Oasis halts auction of rare 1990s audio archive via legal action

Oasis members Noel and Liam Gallagher have initiated legal action to halt the auction of a massive archive of rare recordings known as ‘The Desk Tapes’. The collection, which was scheduled for sale on October 3 by Littleton Auctions in the UK, includes over 100 hours of material, featuring 63 live performances, soundchecks, rehearsals, and unfiltered conversations from the 1990s.

The audio archive was compiled by Huw Richards, who served as the band’s sound engineer from 1994 to 2001. The recordings were being offered for sale by his son, Owain Richards. The collection was estimated to be worth between £1.2 million and £1.6 million.

Following an injunction brought by the band, Littleton Auctions has withdrawn the recordings from the upcoming sale. Owain Richards confirmed the legal dispute, stating that both parties have agreed to postpone the sale of the tapes to allow the matter to be resolved through litigation or other orderly means. While the audio archive is sidelined, the auction house confirmed that other Oasis memorabilia, including tour itineraries, setlists, an Epiphone guitar, and a tour parka, will still be auctioned as planned.