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An extraordinary private archive of early Oasis audio—dubbed "The Desk Tapes" and valued between £1.2 million and £1.6 million—has been formally pulled from auction following high-stakes legal action launched by Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, and Sony Music UK.
The collection was assembled by former Oasis front-of-house sound engineer Huw Richards between 1994 and 2001. Captured directly from the mixing console rather than via audience microphones, the archive represents the cleanest surviving soundboard audio of the Britpop titans at the height of their initial run.
The Core Archive: 63 Live Shows and 100+ Hours of Audio
Consigned by Richards' son, Owain Richards, to Worcestershire-based Littleton Auctions, the archive contains over 100 hours of unreleased material that covers the group's most critical era:
- 63 Complete Soundboard Concerts: The lot includes complete board feeds from iconic mid-90s dates, featuring the only known surviving audio recording of the band's legendary August 1996 performance at Loch Lomond, Scotland.
- Rehearsal Sessions and Soundchecks: Over 100 hours of tapes capture candid, unreleased rehearsal takes, pre-show soundchecks, and backstage chatter between the Gallagher brothers during their famously volatile early years.
- The Soundboard Quality Advantage: Unlike bootlegs recorded on handheld equipment, soundboard feeds deliver multi-track or direct stereo mixes straight from the sound engineer's desk—making them prime source material for official live albums, box sets, or documentaries.
Legal Action Blocks October Auction
The tapes were slated to anchor Littleton Auctions' Music & Memorabilia sale on October 3, 2026, alongside band-played Epiphone guitars, original setlists, and stage-worn tour apparel.
However, days before the bidding was set to open, the band filed a federal injunction and copyright lawsuit against Huw and Owain Richards, forcing the immediate withdrawal of the physical tapes.
"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," Owain Richards stated regarding the filing. "We have agreed to postpone the auction of the recordings to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way."
Littleton Auctions confirmed that while "The Desk Tapes" lot has been formally withdrawn due to pending litigation, the physical memorabilia items—including original tour itineraries and stage gear—will proceed under the hammer as scheduled.
The case marks a major legal stance by Oasis as they protect their archival IP following their record-breaking 2025 reunion run and ahead of their upcoming Oasis Live '27 international stadium tour.
