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Liam Gallagher says his son Gene’s band will be opening for him on Definitely Maybe anniversary tour

Top dad.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 3rd April 2024

In a typically casual manner, rock legend Liam Gallagher has revealed that his son Gene’s band will be opening for him on the upcoming Definitely Maybe anniversary tour.

Celebrating 30 years since the seminal Britpop record was released, Liam’s sell-out tour is scheduled to kick off at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield in June and after simply replying to a comment on social media, he has now revealed it is the youngest Gallagher boy that will be taking one of the support act slots.

Gene, 22, is the frontman and guitar player for the recently formed band Villanelle, who are set to start playing across this UK’s festival circuit this year, releasing their first music as they go along.

Villanelle will join British indie veterans Cast and The View as supports for LG himself, who has promised to play the Definitely Maybe tracklist in full to mark the occasion.

As you can see, after being asked what he made of the still little-known rock outfit, Gallagher clearly thinks the young musician and his mates are good enough to join him and his band on the massive UK tour which runs until August.

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While we’ve only heard short clips of Villanelle, you can definitely hear some of that recognisable snarl that Liam became famous for in the vocals and the sound seems plenty reminiscent of what his dad and uncle made so popular back in the 90s and 2000s.

Not bad a bloke to pick up your music taste of, is he?

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Although it’s still unclear exactly how much of the tour Gene and his band will be joining the former Oasis frontman for, it’s a pretty cool thing for a father and fellow performer to be giving a fledgling artist a break like this.

who is gene gallagher's band?
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Small glimpses of Liam Gallagher’s son’s band have been circulating online over the past few months (Credit: Gene Gallagher via IG)

It’s a truly massive year of music for Liam Gallagher in particular as not only is the DM 30th anniversary tour a big deal in its own right – playing three huge shows at the brand-new Co-op Live arena when it opens – but he’s got plenty of others shows in the pipeline.

Currently on tour with John Squire playing their first joint album, which went straight to number one, they played the Manchester Apollo just last month and the live reviews are just as strong as those for the album itself.

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Beyond that, the Burnage-born singer will also be playing his ‘Liam Gallagher and Friends Malta Weekender‘ shows in September, with the likes of Blossoms, Liam Fray, The Lathums and many other big Northern names joining him for the ride.

Oh yeah, and Live Forever has just retained the ‘best British song of all time’. It’s all coming up LG.

Beloved Oasis hit Live Forever named the best British song of all time

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Featured Images — EXIT photo team (via Flickr)/Gene Gallagher (via Instagram)

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Deep Purple announce huge Manchester show at the iconic AO Arena

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Deep Purple have announced a gig at the AO Arena in Manchester. Credit: Jim Rakete

Rock royalty Deep Purple have just announced a huge Manchester gig at the AO Arena.

These pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock will be heading out on a tour next year that includes shows in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

And Deep Purple will be performing on the most iconic stage in Manchester, with a gig at the AO Arena next winter.

Even five decades on, the group remain one of the world’s most revered live acts, with 50 years’ worth of chart-topping albums, sold-out tours, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Perhaps best known for their legendary hit Smoke On The Water, along with songs like Highway Star and Child In Time, the group are listed as one of the genre’s most influential bands of all time.

Child In Time was reworked to soundtrack Netflix’s smash-hit series Stranger Things, capturing Deep Purple’s timeless and lasting influence.

The British rockers show no sign of slowing down, releasing a critically-acclaimed album in 2024.

They’ll be supported by Mammoth, fronted by Grammy Award-winning ssongwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen.

Also joining Deep Purple for their AO Arena gig in Manchester will be Jayler, fast-rising UK rockers.

Deep Purple will play at the AO Arena in Manchester on Sunday 22 November, 2026 – tickets go on sale from 10am on Friday 21 November and you can get yours HERE.

Deep Purple 2026 UK tour dates

  • Wednesday 18 November – Newcastle Utilita Arena
  • Thursday 19 November – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
  • Saturday 21 November – BP Pulse Arena, Birmingham
  • Sunday 22 November – AO Arena, Manchester
  • Tuesday 24 November – Eventim Apollo, London

Featured image: Jim Rakete

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Kings of Leon announce Manchester arena show on short run of UK dates

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Kings of Leon announce Manchester arena show on short run of UK dates

Kings of Leon have just announced a short run of UK shows for next year, which includes an arena gig here in Manchester.

The multi-Grammy Award-winning rock band will be performing at the Co-op Live arena, along with two other British dates in Leeds and Glasgow.

Kings of Leon are one of the biggest alternative rock bands in the world, and never fail to sell out arenas in Manchester when they perform here.

The group of brothers (plus one cousin) have headlined some of the world’s most iconic festivals, including Glastonbury, Coachella, and Lollapalooza, as well as reclaiming an all-time attendance record with a fifth night at Hyde Park in London last year.

Kings of Leon have been dominating charts for more than 20 years, ever since the release of their debut album Youth & Young Manhood in 2003.

They now have nine studio albums, including last year’s Can We Please Have Fun, which (as with all their albums so far) comfortably reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.

The band is made up of Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew Followill, and just last week they dropped an EP with four new songs.

Now, it’s another brief run of live shows for the UK, with Kings of Leon performing at Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 4 July 2026.

Tickets for Kings of Leon in Manchester will go on sale from 9am on Friday 21 November, and you can get yours HERE.

Kings of Leon UK tour dates for 2026

  • Friday 3 July – Bellahouston Park Glasgow
  • Saturday 4 July – Co-op Live Manchester
  • Monday 6 July – First Direct Bank Arena Leeds

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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