First Oasis support act officially confirmed as Richard Ashcroft as he speaks out for first time

Rumours began a few weeks ago and now the first support act for Oasis tour is official for 2025 dates - and now the first act has officially been announced

Richard Ashcroft has confirmed he is supporting Oasis on their 2025 tour and says Noel and Liam Gallagher "inspired" some of his best music. The former Verve frontman, 53, will be the main support act for all UK and Ireland Oasis shows next year.

Confirming the news, Richard said: “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 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. 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.”

Richard has an association with Oasis going right back to when they first began in the early Nineties. One of Oasis’s first national tours was as support to The Verve back in 1993, often playing to just a few hundred people several months before their debut single ‘Supersonic’ was released.

They were back together again in 1995, with The Verve supporting Oasis at The Bataclan in Paris before featuring as special guests at the giant tent show at Scotland ’s Irving Beach.

Their friendship extended to the recordings too, with Noel dedicating ‘Cast No Shadow’ from ‘(What's the Story) Morning Glory?’ to Richard, before Richard later provided backing vocals on ‘All Around The World’ from 1997’s ‘Be Here Now’.

Richard, Liam and Noel have been firm friends ever since, and in 2021 Liam featured on a reworked version of C'mon People (We're Making It Now)’ from Richard’s reworks album ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol 1’.

Fans going to the gigs can expect to hear some classic Verve anthems like ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’, ‘Lucky Man’ and ‘Sonnet’ as well as solo highlights such as ‘A Song For The Lovers’.

Richard Ashcroft has been rumoured as a support act to Oasis for weeks along with Liverpool band Cast, but only Ashcroft is officially confirmed for now.

The full line up for Oasis on stage is also yet to be confirmed with Gem Archer, Andy Bell and original member Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs expected to be on stage with Noel and Liam. The tour kicks off in Cardiff on July 4 and finishes at Wembley in September. There are also now dates in North America and Australia next year.

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