Oasis recordings pulled from auction after band files injunction over Desk Tapes

A set of unheard Oasis recordings valued at between £1.2 million and £1.6 million has been pulled from auction after the band filed an injunction, BBC News reported on Wednesday.

The recordings, known as The Desk Tapes, were due to be offered by Littleton Auctions in Evesham, Worcestershire. BBC News said the archive includes recordings of 63 live shows, soundchecks and more than 100 hours featuring Noel and Liam Gallagher during the 1990s, placing the dispute at the intersection of music history, ownership and the business of selling valuable recorded material.

Oasis recordings auction: key facts about The Desk Tapes dispute

• BBC News reported that The Desk Tapes have been valued at between £1.2 million and £1.6 million.
• BBC News said the archive includes recordings of 63 Oasis live shows, soundchecks and more than 100 hours involving Noel and Liam Gallagher.
• The recordings were collected by Oasis sound engineer Huw Richards, according to BBC News.
• BBC News reported that Littleton Auctions withdrew the tapes from its 3 October sale after legal proceedings were brought by Oasis.
• The auction's other memorabilia lots are still due to be sold, BBC News said.

Why the Oasis recordings were pulled from the 3 October auction

BBC News reported that the recordings had been scheduled for sale on 3 October after Littleton Auctions announced the archive earlier in September. The auction house subsequently said the tapes had been withdrawn because of legal proceedings involving the band.

Littleton Auctions managing director Ben Homer told BBC News: "Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings."

Homer added that the auction house was "very disappointed" that it could not offer the archive as planned. According to BBC News, he said the remainder of the sale would proceed normally and that Littleton Auctions respected the legal process and would make no further comment on the proceedings at that stage.

BBC News said Oasis had filed an injunction over the sale. When the archive was initially announced, Littleton Auctions had described it as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike", while also confirming that Oasis did not support the proposed sale.

What are the Oasis Desk Tapes?

According to BBC News, The Desk Tapes were collected by sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with Oasis from the release of the band's debut album, Definitely Maybe, in 1994 until 2001.

BBC News said the collection includes 63 live shows as well as soundchecks and more than 100 hours of material featuring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher during the 1990s. The recordings had been brought to auction by Huw Richards's son, Owain Richards.

Owain Richards told BBC News: "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."

He also told BBC News that the auction had been postponed so the dispute could be dealt with in an orderly manner, saying the parties had agreed to delay the sale while the matter was resolved "either by litigation or otherwise".

How the Oasis legal dispute affects the music-business sale

The BBC's reporting makes the planned sale more than a conventional piece of Oasis memorabilia trading. The lots at the centre of the dispute are recordings created during the band's working relationship with a sound engineer, and the proposed auction has now been interrupted by legal proceedings brought by Oasis, according to BBC News.

BBC News did not report a final determination of the dispute. It said the band had filed an injunction and that the recordings had consequently been withdrawn from the October auction. Owain Richards, meanwhile, said he and his father had been sued in an effort to stop the tapes being auctioned.

The BBC also reported that the band did not support the sale when Littleton Auctions first announced it. The auction house nevertheless promoted the collection as an unusually significant opportunity for collectors before later suspending the recordings from the sale.

BBC News said it had contacted representatives for Oasis for comment, while Littleton Auctions said it would make no further comment on the proceedings at this stage.

Oasis Desk Tapes auction timeline and items involved

Stage	What happened
1994 to 2001	BBC News said Huw Richards worked with Oasis from the release of Definitely Maybe until 2001 and collected The Desk Tapes.
Earlier in September 2026	BBC News reported that Littleton Auctions announced the planned sale of the recordings.
30 September 2026	BBC News reported that the recordings had been withdrawn after Oasis filed an injunction.
3 October 2026	BBC News said the wider auction remains scheduled to take place, without The Desk Tapes.

Which Oasis memorabilia will still be sold at Littleton Auctions?

Although the recorded archive has been removed, BBC News reported that the rest of the 3 October sale is unaffected. The remaining Oasis memorabilia includes internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis tour parka.

Homer told BBC News that the remainder of the sale would "take place as normal". That distinction leaves the physical memorabilia available for auction while the recordings themselves remain outside the sale pending the legal dispute.

BBC News reported that the auction house had initially grouped the recordings within a sale marketed to Oasis fans and collectors. The intervention by the band has therefore separated the archive of recorded material from the other objects associated with the group's touring history.

Oasis 2027 gigs and the Glastonbury speculation surrounding the band

The dispute comes during another active period for Oasis. BBC News reported on 30 September that the band had announced a series of 2027 gigs across the UK, Ireland, Europe and the US during the previous week.

The BBC also addressed speculation about whether Oasis could appear at Glastonbury in 2027. According to BBC News, festival organiser Emily Eavis said the band are not due to play the festival, responding directly to a festival-goer on social media.

The auction dispute is separate from those live plans, but BBC News reported both developments on the same day as attention remained focused on Oasis's future performances and the valuable archive of recordings from the band's earlier years.

What happens next in the Oasis Desk Tapes case?

For now, BBC News reported only that the sale of The Desk Tapes has been postponed while the legal dispute is resolved. Owain Richards said that could happen through litigation or another form of resolution, while Littleton Auctions said it respected the legal process.

No new auction date for the recordings was reported by BBC News. The 3 October memorabilia sale, however, remains scheduled to proceed without them. With the archive valued at between £1.2 million and £1.6 million, the proceedings have halted what Littleton Auctions had presented as one of the most significant Oasis collections offered to fans and collectors.

Frequently asked questions

Why were the Oasis Desk Tapes pulled from auction?

BBC News reported that The Desk Tapes were withdrawn after Oasis filed an injunction. Littleton Auctions said the recordings had been removed from its 3 October auction because of legal proceedings, while Owain Richards said he and his father had been sued by the band in an effort to prevent the sale.

What is included in the Oasis Desk Tapes archive?

BBC News said The Desk Tapes include recordings of 63 Oasis live shows, soundchecks and more than 100 hours involving Noel and Liam Gallagher during the 1990s. The archive was collected by sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with Oasis from 1994 until 2001.

How much are the unheard Oasis recordings worth?

BBC News reported that the collection of unheard Oasis recordings has been valued at between £1.2 million and £1.6 million. Littleton Auctions had planned to offer the archive in its 3 October sale before withdrawing the tapes after legal proceedings were brought by the band.

Is the rest of the Oasis memorabilia auction still going ahead?

Yes. BBC News reported that the wider 3 October auction remains scheduled to proceed. Lots still due to be sold include internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar and an original Kangol Oasis tour parka. Only The Desk Tapes recordings have been withdrawn from the planned sale.