Oasis fans have been left outraged after the iconic British band opened their first live performance in 16 years with a song that credits convicted child sex offender Gary Glitter.
The band’s highly anticipated reunion tour began on Friday night at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
But controversy erupted immediately when the show kicked off with “Hello” – the opening track from their 1995 album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – a song that contains lyrics and melody taken from Glitter’s 1973 hit Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again.
The track’s closing line, “Hello, hello, it’s good to be back,” is sung by frontman Liam Gallagher while the original melody from Glitter’s version plays subtly in the background.
As a result, both Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) and his co-writer Mike Leander receive songwriting credits.
Fans were quick to express their fury online. One fan wrote on X: “Brilliant OASIS. Child r*pist Gary Glitter is getting more money in royalties.”
Another added: “Gary Glitter getting a royalties top up – cancel the Gallaghers!”
A third commented sarcastically: “F***ing brave move to open your reunion gig with a Gary Glitter cover.”
“God this looks s*** watching a Gary Glitter/Slade cover band,” a fourth user wrote.
Others questioned the decision outright: “Gotta be honest, I didn’t think Oasis would open their first gig since 2009 with the Gary Glitter song…”
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Oasis performs in Cardiff
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One user summed up the outrage: “If they were American, I’d understand it. But they’re British. They KNOW who Gary Glitter is, what he did. And they STILL played that song?”
Gary Glitter, now 80, became notorious in 1997 when police discovered a trove of 4,000 child abuse images in his possession.
He later served time in Vietnam for abusing two girls and, in 2015, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in the UK for sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980.
Earlier this year, reports suggested the Gallagher brothers had agreed to drop Hello from their reunion setlist due to its ties with Glitter.
A source told The Sun: “The lyrics of the song would obviously have been a good fit for the reunion tour, but the band have decided to leave it in the past. It would be inappropriate to play it given its connotations to Glitter and his convictions.”
Fans at Oasis concert in Cardiff
GETTY
However, the band still went ahead and played it.
The Cardiff concert marks the beginning of a massive global tour, which will conclude on November 23 at the Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil.
The tour was announced on August 27, 2024, just ahead of the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe.
Demand for tickets was unprecedented, with over 14 million fans reportedly scrambling for just 1.4 million seats across 17 initially announced UK and Ireland dates.
Tickets for the shows were released on 31 August 2024 and faced significant backlash due to long wait times, technical errors, and high resale prices. Many fans reported being flagged as bots or encountering limited time windows to purchase.
Support acts for the tour include Cast, Richard Ashcroft, Cage the Elephant, and Ball Park Music.