Oasis blocks auction of 1990s recordings after legal action

A High Court injunction forced Littleton Auctions to pull the planned October 3 sale of the band’s archive tapes.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:22:10 GMT

Oasis and Sony Music Entertainment U.K. filed a High Court action on September 29 to stop the auction of more than 100 hours of unreleased recordings held by former sound engineer Huw Richards, leading Littleton Auctions to suspend the sale scheduled for October 3.

What happened

The collection, described by the BBC as containing 63 live shows and extensive rehearsal material from the 1990s, was to be auctioned by Littleton Auctions in England. The band’s legal team filed an injunction on September 29, naming Richards, his son Owain, and the auction house. By September 30 the auction house confirmed the tapes had been withdrawn from the sale.

What the reports add

Billboard reported that the recordings were valued at “more than $2 million” and that the lawsuit also names the auction house and Richards’ son. Rolling Stone added that Littleton Auctions had valued the lot between £1.2 million and £1.6 million (about $1.59 million to $2.12 million) and quoted Owain Richards telling the BBC that the auction would be postponed pending resolution of the dispute.

What was said

Owain Richards told the BBC, as cited by Rolling Stone, “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. We have agreed to postpone the auction … to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way.”

Benjamin Homer, managing director of Littleton Auctions, said to Rolling Stone that the firm “has always sought to conduct its sales professionally, transparently and responsibly.”

How it came about

The recordings were made by Huw Richards, who worked as Oasis’s sound engineer from the release of their 1994 debut until 2001. Earlier Felo coverage noted that the band had already secured an injunction that forced the withdrawal of the “Desk Tapes” auction on September 29 (Oasis pulls archive tape auction after band files injunction). The current legal action builds on that effort, aiming to prevent any future sale of the material.

Key facts

Oasis and Sony filed a High Court injunction to stop the auction of over 100 hours of unreleased recordings. (billboard.com)
The auction was to be held by Littleton Auctions on October 3 before being suspended. (rollingstone.com)
The collection includes 63 live shows and extensive rehearsal material from the 1990s. (rollingstone.com)
Valuation of the tapes ranges from more than $2 million (Billboard) to £1.2‑£1.6 million ($1.59‑$2.12 million) (Rolling Stone). (billboard.com)
Owain Richards confirmed the postponement of the auction pending legal resolution. (rollingstone.com)