Oasis legal action halts auction of rare 1990s soundboard
Oasis has forced the withdrawal of a major archive of unreleased 1990s recordings from auction after filing a High Court injunction.
Littleton Auctions confirmed the withdrawal of the Oasis Desk Tapes archive from its October 3 sale after the band filed legal action. The auction house's managing director, Ben Homer, stated the lot was pulled on the same day the band sought an injunction in London's High Court.
Ben Homer said: "Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings." The Press Association also reported the withdrawal. The auction of the recordings was suspended.
What the archive contains
The withdrawn lot comprises 63 live shows, soundchecks, and over 100 hours of unrehearsed 1990s recordings of Noel and Liam Gallagher. Described as a set of unheard archive Oasis recordings, the collection was captured directly from the mixing desk by the band's former sound engineer, Huw Richards. The archive includes unfiltered dialogue between the Gallagher brothers.
Background of the collector and engineer
Huw Richards recorded the material during his tenure as Oasis's front-of-house sound engineer from 1995 to 2001, a period covering the release of their debut album Definitely, Maybe through their peak fame. He worked on some of the band's biggest concerts, including the landmark Knebworth shows in August 1996. His son, Owain Richards, brought the collection to sale. When the auction was first announced, Ben Homer noted the Oasis camp was aware of it and had expressed concerns, which he called understandable given the material's scale and significance. Littleton Auctions had described the tapes as "the only master archive of its kind in existence" and a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Legal action and band response
Oasis, alongside Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, and Sony Music Entertainment UK, filed an injunction in London’s High Court on September 29. The claimants are represented by the law firm Bray & Krais. The defendants include Littleton Auctions and Owain Richards. The band had expressed concerns about the auction weeks before taking legal action, asserting they retain intellectual property rights in the recordings. Owain Richards acknowledged the suit, stating, 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.
Sale proceeds without the tapes
While the Desk Tapes were withdrawn, the rest of Littleton Auctions' Icons and Artefacts sale will proceed as scheduled on October 3. The auction house, located in Middle Littleton near Evesham, Worcestershire, confirmed the band did not support the sale when it was first announced. Ben Homer added that the remainder of the sale is unaffected and will take place as normal.
The items still listed include:
Homer expressed disappointment at not being able to offer the archive as planned but said the auction house respects the legal process and will make no further comment. Owain Richards stated that they have agreed to postpone the auction of the tapes to enable the legal dispute to be resolved. The remainder of the Littleton Auctions Icons and Artefacts sale will go ahead as planned on October 3, featuring other Oasis-related memorabilia.
