'Liam snubbed us as support but Oasis are smashing it with comeback shows'

Don't look backing band in anger

- BY JOHN DINGWALL

SHAUN Ryder has predicted Oasis will blow away their Irish and Scottish fans with their “best shows ever” as the band's reunion tour begins to wrap up its UK and Ireland gigs.

The Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman made the forecast despite narrowly missing out on either of his bands being chosen as support on the Oasis Live '25 tour.

Shaun, 62, who attended three of the five Oasis gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park last month, says Noel and Liam Gallagher's band are sounding better than anyone could have hoped for and will blow the roof off Murrayfield stadium at their three Edinburgh shows, starting tomorrow.

He said: "Our manager Alan McGee thought that we should be on the bill for the Oasis tour but Noel left it to 'Our Kid', who wanted Cast and Richard Ashcroft.

"Cast are brilliant, Richard's brilliant, so that's how it is.

"Still, I saw Oasis play three nights at Heaton Park and my missus went with the girls three times. Oasis were brilliant.

"Liam is back. His voice is sounding great. His singing is great. He's a proper frontman. It's a tight band. Oasis are sounding better than ever.

"It's a great show. What I saw in Manchester was just brilliant. I don't think anyone has a bad word about the shows. Before, people were saying it would be cabaret but it isn't. It's just really good."

Shaun was part of the 'Madchester' scene that helped inspire Oasis to form in the early 1990s.

He also revealed he introduced Noel to another of his idols, Scots singer Donovan, who is the grandfather of his daughter Oriole.