Record shop owner who inspired Oasis responds to reunion: “They took us all by surprise”

29 August, 2024

Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis

The record shop owner who inspired a lyric in an Oasis song has responded to news of the band’s reunion this week.

The Britpop band announced a huge UK and Ireland headline tour earlier this week (August 27), dubbed Oasis Live ’25. Set to take place in July and August, the trek will see Liam and Noel Gallagher perform on stage together for the first time in 16 years.

The highly anticipated tour is currently made up of multiple gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park, London’s Wembley Stadium, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Croke Park, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium – and three more dates were added this morning due to “unprecedented demand”. Plans for concerts outside of Europe are currently underway too.

Now, Peter Howard, who owns Sifters Records in Manchester, has responded to news of the reunion. Howard, 76, was referenced in Oasis’ song ‘Shakermaker’ as Mr Sifter via the lyric: “Mr Sifter sold me songs when I was just 16/ Now he stops at traffic lights but only when they’re green.”

Fans have been gathering all week outside the record shop since news of the reunion arrived.

Speaking about the reunion to Sky News, Howard said he thought demand for the tickets would be “chaos… because they’re going to be millions of millions [wanting tickets] – they reckon demand is going to be more than Taylor wotsit”, in reference to Taylor Swift’s ongoing ‘Eras Tour’.

When asked how he felt when news of the reunion arrived, he said: “Oh excitement – because we’ve been denying it for, well years. Everyone who comes in here asks about them because they’re fans you know.

“I would have said it would have been further down the line, after my retirement. They’ve took us all by surprise.”

He also reflected on when the band wrote ‘Shakermaker’, recalling how they “rang me up for permission to do it”, and on their legacy: “They have good tunes, good rock stuff. Right place, right time.”

Tickets for Oasis’ 2025 UK and Ireland tour go on general sale at 9am BST this Saturday (August 31) – you’ll be able to buy yours here (UK), and here (Ireland). Fans could also sign up for a ballot to access a pre-sale on Friday (August 30) before 7pm BST yesterday (August 28).

Oasis’ 2025 UK and Ireland tour dates are:

JULY
04 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
05 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11 – Manchester, Heaton Park
12 – Manchester, Heaton Park
16 – Manchester, Heaton Park – new date
19 – Manchester, Heaton Park
20 – Manchester, Heaton Park
25 – London, Wembley Stadium
26 – London, Wembley Stadium
30 – London, Wembley Stadium – new date

AUGUST
02 – London, Wembley Stadium
03 – London, Wembley Stadium
08 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
09 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
12 – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium – new date
16 – Dublin, Croke Park
17 – Dublin, Croke Park

Ticketmaster have outlined its strict rules for purchasing tickets ahead of the sales – confirming that customers will only be able to order four tickets per household and card.

The band also revealed yesterday (August 29) that they’d partnered with ticket resale platform Twickets for their upcoming reunion tour.

Meanwhile, Oasis fans are currently speculating who could join the formerly estranged Gallagher brothers on stage next summer. Previous reports claimed “no other original Oasis member is expected to join the reunion”, and that “the members of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will step in”.

However, it is now expected that co-founding member Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs will be hitting the road too.

Oasis Live ’25 is reportedly set to make a staggering £400million, and will follow the expanded ‘Definitely Maybe’ 30th anniversary reissue, out tomorrow (Friday August 30).

The band also confirmed yesterday that they wouldn’t be headlining Glastonbury 2025, despite media speculation.

The post Record shop owner who inspired Oasis responds to reunion: “They took us all by surprise” appeared first on NME.