Audio

Oasis reunion rumours return after ‘reserved for Noel’ seat spotted at Liam Gallagher gig

We've been down this road so many times before, we know, but we can keep dreaming, can't we?...

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 13th June 2024

It’s that time again: whether you’re bored of it or not, rumours surrounding a potential Oasis reunion are once again circling after a sign reading “reserved for Noel” was spotted at a recent Liam Gallagher gig.

Liam is currently on tour here in the UK playing Definitely Maybe in full for the debut album’s 30th anniversary – set to arrive for the first of four shows in Manchester this weekend – and has now played all four of his dates at The O2 in London.

And, given that his estranged sibling lives predominantly in London and has been there ever since the mid-1990s, many fans are now speculating whether the younger Gallagher left Noel an open invitation to come to his show after the aforementioned sign was spotted in the arena.

Well, sort of. Its origins are up for debate.

According to Simon Love (former frontman for the indie-pop band, The Loves), who was in town for Liam‘s gig on Tuesday night, the sign was left on the seat in front of him in the hospitality section.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, one commenter was quick to claim, “Liam leaves one at every show, in the hope that one day, one day, Noel will show up…”, to which Love humorously responded, “Like Ricky Bobby” in reference to Will Ferrell’s character and his absentee father in Talladega Nights.

Nevertheless, a source close to Gallagher’s team told The Independent that Liam “had nothing to do with the reserved sign and it was likely ‘someone in hospitality having a wind-up'” – but then again he would say, that wouldn’t he!?…

ADVERTISEMENT

All in all, the tongue-in-cheek response felt rather fitting as although many were hopeful there might be some substance to what was likely a prank by Love himself, even more were quick to dismiss this as little more than hot air. Liam did ultimately go on to meet up with another rock legend after the show though.

Read more:

Even if there is any semblance of truth to whether or not Liam reserved a seat for Noel at his gigs and the latter simply snubbed him, we’ll likely never know the real story, but we’d love to keep imagining that he leaves a sign out there every time just on the off chance.

It’s widely known that the pair’s ongoing feud isn’t expected to end anytime soon, no matter how many times Liam has offered a jokey but half-serious olive branch in an effort to give the fans what they want: an Oasis reunion.

ADVERTISEMENT

As for ‘The Mighty I’, he’s busy playing his own shows and creating more music under the High Flying Birds moniker and has already insisted it would take some “extraordinary circumstances” for the two to get back together, though he did have one alternative suggestion.

That being said, Liam is still doing more than his bit to keep playing Oasis songs live to as many people as possible, with the 51-year-old already teasing more anniversary shows next year.

Featured Images — Stefan Brending (via Wikimedia Commons)/Raph_PH (via Flickr)

Audio

Co-op Live announce unreal trio of gigs as debut calendar hots up even more

Danny Jones Danny Jones Co-op Live gig calendar Manchester

Music fans, strap in because Co-op Live has just confirmed a frankly ridiculous trio of gigs, and all in the space of a few hours as their first year of events only gets tastier.

The brand-new music and entertainment venue, the biggest indoor facility of its kind anywhere in Europe, only opened back in April and has already attracted some ridiculous names but they’re not slowing down with the announcements. Not even one bit.

After barely taking a beat between welcoming the Eagles, Liam Gallagher, Smashing Pumpkins and The Killers just to name a few, Co-op Live has revealed that iconic 80s singer Cyndi Lauper would be coming to the arena early next year.

Then, before even getting the chance to catch our breath, they followed that up by revealing that hip-hop and R’n’B legends Lauryn Hill and The Fugees will be arriving in just a few months, along with rock and pop-punk veterans Sum 41 just a couple of later.

Insanity.

To make things even more special, not only will it be Cyndi Lauper’s farewell tour following a career spanning nearly 50 years but these will also mark Sum 41’s final ever shows after confirming their split ahead of their new album.

And there’s The Fugees – an equally legendary trio in their own right – who they have decided to extend their current ‘Miseducation Anniversary Tour’. It’s music Christmas all come at once.

It feels like we get a whole of new acts announced for Co-op Live pretty much every week but it’s so rare you get a run of gigs dropped on you pretty much in go. The atmosphere in the immensely impressive space hasn’t disappointed even once just yet either.

Exhibit A:

Read more:

Although you’ll have to wait until 9 February next year to scream your heads off to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ at the top of your lungs, Lauryn Hill and The Fugees arrive in Manchester on 12 October, while Sum 21 says their goodbyes just over a fortnight later on 28 October.

Presale tickets for all three events go live to Co-op members at 10am on Wednesday, 26 June and general admission will follow at the same time on Friday, 28 June.

At least in Lauper and Sum 41’s case, this is your last chance to see them live in Manchester, so don’t sleep on lining up for tickets in the morning.

You can book yours via Co-op Live’s events page HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images

Audio

Troye Sivan at AO Arena, Manchester – a celebration of self-expression

The Manc Audio The Manc Audio

In the seven years since Troye Sivan’s sexual awakening on 2018’s semi-explicit ‘Bloom’, the Australian has emerged as a sex-positive powerhouse.

He’s been soundtracking queer nightclubs across the globe with the dancefloor-ready earworm ‘Rush’ – the lead single from his third studio album ‘Something To Give Each Other’, itself a further step into self-embrace and expressionism and one that has seen Troye embark on a global tour endlessly spilling out online videos of brilliantly sexy and sultry dance routines and on-stage playfulness.

His Manchester outing at the AO Arena is no different, oozing with sensual choreography that wouldn’t be out of place on the Magic Mike Live stage, yet set to make those with a more reserved outlook blush.

But that’s largely the point here, the third step in a chronological journey that carefully treads from the self-questioning of ‘Heaven’ on his 2015 debut ‘Blue Neighbourhoods’ through to his unapologetic onstage gyrating, a symbol of his self-acceptance.

Anybody uncomfortable in tonight’s crowd is undoubtedly at the wrong show, an open celebration of all-round gayness and its culture.

It’s inherent in everything he says, informing the crowd that he made a b-line direct to Manchester’s iconic Canal Street the night before, and tantalisingly hinting that he may do the same after the show, before immodestly suggesting that this may cause some type of stampede.

Perhaps it’s the reason why the show both starts and ends unusually early, and why at just 17 songs, it’s one of the shorter headline sets an arena is used to.

It’s also telling that Troye doesn’t go further back than ‘Bloom’, with the title track, the anthemic ‘My My My!’ and the Ariana Grande-featuring ‘Dance To This’ just about making the cut.

The song choices are in-keeping with the mood of the evening, more mature and more adult than anything off his debut, or ‘Bloom’s retrospective numbers that failed to make the setlist.

Tonight is evidently an acknowledgement of lust, love and sex; a call to live in the moment and not to look back, and a hedonistic masterclass.

With that, each set piece is brilliantly positioned, the performance split into six acts each broken with Troye running off stage for an outfit change or for structures to be seamlessly assembled or disassembled.

Fan favourite ‘One Of Your Girls’ sees him don a lacey corset as he shares an intimate lap dance with one of his dancers, while the sultry ‘STUD’ glides like silk both in its vocal and on-stage performance.

But the biggest reaction is saved for the Charli XCX featuring (although sadly not on stage) ‘1999’, which rounds out the main set with a party befitting its lyrics, and gay anthem ‘Rush’ – complete with full dance routine and mesmerising light show to bring the decadent thrill ride to a close.

As Pride Month draws to a close, and with Salford’s Pink Picnic acting as the show’s pre-party for many, Troye Sivan delivers easily one of the biggest and most freeing celebrations of queerness Greater Manchester has to offer – via Perth, Australia, of course.

Read more

Featured image: Stuart Winecoff

More Audio

Audio

Manchester’s Block Party comes to the streets of Stockport town centre this summer

Affiliate

Band fronted by Liam Gallagher’s son announces headline gig at iconic Manchester venue

The Killers performing the Rebel Diamonds Tour which arrives in Manchester this week. Credit: Photo © 2024 Chris Phelps www.chrisphelps.com

Audio

The Killers at Co-op Live Manchester – still going strong after 20 years

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches