He’s a “Lucky Man,” because the latest support act for Oasis’ upcoming reunion tour was announced Monday (Oct. 21). Richard Ashcroft of The Verve will join the Gallagher brothers on their upcoming U.K. and Ireland tour dates next summer. The band will play 19 sold-out shows beginning in Cardiff on July 4, with the trek including stops at stadiums in London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dublin.
“As a fan from day one I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis’s return was announced,” Ashcroft said in a statement. “I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam’s pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work. It was the perfection of ‘Live Forever’ that forced me to try and write my own.”
He added: “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.”
The Gallagher brothers first met Ashcroft in the when Oasis supported The Verve on tour back in 1993, prior to the release of Oasis’ debut single “Supersonic.”
In 1995, Noel Gallagher dedicated “Cast No Shadow” from their second album (What’s the Story Morning Glory?) to Ashcroft. The band then recruited Ashcroft to perform backing vocals on Be Here Now single “All Around the World” in 1997; Liam Gallagher returned the favor when he appeared on Ashcroft’s Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 rework album in 2021.
The Verve released four albums during its career, including Urban Hymns in 1997, which went to No. 1 on the U.K.’s Albums Charts and No. 23 on the Billboard 200. They also had success with singles such as “Bittersweet Symphony,” “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Lucky Man.” Ashcroft boasts two further chart-topping albums in the Verve and in his solo career.
Additional names will be announced as support acts in due course for Oasis’ European shows. In North America, it has been announced that rock band Cage the Elephant will appear as a special guest for their sold-out run next August and September in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Mexico City.
The band also recently announced – and promptly sold out – a string of dates in Australia. Last week, Liam said that he and Noel would not be doing joint interviews as a result of their reunion to avoid “intrusive” questions.
