Liam Gallagher Criticises Fans for Complaining About Oasis Support Acts
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has expressed his frustration towards fans who have been voicing their concerns about the support acts chosen for the band’s upcoming reunion tour. The much-anticipated reunion tour in 2025 will see Liam reunite with his brother Noel on stage for the first time in 16 years, with shows planned across the UK and Ireland, North America, and Australia.
This week, it was announced that the opening act for Oasis’s UK and Ireland shows will be their longtime friend Richard Ashcroft, former frontman of The Verve. The decision to have Ashcroft as support comes after The Independent revealed last week that he would be joining Oasis on tour. For their North American shows, Oasis will be supported by US rock band Cage the Elephant.
In response to fans questioning the choice of support acts, Liam took to Twitter, stating: “To all the folk who are crying about us not showing love to the young bands and not letting them support there’s LEVELS to this game and I’m afraid 99 [per cent] of ya are way off.”
Interestingly, Oasis had previously supported The Verve in 1993 before The Verve returned the favour by opening for Oasis two years later at The Bataclan in Paris. Noel Gallagher even wrote the Oasis hit “Cast No Shadow” as a tribute to Richard Ashcroft. Reflecting on Ashcroft’s talent, Noel once mentioned in an interview with Select magazine that Ashcroft seemed to be born in the wrong place and was always trying to convey the right message, albeit sometimes unsuccessfully.
Following The Verve’s dissolution in 2009, Ashcroft pursued a successful solo career, releasing six top 10 albums, including 2016’s “These People.” In 2021, he released his sixth solo record, “Acoustic Hymns Vol 1,” featuring new versions of songs from his solo career and The Verve era. Liam Gallagher even collaborated with Ashcroft on a duet of “C’mon People (We’re Making It Now)” from his debut solo album, “Alone With Everybody.”
Expressing his excitement about being the opening act, Ashcroft stated: “As a fan from day one, I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis’s return was announced. I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam’s pure spirit as a lead singer helped inspire me to create some of my best work.”
Ashcroft continued, “It was the perfection of ‘Live Forever’ that forced me to try and write my own. They dared to be great, made the dreams we had real, and I will always remember those days with joy. Now it’s time to create more memories, and I’m ready to bring it. See you next summer. Music is power.”