A bit of backstory for this month’s ‘Little Thoughts’. I’ve always been a massive Oasis fan, despite being very young during their meteoric rise. For my eighth birthday, I asked for Don’t Look Back in Anger on cassette – as well as Country House by Blur. My dad, rightly or wrongly, told me I could only choose one (thanks to their infamous rivalry). I went with Oasis, and that was it. The die was cast.
That decision shaped my music taste throughout my childhood, teenage years and into adulthood. Then, at 21, my dream came true: I got tickets to see Oasis live at Wembley. But I made a decision I’ve regretted ever since. I went out drinking the night before, woke up with the worst hangover of my life, and couldn’t even get out of bed. I missed the gig.
I remember thinking, it’s fine, there’ll be another chance. But just six weeks later, Oasis split. I was devastated.
Waiting for the reunion
In the years that followed, I held onto the hope that they’d reunite. That maybe, just maybe, I’d get another shot and finally cross it off my bucket list. But time went on, and the animosity between Liam and Noel only seemed to deepen. Eventually, I accepted that it probably wasn’t going to happen, and that this would be one of those things I’d just have to live with.
I’d always said, though: If they ever get back together, I’ll pay whatever it takes to go.
Fast forward 16 years. After countless rumours, broken dreams, solo Liam and Noel gigs and an impromptu yet enjoyable ‘Noasis’ gig… Oasis announced they were getting back together. This was it. The moment I’d waited for. Surely this time I’d be there.
But it wasn’t that simple.
The ticket battle
I sat on Ticketmaster for seven hours – on my phone, laptop and iPad, refreshing endlessly. And I still didn’t get tickets. I felt heartbroken. Then came the salt in the wound: opening Instagram and seeing people celebrating their success while I was left empty-handed. It hurt more than I expected.
There was one final option: resale. But the prices were high. Really high.
And this time around, life looked different. I was now 37. I had a daughter, around 18 months old, and a baby boy on the way. The idea of spending that sort of money on a gig felt harder to justify. The money could go towards more ‘sensible’ things. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford it – I could, just about – but it felt uncomfortable.
I wrestled with it. Was this selfish? Was it irresponsible?
The decision
Eventually, a ticket came my way for a sizeable sum. I went back and forth. Do I finally tick off this huge bucket list item, or walk away and do the ‘sensible’ thing?
In the end, I reminded myself: I’d already lived with the regret of missing out once before. I couldn’t face it again. I realised I’d be far more likely to regret not going than I would spending the money. I decided I’d find a way to make it work, even if it meant a bit of future jiggery-pokery with the budget.
And that decision turned out to be exactly right.
The experience
As the gig approached, I reconnected with Oasis’ music in a way I hadn’t in years. The songs reminded me of childhood and teenage memories, moments of joy and nostalgia. Then, as the tour kicked off and people started sharing their own experiences, I didn’t feel bitter or jealous. I felt pure excitement. I knew what was coming.
And finally, on Saturday 2nd August, I stood in the centre of Wembley Stadium, wearing a bucket hat and belting out Oasis classics with 100,000+ other people. It was two hours of sheer euphoria. Liam. Noel. The crowd. The music. It was, without doubt, one of the best days of my life.
And in that moment, and ever since, the cost never crossed my mind.
The message
That brings me to the message I want to share with you:
There will always be reasons not to do something. Especially when life feels full: kids, responsibilities, work, finances, and everything else. But if something is truly important to you, if it sits high on your bucket list, and if you can afford it without putting yourself or your future at risk, do it.
You won’t remember the cost. But you will remember the experience, the feeling, the memory that stays with you. Life isn’t just about balance sheets and bank accounts. It’s about the moments that make us feel alive.
So, excuse the pun, but when it comes to those bucket list items, don’t let them slide away, and don’t look back in anger.
At Emery Little, we help people plan not just for financial security, but for the life they want to live. Sometimes that means making room in your budget for the things that truly matter to you. If you’d like to understand more about how we approach financial planning or discuss how to balance today’s dreams with tomorrow’s security, please get in touch.
