Oasis Desk Tapes paused, wider auction went ahead

Littleton Auctions withdrew the unheard Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes from its 3 October sale. Legal proceedings began before the sale, and the auction house confirmed the withdrawal in a direct statement. The rest of the sale went ahead as normal, so fans should not describe the whole auction as cancelled.

What Littleton Auctions actually withdrew

Littleton Auctions managing director Ben Homer confirmed the withdrawal of The Desk Tapes from the October 3 auction. Homer gave legal proceedings as the reason, and he said the auction house felt very disappointed at the change. Homer also said the rest of the sale stayed unaffected and took place as normal.

Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings. That sentence is the auction house position in its own words, and it sets the limit of what fans can claim.

The withdrawn lot formed the centrepiece of the sale, which explains the attention it drew. Its removal did not stop the wider sale, and it did not cancel the other lots. Fans who mix those two facts will misread the story.

What The Desk Tapes contain

Former Oasis sound engineer Huw Richards gathered the archive during his 1990s work with the band. Richards worked as front-of-house sound engineer until 2001, and he recorded material directly from the mixing desk. The archive therefore captures live sound, not studio polish.

The archive includes 63 live shows, soundchecks, and more than 100 hours of rehearsal tapes. It also includes unfiltered dialogue between Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher during work. The physical collection includes 209 DAT tapes, 73 analogue cassettes, and three MiniDiscs.

One item drew special attention in reports, as the only believed surviving recording of the 1996 Loch Lomond show. That description uses the word believed, because no source in this article proves it is the only copy. Fans should keep that qualifier attached to the claim.

The legal dispute, as far as public reports go

Owain Richards brought the collection to sale, as the son of Huw Richards. Owain Richards said Oasis sued him and his father to try to prevent the auction. That claim comes from Owain Richards himself, and it is not a court ruling.

We have agreed to postpone the auction to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way. That sentence is the Owain Richards position in his own words, and it explains the pause as an agreed step.

Music Business Worldwide reported legal action in the High Court in London on 29 September 2026. It named Oasis, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, and Sony Music Entertainment UK among the claimants, citing legal records obtained by Billboard. Details of the case are not yet publicly available, according to the same report.

An Oasis spokesperson refused to comment on the matter, according to NME. No source in this article gives a ruling, a settlement, or a final outcome. This article therefore reports the pause only, and it draws no conclusion about who will prevail.

Why the guide price and copyright matter

Littleton Auctions listed The Desk Tapes with a guide price between 1.2 million pounds and 1.6 million pounds. A guide price is an auction house estimate, not a sale price, because the lot never reached the hammer. Fans should not quote the guide range as money paid.

Music Business Worldwide reported a copyright limit that changes what a buyer could do with the tapes. It reported, via The Guardian, that a buyer could not commercialise the archive without Oasis cooperation. Oasis retain the intellectual property rights in the recordings, so physical tapes and rights sit apart.

What sold in the wider sale

• Original setlists from Oasis tours, as listed in the wider sale
• Internal tour itineraries, as listed in the wider sale
• A band-played Epiphone guitar, as listed in the wider sale
• An original Kangol Oasis tour parka from Huw Richards collection

The wider sale went ahead on 3 October without The Desk Tapes, according to Homer. Reports give no lot count for the wider sale in the sources used here, so this article gives none. Reports also give no sale prices for those items here, so this article gives none.

Fans should distrust any unofficial claim about a new date, a buyer, or a ruling. No source in this article names a new auction date for the recordings. Fans should watch for a fresh statement from Littleton Auctions or the parties involved before they assume a change.

Sources differ on one small detail, and this article does not hide the gap. NME dates Huw Richards work from the 1994 debut until 2001, while Music Business Worldwide says he joined in 1995. This article uses his 1990s work and his 2001 end date, which both sources support.

Does the dispute affect Live 27?

No, the dispute concerns 1990s archive material, and it does not change Live 27 dates or lineup. Oasis Live 27 spans 42 shows across 11 cities and 8 countries from 21 May to 26 September 2027. Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher stand confirmed by name for Live 27, and Richard Ashcroft opens all 42 shows.

FAQ

Why did the Oasis unheard recordings sale pause?

Littleton Auctions withdrew The Desk Tapes from its 3 October sale in light of legal proceedings. Owain Richards said the parties agreed to postpone the recordings sale so the dispute could reach an orderly resolution.

Was the whole auction cancelled?

No, only the Desk Tapes recordings were withdrawn, and the rest of the sale went ahead as normal. The wider sale included setlists, itineraries, a guitar, and a tour parka.

What exactly are The Desk Tapes?

The Desk Tapes are unheard live shows, soundchecks, and rehearsal tapes gathered by Huw Richards from the mixing desk. The archive includes 63 live shows and more than 100 hours of rehearsal material.

Has anyone named a new date for the recordings?

No, no source in this article names a new auction date for the recordings. Fans should watch for a fresh statement from Littleton Auctions or the parties involved.

Could a buyer have released the tapes freely?

No, reports say a buyer could not commercialise the archive without Oasis cooperation, because Oasis retain the rights. Physical ownership of tapes and ownership of recording rights are separate matters.