where Oasis have planned their reformation come-back concert and it's going to be the best, greenest gig ever seen - or is it!?
Although this is set in 2029, there was so much here that we could relate to.
Having been to many, many concerts, I've never done the festival scene and this book pretty much convinced me that I've been right for all these years.
All the things I dread and worse are contained within these pages!
The diverse mix of characters was brilliant and it was great to follow them all through the events.
Not so easy to connect with, but I don't think that this was meant to be that kind of a read.
They all had their own personalities and the narrative was packed with humour throughout.
This made the perfect summer read for those of us who maybe don't love beach holidays but prefer to head off to the music festivals instead.....or in my case, into the sunny back garden with a playlist or two!