Richard Ashcroft headlining Neighbourhood Weekender (Gary Mather for Live4ever)
Richard Ashcroft will release his new album Lovin You in September.
The latest guest of BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room live series, Richard Ashcroft has been reflecting on the start of his tour with Oasis as the main support of their Live 25 reunion.
Ashcroft told host Vernon Kaye his bond with the Gallaghers is such that he would have, ‘taken the job’, had Liam and Noel offered him a place in the band when Bonehead departed in 1999.
“I think it was their promoter, who is my promoter, but I think he had a number of people who would have done it for nothing and I think he was hoping it was gonna be one of them,” The Verve frontman said of how he got on board with the tour.
“But I think Liam mentioned it in a meeting and Noel totally agreed because I used to say I supported Noel when I was younger, and Liam, Oasis, as a solo artist, they supported The Verve back in very early days.”
“I’ve supported them as The Verve many times. And I’ve also in a way been there from almost the beginning.”
When Bonehead left the band, I happened to be in the studio. I came down with a guitar pretending like, you know… and I would have taken the job, to be honest. I’d have been happy. I’d have been happy strumming along to those tunes, you know what I mean? Big weight off my shoulders, just have a laugh.
