Battle Of Britpop

The Battle Of Britpop was the defining moment of a musical movement in the UK in August of 1995 between the two bands Blur & Oasis. Oasis were seen to be taken as representing the North of England with “Roll With It”, while Blur represented the South with “Country House”. By some it was billed as the greatest pop rivalry since the Beatles and the Rolling Stones during the 1960’s. Professional tribute band Britpop Reunion celebrate this moment in musical history during our festival performances. You too can have this classic Britpop Battle as the theme of your 90’s School, College or University Reunion. Contact band leader Andy Starkey for price and availability of Britpop Reunion for your next live event. 

Battle of Britpop
Battle of Britpop

What songs were in The Battle Of Britpop?

Country House‘ by Blur and ‘Roll With It‘ by Oasis were released on Monday 14th August 1995 and had 6 days to out sell each other with as many copies as possible before the results were released on Sunday 20th August 1995.

 

 

What albums were The Battle Of Britpop songs from?

Each single was part of the promotional push for their respective albums, “The Great Escape” by Blur and “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” by Oasis. The press jumped on the “Coincidence” of the simultaneous releases and spun it into a competition, with the the general public encouraged to vote for their favourite band by buying the according single. The hype surrounding The Battle Of Britpop fuelled a media frenzy and the public was swept up in the excitement too. The NME celebrated this on their 12th August 1995 front cover stating “Blur Vs Oasis” and there was even an article on BBC News about it too.

To start with there wasn’t going to be a Battle Of Britpop at all as Blur were originally set to release ‘Country House’ a few weeks after ‘Roll With It’ was set for release. Then there are two different tales of what occurred next:

  1. Apparently the competitive streak of Damon Albarn had gotten the better of him when Liam Gallagher was larging it up to him about how ‘Some Might Say’ had reached number one in the charts. Blur had never had a number one single before so Damon convinced Food Records to move the release of Country House forward to coincide with the same date as Roll With It to get his own back on The Gallagher Brothers.
  2. Some of Oasis went to The Good Mixer pub in Camden (Where Blur used to hang out and Bonehead from Oasis started to play “Lazy Sunday Afternoon” by The Small Faces on a piano in there. But they changed the lyrics from “Wouldn’t it be nice, to get on with me neighbours” to “Wouldn’t it be nice, to be a f*cking cockney” just to annoy Blur. Again spurring on Damon to push for an earlier release. 

How many copies were sold of each single for Blur Vs Oasis?

Country House outsold Roll With It with 274,000 copies verses 216,000 copies, so a 58,000 difference in sales. And so Country House went to number one in the UK charts and Roll With It went to the number two position. It’s worth pointing out that Blur released a 2 CD single version whereas Oasis only released one which may have helped them secure the number one slot. It is often noted that “Blur won the battle, but Oasis won the war” regarding sales of the albums the singles were promoting and then the number of albums released afterwards in forthcoming years.

Britpop Battle
Britpop Battle

The “Battle of Britpop” was a turning point for both Oasis and Blur, as well as for the genre as a whole. For Oasis, it marked their continuing breakthrough into the mainstream and the beginning of their reign as one of the biggest bands in the world. For Blur, it marked an extension of the sound from their previous album Parklife and solidified their place as one of the leading lights of the Britpop movement. The Battle of Britpop also helped to bring Britpop and indie guitar pop to the forefront of popular culture with bands like Pulp and Supergrass. With the media giving the genre a level of exposure that it had never received before.

What has happened since the britpop battle?

In the years since The Britpop Battle, both Oasis and Blur have continued to release music and tour, solidifying their place in the annals of music history. The influence of Britpop can still be felt in the music of today, with many current artists citing Oasis and Blur as major influences. The Battle of Britpop remains one of the defining moments in nineties music, a testament to the strength of the music and the cultural impact of the Britpop movement. So much so that band leader Andy Starkey created Britpop tribute band Britpop Reunion in 2015. Contact to hire a britpop band for a live event. It’s hard to believe that 2025 will be the thirtieth anniversary of the battle of britpop.

B-Sides of Country House & Roll With It.

B-Sides for ‘Roll With It’:
  • It’s Better People
  • Rockin’ Chair
  • Live Forever (Live at Glastonbury ’95)

‘Roll With It’ was written by Noel Gallagher.

Country House B-Sides:
  • One Born Every Minute
  • To the End (la comedie) feat. Françoise Hardy
  • Girls & Boys (Live)
  • Parklife (Live)
  • For Tomorrow (Live)

Country House was written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.

Before and after The Britpop Battle. 

The Battle Of Britpop knocked ‘Never Forget’ by Take That off the top of the charts. Then two weeks later Country House was knocked off the number one position (Sliding down to number two) by You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson.

 
20th August 1995 Top Ten Charts
20th August 1995 Top Ten Charts

 

 

 

Welsh Britpop Tribute Band 90s Wales

Hire a Welsh Britpop Tribute Band for your event in Wales and West Britain. Superb live performances from a professional nineties cover band playing all of the most amazing 90’s songs from the best decade in music of all time. ContactBritpop Reunion‘ to check on our price and availability for your event. When you book a brit pop tribute band you’ll hear the best songs by Pulp, Oasis, Supergrass, Blur, James and more.

Welsh Britpop Tribute Band 90s Wales
Welsh Britpop Tribute Band 90s Wales

Book throughout mainland Wales and Anglesey and the various Welsh islands  beyond. With many famous Welsh Britpop bands like Catatonia, Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers and Super Furry Animals you know that Wales played its part in the 90’s music scene of Cool Cymru. Hire a Welsh 90’s cover band throughout the whole of Wales and beyond.

Britpop Reunion cover the entirety of Wales including:

  • Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn)
  • Gwynedd
  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych)
  • Flintshire (Sir y Fflint)
  • Wrexham (Wrecsam)
  • Ceredigion
  • Powys
  • Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)
  • Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin)
  • Swansea (Abertawe)
  • Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot)
  • Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr)
  • Vale of Glamorgan (​​Bro Morgannwg)
  • Rhondda Cynon Taff
  • Cardiff (Caerdydd)
  • Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful)
  • Caerphilly (Caerffili)
  • Newport (Casnewydd)
  • Torfaen (Tor-faen)
  • Blaenau Gwent
  • Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)

The UK’s best Brit pop Tribute Band also featuring hit from the 90’s

Available for a festival, birthday partywedding, corporate event or charity fundraiser. You can re-live the days and nights of Welsh Britpop with our selection of amazing 90’s songs. So hire a Welsh 90s tribute band in Wales and hear tracks by Alanis Morissette, EMF, The Wannadies & The La’s and more.

 

Since forming in 2014 we’ve performed all over Wales. Clients clearly knew what they want when they book a professional Welsh Britpop tribute band so they hire Britpop Reunion. We’d love to play a part in your live event so don’t leave it too late to get in touch

Hire a Britpop tribute band and 90’s cover band in Wales. 

Book a 90’s cover band in The UK performing songs by The Mavericks, Deep Blue Something, Chumbawamba and also Chesney Hawkes. Similarly hire a Britpop cover band in Wales with banging live tunes by James, The La’s and Primal Scream.

We’ve performed nineties music live all over Wales and also beyond so know how to handle events of any size. Contact Andy Starkey to check on price and availability now, we’d love to play a part in your live event. 

Brit Pop Tribute Band

Why not book a Brit Pop Tribute Band for a Festival, Party, Wedding, Birthday, Corporate Event? You know the 90’s were the decade of partying. By booking Brit pop Reunion you’re be hiring a live band performing 90’s indie by artists like Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Verve and more. ‘Britpop Reunion‘ are the UK’s very best live brit pop band for your live event. We can handle and perform at any size event large or small. Brit pop Reunion have performed at festivals to 20,000 people to house parties to 20 people since we formed in 2014. And we’ve played live at everything in between too like weddings, school reunions, private parties, birthdays, corporate events and much more. Contact band leader Andy Starkey to check on price and availability of a brit pop cover band as soon as you can. We’re sure you probably only have one date in mind, but we have lots of customers wanting to book us for your one date.

 

Brit Pop Tribute Band
Brit Pop Tribute Band

Hire a Brit Pop Tribute Band

Relive the decade known as the 90’s when Cool Britannia meant something to a heck of a lot people. Indie pop bands where what every musician wanted to be in. Writing songs about every day life and every day folks or the “Common People” as Pulp sang.  All the best British pop songs from the 1990’s performed live for your party. “Johns’ got brewers droop he gets intimidated by the dirty pigeons. They love a bit of him, PARKLIFE“. “Slip inside the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find, a better place to play”. Also “See our friends, see the sights, feel ALRIGHT“. Britpop Reunion have the musicianship, the knowledge and a fantastic stage show to entertain guests of all sizes and ages. Singalong with us “And after all, you’re my Wonderwall“, “All sit down, all sit down“.

 

 

 

 

 

Contact to book a Brit pop Reunion for a live event and have professional musicians wow all your party goers. You can even check out what we’ve been up to on Facebook too. This will further support our credentials. No tribute works harder to prove to you what they do week in week out.

 

Last Minute Musicians Britpop Tribute Band

If you’re looking to hire Last Minute Musicians Britpop Tribute Band then 90’s cover band ‘Britpop Reunion’ might just be able to help you out. We’ll perform lots of Brit pop and 90’s songs as your wedding band, 90’s festival band, corporate entertainment live band, or 90’s birthday party band. In fact we can perform at any type of live music event you’re planning.  Imagine dancing your heart out to such 90’s indie bangers like Don’t Look Back In Anger, Disco 2000, Parklife, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Song 2 and more. Formed in 2014 with oodles of live performances under our belts Britpop Reunion will give you the full on Brit pop experience you’ve been looking for. Contact band leader Andy Starkey to check on price and availability then book last minute musicians for an event. 

Last Minute Musicians Britpop Tribute Band
Last Minute Musicians Britpop Tribute Band

The size of your event may dictate what sound and lighting equipment we’ll being with us. When you hire last minute musicians. Read our dedicated page of what you get, but in a nutshell for events smaller than approx 150 people we’ll bring everything needed to handle your whole party. Thats the entire state of the art PA system, lighting and full band backline. We’ll tune your room to perfection and you’ll never hear any screaming feedback with 1990’s cover band ‘Britpop Reunion’. We know exactly what we’re doing with live sound reproduction as we’ve been around since 2014. We can perform at any sized venue or outdoor festival. 90s band Britpop Reunion have the know-how to handle crowds from double figures to many thousands. 

Hire Last Minute Musicians who can prove their credentials.

Our Britpop tribute band has masses of previous live experience and skills to make sure your event is enjoyed by all ages. Book last minute musicians who can bring the house down with huge singalong anthems. Massive hits like Wonderwall, Sit Down, There She Goes, Common People and more. As well as huge 90’s Britpop cover band songs we’ll also perform massive nineteen nineties numbers. Artists like Chumbawamba, The Cure, James, The La’s, The Stone Roses, The Wannadies and more. Everyone will be singing and dancing along when you book last minute musicians. 

Need more proof of what we can bring to your live event? Firstly check out the below videos then contact Andy Starkey for a quote. Then do the right thing and book a professional live Britpop cover band for your event. Don’t leave it up to chance. 

 

Book A Britpop Tribute Band

The festival organisers of Claygate, Surrey decided to book a Britpop tribute band ‘Britpop Reunion‘ for their ‘Gig On The Rec’ on July 2019. Britpop musician Andy Starkey and his band performed to over 1000 festival goers and a smashing nineteen nineties time was had by all.  You too can hire a Britpop tribute band for your live music event, festival, wedding, party, charity event or corporate dinner. Contact lead singer Andrew Starkey to check on price and availability. Also find out more about What You Get when you hire a 90’s tribute band. If you want a band that performs the greatest hits of Blur, Oasis, James, Supergrass, Pulp, Primal Scream and more then hire a brit pop cover band. 

 

Book A Britpop Tribute Band
Book A Britpop Tribute Band

The festival was incredibly well advertised throughout the Claygate and surrounding areas. As we drove to the festival location we were flabbergasted to see so many huge posters advertising our festival appearance there. It’s fantastic when a festival puts this much effort in to promote a live event. This is why the event sold out in record time. We performed on a large raised & covered stage set up on Claygate Recreation Ground with a 10k watt PA rig. Those are some nice big banners don’t you think?

 

Hire a Britpop tribute band
Hire a Britpop tribute band

Live video from this Britpop tribute band festival.

All you have to do is press play on the below video of us performing ‘Parklife‘ by Blur while at this festival to see the amazing time had by all the attendees. Check out everyone going loopy throughout our entire performance for our Cool Britannia inspired music. The festival goers never wanted the night to end. Not only that but WE also had fantastic time as well.

 

 

We performed massive Britpop songs by Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass, The La’s, Reef, Ocean Colour Scene, Stone Roses, The Verve and more. Britpop covers band ‘Britpop Reunion’ 90’s repertoire showcases many of our classic Indie anthems and more.

 

Photos from this festival

Also you can check out photos from the event below.

 

 

Andy Starkey even did an interview for this festival appearance that you can read below. You can find out more about Andy and his ongoing 90s archive here. Andy really does put so much effort into the entire band and you can see why Britpop Reunion get all the best gigs throughout the country.

 

Andy Starkey Interview
Andy Starkey Interview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britpop Reunion‘ have performed at many festivals, weddings, parties, birthdays and corporate events since we formed in 2014. We are the UK’s only professional Britpop tribute. As a result there is no other tribute out there quite like Britpop Reunion. The below video shows how a festival ends for us, not with a whimper but with the entire audience eating out of our hands and humungous bang.

 

 

You too can book a Britpop tribute band for your Britpop Wedding band, hire a 90’s festival band, 90’s birthday party band, 90’s party band. Or book a 90’s band for a corporate anniversary party . Contact immediately for a quote and also to check on our availability.

 

Britpop Covers Band
Britpop Covers Band ‘Britpop Reunion’ performing live at ‘Gig On The Rec’ Claygate, Surrey.

90’s Indie Wedding Band

Britpop = Indie Pop, so ‘Britpop Reunion‘ returned once again to The Guildhall, Lichfield, Staffordshire for a special event. This time to perform as a 90’s Indie Wedding Band for Luke & Matt. This is the second time we’ve performed for these awesome guys having played for them a few years ago in the exact same venue for Matt’s 40th 90’s birthday party band. The first time we gave them a Glastonbury 90’s Festival Band themed event. We performed music from Britpop & 90’s artists who have played at the internationally known Glastonbury festival over the years. If you’d like something similar at your chosen wedding venue across the UK and beyond then contact Andy Starkey now for a quote.

 

90s Indie Wedding Band
90s Indie Wedding Band

At this 90’s Indie Wedding Reception

Matt & Luke (Isn’t it funny how they have the same name as the main two guys from 80’s band ‘Bros’ eh) are huge 90’s fans and wanted something a little different to the normal same-old-same-old funk, soul, modern pop bands out there for their unique wedding reception.  This time they chose our 90’s indie wedding band and added in our ‘Other Decades‘ option. Our 90’s package gave Matt & Luke all of their favourite 90’s cover band songs from Oasis, Blur, The Cure, James, Supergrass and more. Then our ‘Other Decades‘ option also gave their 150 guests amazing tunes from Amy Winehouse, Stereophonics, Florence + The Machine, Van Morrison, Arctic Monkeys, Chuck Berry, Kaiser Chiefs and more. The dance-floor was full the entire night, shapes were thrown up in the air, everyone had a good sing-along to our entire repertoire of “Don’t Look Back In Anger“, “Parklife“,  “Friday I’m In Love” and much more.

 

Prior to our indie band performing live Matt & Luke had worked out an entire dance routine to a mash-up of the 1991 INXS track “Never Tear Us Apart” and “The World Is Not Enough” by Garbage from the 1999 James Bond film of the same name. This was a smash hit with everyone including ourselves and it started the night off brilliantly. So even they themselves covered songs from the start to the end of the nineteen nineties. Absolutely brilliant eh what a unique way to celebrate your love for each other. 

90's Indie Wedding Band
90’s Indie Wedding Band

Standard 90’s indie wedding band packages we provide our clients with

  • Two live performance sets of 90’s banging tunes (Or one long performance with no break which we usually recommend to clients)
  • PA, speakers, mixing desk, guitars, amps, drum kit and all cabling
  • Lighting for the dance-floor and stage area
  • iPad DJ services until midnight and when the band aern’t performing live
  • Hard copy contract/booking form
  • No agencies fees saving you £400+
Indie Wedding Band
Indie Wedding Band

Chargeable wedding extras we can provide you with

  • Late night DJ services past midnight
  • Acoustic performances throughout the day
  • Fog
  • Customised projector lighting featuring your names, the date and a custom logo or corporate logo
  • Wedding projector hire
  • PA hire for speeches
  • Professional photographer for your evening event

These lovely guys had gotten married a few weeks before in Bath and so this was their full on wedding party back in their home city of Lichfield, Staffordshire. Having received their photographers photos a few days before the event they took advantage of our wedding projector hire option. As you will see their wedding photos displayed up on stage with us looked absolutely brilliant. They also took advantage of our evening photographer services as you can see from the below images gallery.

 

 

Below you can watch a video of previous 90’s Indie weddings receptions that our professional wedding band have performed at. Here is Natalie & Jamies 90’s wedding in a tipi. Just look at the amazing time everyone had with ‘Britpop Reunion‘ handling the live entertainment.

 

Here is Vlog style video of our experiences at Claire & James’s festival style wedding that they put together entirely themselves. You’d be surprised how much cheaper doing this is than hiring a proper wedding venue.

 

To enquire on price and availability for 90’s tribute band ‘Britpop Reunion’ to perform at your 90’s Indie Wedding contact for a quote. We are the only band to have performed with actual 90’s musicians such as supporting The Bluetones and more nineties artists.