News : Noel Gallagher shocked by 'great' Oasis rehearsals

Bono has revealed close friend Noel Gallagher is "shocked" by how good Oasis sound in rehearsals.

In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Bono discussed the upcoming Oasis tour, which will see the band reunite for their first live appearance in 16 years.

Noel, who left the group in 2009 following mounting tensions with his brother Liam Gallagher, has apparently been impressed with preparations ahead of the gigs.

"I'm still very close with Noel," the U2 frontman told Zane. "And he got a message to me, and he says that he's kind of shocked by how great the band is. So I think we're going to have a good summer."

Elsewhere in the interview Bono proclaimed himself a huge Oasis fan and revealed he's going to the Oasis Live '25 Tour, which kicks off in Cardiff, Wales, on 4 July.

The Beautiful Day singer also praised Noel and Liam for their "swagger" and recalled his first impressions of the brothers when they shot to fame with their debut 1994 album, Definitely Maybe.

"I love them. I just love them. And what I really love is this, the sort of preciousness that had gotten a part of what was called indie music. They just blew it out," Bono shared. "And there was just a swagger. The sound of getting out of the ghetto, not glamorising it. And they're both funny, funny, funny."

Earlier this week, Liam revealed he's also enjoying rehearsals as he expressed regret that it took so long to heal his rift with Noel.

"You know what it's spiritual but I can't help think about all those wasted years what a waste of PRECIOUS time (sic)," he wrote on Instagram when a fan asked how it feels to be performing with Noel again.