Oasis Write Checks With Their Mouths They Hope Fans Won't Cash With Their Accounts

Since English rockers Oasis first starting making noise in 1994, one of their defining characteristics has been their outrageous behavior and their sense of hubris (and their monobrows).

Before they scraped even the bottom of the charts in their native UK, the band was opening their sets with the not-very-humble "Rock n' Roll Star" (sample lyric: "Toniii-iiiight, I'm a rock n' roll STAAAA-AAARRRR"). The Gallaghers were full of themselves, and the world was mad for it. Even a recording of a spirited and alcohol-soaked "dialogue" between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, called Wibbling Rivalry, was released as a single.

Perhaps most famously, there was the 1995 interview in which Noel made the stunning and offensive claim that he wished Damon Albarn and Alex James of Britpop rivals Blur would "catch AIDS and die." Suddenly, Noel's snark didn't seem so cute.

Since then, the Gallaghers have toned down their act. Still eminently quotable, the band has been more content to put out chart-topping albums and play massive gigs. It had been awhile since Oasis made the news with their mouths.

Until last month. On June 7, Oasis played a hometown gig at Manchester, England's Heaton Park. After suffering a series of technical problems during the show, guitarist Noel Gallagher announced that the band would offer refunds to anyone who asked.

Big mistake—over 20,000 fans asked for their money back.

That's a lot of people and, of course, a lot of money. Tickets were for the show were £45—multiply that by 20,000 and Noel's comment becomes an expensive one. It's no simple process to give people their money back. Promoters are involved. Crew are involved. Venue staff are involved. A lot of parties have interests.

The band, naturally, weren't thrilled the response. Noel's description of refund-seekers? The adjective used was 'cheeky,' and the noun used was a term that begins with the letter 'c' and which rhymes with 'bunt.' Yikes, etc.

So how best to convince the punters to not cash in? Make the refund checks as collectible as possible.

The checks are emblazoned with the famed Oasis rectangle logo. A 'Bank Of Burnage' logo appears at the top, referring to the Gallagher brothers' native Manchester neighborhood. And, most importantly, the check bears the signature of both Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher. Recipients face the following dilemma: is the check more valuable as a £45 check, or as the rare item that features the signature of both Liam and Noel?

A quick check of eBay makes a case for the latter: the price of one check currently stands at over £82 after twelve bids and with over two days of bidding left. Noel may get out of this yet.

You can't put a price on street smarts.