Oasis 'sue' over auction of unheard recordings archive

A set of unheard archive Oasis recordings have been pulled from sale after the band filed legal proceedings against a former sound engineer, his son and the auction house.

Earlier this month, Littleton Auctions announced it was selling a set of recordings, comprising 63 live shows, as well as soundchecks and more than 100 hours of rehearsal from brothers and bandmates Noel and Liam Gallagher in the 1990s.

They were collected by the Oasis sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with the band from the release of their debut album Definitely, Maybe in 1994, until 2001.

But the auction house has now confirmed the sale of the recordings has been suspended after the band filed an injunction.

Managing director Ben Homer said: "Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings.

"We are very disappointed that we cannot offer this significant archive as planned."

He added: "We respect the legal process and will make no further comment on the proceedings at this stage."

The recordings were brought to sale by Mr Richard's son Owain Richards, who said: "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.

"We have agreed to postpone the auction [of the tapes] to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way."

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The auction itself will go ahead, selling memorabilia including internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis tour Parka.

The tracks, part of the wider collection dubbed The Desk Tapes, were recorded by Mr Richards, who was the front-of-house sound engineer during the band's mid-1990s peak. He recorded the tapes directly from the desk.

After joining Oasis' crew in 1995, he worked with them on some of their biggest concerts, including the Knebworth dates in August 1996.

When the sale was first announced, Littleton Auctions called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike," but confirmed the band had raised concerns over the sale.

Owain Richards previously said, "I grew up listening to these recordings," confirming he'd been looking after them for the past two decades.

He added that now "feels like the right time to pass them on to people who'll understand exactly what they are".

The Times previously reported that any buyer would not be able to commercialise the archive without the co-operation of the band, as Oasis retain the intellectual property rights.

The Oasis auction will take place online and in person on 3 October.

Sky News has contacted representatives for Oasis for comment.

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