Oasis or ABBA? Sussex World readers have their say

We posed the question last week, after sharing the news that Oasis – set to perform in a number of major cities on next year’s reunion tour – played Brighton back in 1994, some thirty years ago, and that, twenty years before that, ABBA won the Eurovision song contest in the same city with their song ‘Waterloo’.

Asked who they’d like to see return to the seaside city, there was plenty for Sussex readers to disagree on, but a clear pattern eventually emerged, with Abba taking the clear lead.

"ABBA,” voted Chichester reader Iain Jessup. “Fed up of hearing about Oasis.”

"ABBA, no competition” added Worthing reader Mark Thornett. “One group can sing and the other can’t sing a note.”

But news of the Oasis reunion didn’t make headlines for nothing, and the controversial Manchester band had more than its fair share of supporters amongst residents. “Oasis,” says Crawley reader Karen Baker. “Can’t and never could stand ABBA. Fellow reader Sally Bennett agreed, for the most part: “Quite like ABBA,” she said “but definitely (not maybe), would rather see Oasis.”

Predictably, there were plenty of readers who just didn’t get the hype one way or the other. Some Eastbourne readers just can’t see what all the fuss is about when it comes to the Gallagher brothers.

"I saw Oasis in June 1994 at the East Wing of the Brighton Centre,” said Matthew Trott, referencing that fateful Sussex gig. “They weren't very good and the sound was rubbish. I won't be going to see them again.”

"Why is everyone getting so excited over two old has-been's?” asked Kenny Pelling, prompting jokester Malcolm McPhee to write “Sometimes you’ve just got to roll with it.”

Malcolm wasn’t the only one pulling out the puns in the comment section, with Polly Wiseman also getting in on the fun: “Neither,” she wrote. “I don’t want to roll with it or take a chance on ABBA.”