S Poddar
Liam Gallagher has landed himself in controversy after engaging in a spat with Irish rock band Fontaines DC over comments related to the long-awaited Oasis reunion. The row blew up when two members of Fontaines DC, Carlos O’Connell and Conor Deegan III, publicly expressed apathy toward news of Oasis’s return.
In this light, the two musicians, O’Connell and Deegan, have let their total indifference to the reunion tour scheduled for 2025 be known through a recent interview with Studio Brussel. O’Connell didn’t mince his words when his turn came: “I couldn’t really give a s***, to be honest.” Meanwhile, Deegan added, “I’m not excited about it either, to be honest,” before expanding on his perspective. He felt that the more nostalgic feelings about bands like Oasis have the potential to overpower and bury the creation of new music, to which he and his bandmates are committed with their latest record. “So for Oasis to reform at this moment, for us, is really annoying,” added Deegan.
He is known for his big mouth, so he did not waste any time in reacting, taking to social media to fire back at the band, naming them derogatorily and even targeting their credential status. On Twitter, Gallagher responded to one of those fan accounts that regularly share articles about him with the following tweet from his verified account: “F*** them little spunkbubbles I’ve seen better dressed ROADIES.”.
Given Gallagher’s tone in his response, it’s probably unlikely that Fontaines DC will be getting any offers to join the Oasis reunion tour as support acts. But it does seem like neither Deegan nor O’Connell would be particularly dismayed by such an outcome.
Frontman Grian Chatten sought to iron things over, taking to Instagram to clear the air. He shared a response to the NME report of the spat, saying, “I love Oasis. This is not my opinion.” The clarification was to say there might have been a misinterpretation, but respect for Oasis is still there from the band.
The new album from Fontaines DC, Romance, has received a four-star review at The Independent from Mark Beaumont. Whatever the recent drama, it’s fair to say the band have their eyes fixed firmly on their music and their creative future.
Curiously enough, he had previously said Fontaines DC was his son Gene Gallagher’s favorite band; Gene himself is a musician in the rock group Villanelle. The feud hit closer to home, indicating how mixed about the band Gallagher really is.
Oasis will kick off their reunion tour, set to trek them across London, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin. An announcement of their supporting acts is yet to be announced by Gallagher and his brother Noel, as reports have suggested several bands in the running, with discussions still going on. A source close to the band revealed, “Liam is keen for established acts so it will probably take a bit of back and forth before anything’s confirmed.” This would hint that this process of naming the right support acts could be quite selective.
Contrary to some tabloid reports, there’s no confirmation that Villanelle has been booked as a support act. Other bands, including Kasabian – led by Gallagher’s friend Serge Pizzorno – along with the Brit Award-nominated group Blossoms, are also reported to be under consideration.
The Oasis reunion tour is near, and the line-up is yet to be seen, but it will again be a point of scrutiny by fans, and also how the ongoing debate with Fontaines DC reflects further on the tour’s planning.
