EVERY time I walk into the ornate surrounds of Newcastle's Civic Theatre I'm instantly taken back to a particular moment in time.
It doesn't matter if I'm accompanying my kids to see The Wiggles, reviewing The Rocky Horror Picture Show's opening night for the Newcastle Herald, laughing along to world-class comedians like Jimmy Carr and Jim Jefferies or watching music legends Nick Cave or Missy Higgins deliver emotionally-powerful performances; one concert is top of mind.
The night was Tuesday, October 15, 2002. It was the night English rock giants Oasis played the Civic Theatre.
It's a night I've been naturally reminiscing about this week following the news that after 15 years of bitter animosity, brothers Noel, 57, and Liam, 51, Gallagher are reforming Oasis next year for 14 stadium gigs in the UK and Ireland.
"The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over," the statement read on Oasis' social media channels.
The outpouring of hype and interest in Oasis' reunion (to borrow a Liam-ism), has been "biblical". It's arguably been on par with the hysteria that surrounded the Manchester rockers in the mid '90s when their album (What's The Story) Morning Glory was at its zenith and songs like Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova sound-tracked the era.
Industry experts are predicting the reunion tour could generate in excess of 97 million pounds for each Gallagher and that ticket demand "could dwarf" Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in the UK.
Putting all that into perspective, it's incredible to think Oasis actually played the Civic Theatre in 2002 on the second of their three tours of Australia.
Just months before the show Oasis had played three sold-out consecutive nights at London's Finsbury Park to a combined audience of 150,000.
For the 1700 people who packed into the Civic Theatre that night, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness one of the biggest bands of their generation in an intimate venue.
So why did Oasis play in Newcastle? To answer that question, you need to venture back to 1998 and their disastrous maiden Australian tour. After cancelling a 1996 tour at the height of their popularity, the 1998 Australian dates came at the tail-end of Oasis' run to support their bloated cocaine-fuelled third album Be Here Now.
Even before they touched down in Perth to be mobbed by fans, there was bedlam. A drunken Liam had abused passengers and crew on the flight from Hong Kong and was subsequently banned by Cathay Pacific.
Later in the tour Liam was charged with headbutting an English tourist in Brisbane and the shows were panned by critics.
Noel later described the tour as "an aberration" and their worst of their career. "We weren't in the right place mentally. We were all high and taking a lot of f--king drugs at the time," he said.
So for the 2002 tour in support of their fifth album, Heathen Chemistry, Oasis had a point to prove to their Australian fan base. So in among dates headlining the Livid Festival, Oasis told their national promoter Michael Coppel to book smaller theatre shows in Newcastle and Canberra.
Originally Oasis were set to play ClubNova, now known as Newcastle NEX, but because the venue "could not meet its production requirements" it was transferred to the Civic Theatre.
Oasis fans were desperate to snap up the $65 tickets, which equates to $113 today. Some punters, including University of Newcastle students Nathan Burman and Huw Ollife, queued overnight at the Civic Theatre ticket box office before it opened at 9am.
A month later when the concert rolled around, I found myself smack bang in the middle of the sweaty and heaving mosh pit, surrounded by English backpackers clutching Union Jacks. The crowd sang and chanted "Liam, Liam, Liam". It felt more like a football crowd than any concert I'd experienced before.
In the only time I can remember, the seats of the Civic Theatre were removed for the gig and when Liam swaggered onto the stage for opening salvo of Hello - the opening track of (What's The Story) Morning Glory - the crowd erupted and the floor starting springing like a trampoline.
The 15-song set featured classics like Columbia, Morning Glory, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Acquiesce, next to Heathen Chemistry tracks Stop Crying Your Heart Out, The Hindu Times and Little By Little.
Newcastle Herald's Chad Watson (now Australian Community Media's head of publishing) wrote in his review that: "Liam boasts attitude to burn, and there is no mistaking his rock-star status. Yet regardless of what you think of his past hooligan actions or the band's music, it's nigh impossible to take your eyes off him.
"Despite his notorious nonchalance, he sang his lungs out."
The concert was also a real "who's who" of Newcastle. Members of The Screaming Jets and NRL star Matthew Johns were among the punters in the private box above the stage. Liam even dedicated their most hedonistic song, Cigarettes & Alcohol, to the group.
I subsequently caught another three Oasis shows in Sydney and I've seen both Liam and Noel solo on a further six occasions, but the energy and intimacy of that Newcastle show has never been topped.
Will Oasis ever tour Australia again? Nobody knows the way it's gonna be. But can you imagine Don't Look Back In Anger being belted out at McDonald Jones Stadium? I definitely maybe can.
