Robbie Williams has said he would open for Oasis on their ongoing ‘Live ’25’ reunion tour.
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The Britpop icon’s highly anticipated return to the stage kicked off last month with two nights at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Since then, it has seen Liam and Noel Gallagher play gigs in Heaton Park in Manchester, London’s Wembley Stadium, the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, and two stops at Croke Park in Dublin.
Williams is also on the European leg of his ongoing tour in support of his upcoming album ‘Britpop’ – set to be released on October 10 (pre-order it here).
Now, Williams has revealed that he’d happily join Liam and Noel on tour as a support act, saying: “I would open for Oasis,” in a new interview with ITV News.
“In this moment that they’re having right now, they are omnipresent and they are the peak Zeitgeist,” he continued. “I can’t compete with that. So I would, I would open for Oasis. We’re not exactly friends, but I don’t think we’re enemies.”
For the UK leg of the ‘Live ’25’ tour, Oasis were supported by Cast and Richard Ashcroft, while Cage The Elephant will join in North America and Mexico, and Ball Park Music will open the Australian dates.
It’s not the first time Williams has acknowledged the massive tour. In July, he unveiled a blue plaque in London to honour the band ahead of the first show on their reunion tour. The sign was placed on Berwick Street in Soho – the location of the iconic cover of the Britpop group’s second album, ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ (1995).
Before that, last year he spoke about being on the road at the same time as Oasis’ huge reunion shows: “I don’t think anyone could compete with that – including Taylor Swift, who’s the biggest artist on this planet. So no, it’s not a competition, even though it bloody is.”
In May, NME asked Williams if he would be attending any of Oasis’ concerts this year. He responded: “Not only will you not be seeing me at any Oasis shows, you will not be seeing me at any shows full stop. I’m a wonderful agoraphobe, and a very happy agoraphobe.”
He had previously commented on the reunion, saying: “The soap opera alone will either be exciting and or ghoulish to watch. As for the shows? They’re gonna be incredible, off-the-scale special.” Williams said the comeback would be a “healing moment for our country”.
Williams praised the “charismatic” Liam Gallagher as well, before making a slight dig at his older brother: “Noel will be there too.” The pop star jumped in to defend Oasis amid the dynamic pricing ticket controversy last year.
His comments over the past year seem to signal the end of a long feud between Williams and Oasis, which ignited when Noel referred to him as “the fat dancer from Take That”. Williams went on to challenge Liam to a £100,000 fight at the 2000 BRIT Awards.
In 2022, the singer called the Gallagher brothers “gigantic bullies” but said he was still “a huge fan” of Oasis. Responding to the remarks, Liam explained: “I’ve never bullied anyone in my life I’m a massive piss taker for sure and probably gone a little too far sometimes, but if I’ve ever hurt anyone’s feelings I apologise.”
Williams also took a jibe at Liam upon the news of his 2022 return to Knebworth Park, which staged some of Oasis and Williams’ biggest ever shows. Late last year, he shared how he thought Liam and Noel would react to their depiction in his new biopic Better Man.
In other news, Williams recently announced an intimate London gig where he will play both ‘Life Thru A Lens’ and ‘BRITPOP’ in full.
As well as Black Sabbath legend Iommi, it has also been revealed that the new album will feature appearances from Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Gaz Coombes of Supergrass, Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy and his former bandmate Gary Barlow – who co-wrote a song all about Morrissey‘s stalker.
He spoke to NME about his guitar-heavy new sound earlier this summer, revealing: “I was playing it safe and I’ve not been driving my own car. I’ve not had my hands on the wheel through second-thinking myself and guessing what people like. I just wanted to do something that I like.”
As for Oasis, they’re about to head across the pond for their North American shows. Dates in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Pasadena and Mexico City will take them to the middle of September, and then they’ll head back for two final nights at Wembley. Afterwards, they’ll play in South Korea, Japan, Australia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
NME gave Oasis’ first concert at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium a full five-star review, writing: “After a ‘90s heyday and an often maligned post-millennium era, this is Oasis redesigned for the 21st Century.”
“Playing before a pop-art-meets-psychedelia visual spectacular that never distracts but will look sick on a phone, they seem the quintessential stadium band playing the greatest hits of greatest hits,” it added.
