BRASH, over the top, rock and roll excess it was not - the much-hyped arrival of Oasis at Cork Airport yesterday was low key. Instead of the predicted private jet, stretch limos and trophy girlfriends, the group arrived on a scheduled Aer Lingus flight.
They smiled, waved, signed autographs and drank tea. Afterwards, blue Space Wagons whisked them to a "secret" destination.
About 500 excited fans, mostly female and under 18, had gathered for the arrival. At 4 p.m. the Aer Lingus EI723 St Malachy flight taxied down the runway before stopping outside the terminal. The band were first out. They walked, in a huddled manner, down the steps and onto the tarmac to the delight of the screaming fans.
Inside the VIP room, the group signed autographs for airport staff. They consented to photographs but no reporters were allowed in. Liam waved from a window and pretended to climb out. His brother, Noel, picked up a camera lens and acted the photographer. The crowd went wild.
They then made their way to the Space Wagons with their minders and left the airport through a back exit accompanied by one Garda car.
Mr Paul O'Connor, flight cabin crew member, said staff realised only a half hour beforehand that Oasis would be on board. He said they were "very nice", sat together and signed autographs for anyone who wanted them.
The fans soon dispersed making their way into the city, eagerly awaiting the concerts which expect to attract a crowd of 80 000.
It is almost impossible to book a room in a hotel or guest-house as the city fills with concert-goers. It is estimated that the two gigs, today and tomorrow, are worth over £6 million to Cork.
The Garda operation, headed by Insp Mick O'Loughlin, has been well planned. Last night a Garda spokesman said there had been no reports of trouble so far.
Several plainclothes gardai, attached to the drugs squad, will circulate on both days.
Gates open today at 4 p.m. No one without a ticket will get into the venue, said the spokesman. Tickets will have to be produced at checkpoints on the way to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Bottles and cans will be confiscated.
Parking is not allowed on approach roads. The first band, The Bootleg Beatles, will be on stage at 5 p.m. followed by The Prodigy and then Oasis.
Tickets specify that "crowd surfing" (where bodies are lifted over the crowd) and "moshing" (where fans pile into a small area) are not permitted. Camping is also prohibited.
Iarnrod Eireann will carry 6,000 people to both concerts. It is running five extra trains on both days and fans will make the return journey following the gig.
Yesterday, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, normally home to the Cork GAA, was in the final stages of preparation. More than 550 people and 360 tons of equipment are involved. The gear arrived in Cork in 56 articulated lorries.
The band will play from a 122-feet wide stage which is 75 feet high and 80 feet deep. Five large video screens have been erected.
Meanwhile, in Dublin last night, a book on the super-group by journalist Eugene Masterson was launched. Word On The Street - The Unsanctioned Story Of Oasis charts the rise of the Gallagher brothers from the back streets of Manchester to stardom.
Despite its "unsanctioned" tag, the illustrated book holds little surprises but does give a good account of the band's history. Apparently Noel and Liam are not pleased that photographs include snaps of their estranged father, Mr Tommy Gallagher. It also includes somewhat embarrassing detail from him about their younger days and how they shared a love of Alvin Stardust.