Listen Again To Oasis At Knebworth

Steve Lamacq celebrates the 20th anniversary of the seminal Britpop moment, when the biggest and most bombastic band of the time, Oasis, were at the height of their powers and played to 250,000 people over the weekend at Knebworth House.

In this special programme, exactly 20 years to the day since the first of the two events, Steve explores the build-up to the weekend, reflecting on why it was extraordinary for so many and sharing memories from those who were there and the memorabilia they have cherished all this time.

Steve will have new interviews from the bands which supported Oasis over the weekend, which included Prodigy, Manic Street Preachers, The Chemical Brothers, The Charlatans and Ocean Colour Scene. Plus we'll hear from those who made the monumental gigs happen, incuding Mike Lowe who built the biggest sound rig the country had seen at the time, and Henry Lytton Cobbold , owner of the Knebworth Estate.

In the final hour of the programme, you will be able to hear the concert, as it was broadcast live in 1996.

Listen to the show in full here, or just the concert highlights here.

Oasis At Knebworth 20 Years On: ‘Noel Gallagher Popped Up To The House For A Bath’

An incredible 250,000 people flocked to see the Britpop legends at the Hertfordshire stately home over the two nights.

At the time, they were the biggest concerts held in the country.

Both shows bring back fond memories for Knebworth House’s Henry Lytton Cobbold, who has been reflecting on the 20-year anniversary of the Oasis gigs this week.

There were a reported three million ticket applications for the concerts – enough for Oasis to have sold out 24 consecutive nights at the iconic music venue.

The Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, were at the height of their popularity following the success of second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and the concerts are regarded as the defining moment of the Britpop era.

But Knebworth’s Henry Lytton Cobbold revealed: “At the end of February we didn’t even know there was going to be a concert.

“We didn’t get the enquiry until the end of February.

“That is an extremely short lead time for a concert of this size.

“I think Robbie Williams took a year-and-a-half’s worth of planning.

“They had five months to get this together.

“That’s the shortest lead time we’ve ever had.

“They apparently had three million people apply for tickets, so they could have done six more weekends on that basis.

“So it was a massive moment.”

As well as Wonderwall band Oasis, the supporting cast over the two nights included the likes of The Prodigy, Manic Street Preachers, Cast, The Charlatans, The Chemical Brothers and Ocean Colour Scene.

Henry, however, doesn’t remember too much about the actual music. There were thirsty Oasis fans to satisfy.

He said: “My excuse is not because I was backstage quaffing Champagne with the likes of Mick Hucknell and Martine McCutcheon, my excuse is that we were running the bars that year.

“And to do the bars for 125,000 people, and we need to accept Oasis’ audience is a bar-based audience, it’s not a Buxton Water audience, we were particularly busy, particularly Martha [Henry’s wife], who was managing the bars.

“So I don’t remember much of the music.

“But it was an absolutely fantastic weekend and there are some great stories to come out of it.”

One such tale is of Noel Gallagher having a bath at the house on the Sunday morning.

“Oasis decided this was a party and they were going to stay in Winnebagos backstage,” said Henry.

The following morning Noel came up to Knebworth House asking if he could have a bath.

“My dad showed him to our Queen Elizabeth bedroom bathtub, which is a four-poster bathtub.

“As it was a big weekend for them, my dad brought Noel a bottle of Champagne to have in the bath.”

Henry added: “Noel’s talked about this since, saying he was brought a bottle of Champagne by a ‘liveried servant’ when, in fact, it was his Lordship.

“They then signed the visitors’ book and Noel signed ‘Noel Gallagher – clean!’.

“Then his bodyguard wrote his name and ‘Dirty!’.

“We should have perhaps kept the soap.”

Source: www.whtimes.co.uk

Oasis, The Smiths, Ian Brown Feature In New Exhibition

The show was put together by the photographer and curator behind the Chasing The Sun: Oasis 1993-1997 exhibition in London in 2014.

The photographer behind immersive Oasis exhibition Chasing The Sun - which included a recreation of Bonehead’s living room from the cover of Definitely Maybe - is opening a new show in Manchester next week.

Lawrence Watson is transforming a brand new Salford art space for his Manchester, So Much To Answer For show, with 40 pictures of the likes of The Smiths, Oasis, Ian Brown, The Charlatans, and New Order - some very famous, others never seen before.

He’s also turning the basement in a ‘dark room’ full of photographer’s contact sheets and a cinema screen. And upstairs, there’ll be an interactive 1980s teenager’s bedroom with authentic decorations and technology from the period - and a stack of records to play.

The idea is to give context to the way Lawrence works and to the era in which many of the Manchester bands he captured were growing up and writing music.

Among the stand out images are a shot of Liam Gallagher sitting on an empty stage in Birmingham with his beer (“After I’d taken that, he said to me, ‘It’s great this touring, everywhere I go they build me a bar’,” Lawrence laughs), and Ian Brown backdropped by a Barbie pink street in Moss Side, which was painted up for an advert in 1993.

Other highlights are shots of The Smiths hanging around outside the old Albert Finney shop on Oldham Road, and Noel Gallagher waiting for a train at Union Station.

Lawrence, who left school at 16 and took an apprenticeship in a dark room on Old Street, says it was a love of music - and specifically, not being very good at playing bass - that made him want to be a photographer.

But he tried different styles first. “I was really into people like Don McCullen, and it was the time of the National Front and Britain First so I’d been taking pictures of that,” Lawrence recalls. “I was still learning, and it was a bit intimidating having 300 skinheads coming towards you.”

From photographing gigs he earned commissions with the NME, where he met The Smiths and Morrissey - who he would continue to work with as a solo artist and says had “the clearest ideas” when it came to photo shoot locations.

But he has also gone on to work extensively with Paul Weller - who pulled the cover for his final Style Council sleeve in order to get one of Lawrence’s shots on there instead.

The new gallery, Future Artists Studios at 81 Chapel Street, has been made possible by a Kickstarter campaign and the art group’s not for profit cafe space next door, Home Of Honest Coffee.

The exhibition opens for a free private view on June 9, at 6.30pm, then runs until July 18. Tickets are essential and cost £6 via the Future Artists website.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk.

Noel Gallagher, Mark Ronson And Chris Martin Set To Headline WaterAid’s Christmas Auction

WaterAid’s Christmas auction, featuring special edition signed Q Award vinyl records from some of the country’s best-known music acts, launches on 26th November.  All the money raised from the auction will go to international charity WaterAid.

The full collection of autographed vinyl records includes: Sir Tom Jones, Noel Gallagher, Chris Martin, Foals, Gary Numan, Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Mark Ronson, Duran Duran, New Order, Roger Taylor (Queen), James Bay, Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order), Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Danny Goffey (Supergrass), Midge Ure (Ultravox), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), The Libertines, Jean Michel Jarre, La Roux, Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), Royal Blood, Ella Eyre, Foxes and host of the Q awards Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell.

Tony Iommi, the legendary lead guitarist from Black Sabbath, signed a Gibson Les Paul guitar that will also be available in the auction. He was the winner of the prestigious Gibson Les Paul Award at the Q Awards this year for his outstanding contribution to music.

All the money raised from the auction will go towards WaterAid’s winter appeal Deliver Life, giving mums and babies in the world’s poorest communities the best start in life - simply through clean water and hygiene.  Every pound bid on this auction will be doubled by the UK Government, meaning this auction can help twice as many people this Christmas.

WaterAid is the official charity of the Q Awards and is also one of the official charities of Glastonbury Festival.

WaterAid’s online Christmas auction runs on eBay from now until Sunday 6th December 2015:
www.Ebay.co.uk/wateraid

For more information about WaterAid’s Deliver Life appeal: www.deliverlife.wateraid.org

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Noel Gallagher Analyses Gary Neville Guitar Skills On Soccer AM

Gary Neville went from analysing to being analysed on Soccer AM - and Noel Gallagher didn't pull any punches.

Sky Sports pundit Neville recently appeared on stage with The Charlatans and showcased his guitar skills.

Gallagher was asked to analyse Neville's performance on the Soccer AM sofa, and he wasn't massively impressed...

Click here to watch what he had to say.

Source: www.skysports.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

No Takers For Oasis Demo Tape Or Band's NME Award Thrown Away By Noel Gallagher

But blackboard from cover of classic B-sides album The Masterplan fetches £1,400

The first demo tape ever recorded by Oasis has failed to sell at auction.

The cassette recording went under the hammer in Cheshire this week alongside an NME award which Noel Gallagher famously threw away.

But punters did not match the £1,000 reserve price for the historic tape, or the £5,000 tag for the award.

There was far more interest in another piece of the band’s history, however. The original blackboard that features in the classroom cover of the classic B-sides album The Masterplan was sold for £1,400 - far more than the £800 reserve.

The auctioneers say that since the sale on Wednesday, there’s been fresh interest in the demo tape and award from new potential buyers.

The collection of Oasis memorabilia went under the hammer at Omega Auctions in Warrington on Wednesday.

The sale featured the band’s first ever demo cassette recorded in late 1991 and Jan 1992 with Noel’s handwriting on the labels.

It was given to Terry Christian by Noel in 1992 while he was having dinner in Don Giovanni’s in Manchester.

The cassette features early studio demos on one side and an early gig on the B-side from The Boardwalk.

Noel Gallagher famously threw away the NME award in 1995/96 in response to the magazine’s editor failing to acknowledge the death of Rob Collins, keyboard player with The Charlatans.

Karen Fairweather, auctioneer at Omega Auctions, said that neither item reached its reserve price, but the Masterplan blackboard sold for £1,400.

The biggest seller of the day was a piano played by White Stripes frontman Jack White, which was picked up for £5,000.

A collection of framed 1960s promo photographs featuring The Kinks and other icons sold for £700.

For more information on the remaining lots, see www.omegaauctions.co.uk.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Rare Oasis Memorabilia Up For Auction Later This Month

An NME award that Noel Gallagher threw away is going under the hammer and has been valued at £5,000.

The Oasis legend picked up the New Musical Express ‘Oscar’ after its readers voted his band ‘The Musical Event of the Year’ in 1995/96.

But when he went to collect it he expressed his anger at the magazine’s editor for failing to acknowledge the death of Rob Collins, keyboard player with The Charlatans.

Collins was killed in a car accident in 1996 driving back from Rockfield Studios near Monmouth.

Noel made a ‘lest we forget those that have passed this year’ speech and said that the then editor of the NME was ‘...... disgrace’ for omitting to mention Collins.

He then dedicated the award to Collins before throwing it on the ground, causing the finger on the hand-shaped award to snap off.

Noel was later given the award back, but gave it away to the current owner, who was in the music industry at the time.

Now it will go under the hammer on February 25 at an event organised by Omega Auctions at its premises in Great Sankey, Warrington.

Another Oasis lot will include the original blackboard that features in the classroom cover of their classic B sides album The Masterplan.

he points out that unique markings on the wood, along with chalk markings and its size, ensure that this is definitely the same board that features in his photograph.

The vendor got this from a teacher who worked at the school in Woolwich where the cover shot was taken.

The iconic piece of Oasis history is valued at £1,000.

Also for sale is a pair of ‘as new’ promotional Dr Martens black boots produced for the band and staff working on the Be Here Now 97/98 tour. Size 10, they come in the original in Dr Martens box.

The band’s first ever demo cassette recorded in late 1991 and Jan 1992 with Noel’s handwriting on the labels, is also for sale.

It was given to Terry Christian personally by Noel in 1992 while he was having dinner in Don Giovanni’s in Manchester.

The cassette features early studio demos on one side and an early gig on the B side from The Boardwalk, and is priced at £1,000.

For more information see www.omegaauctions.co.uk

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Noel Gallagher Pledges Support For Greenock Charity Gig

Former Oasis star Noel Gallagher has pledged support for a charity gig in Greenock.

The singer-songwriter handed over a signed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds CD to be auctioned.

Greenock organiser Michael Scott is the brains behind next month’s gig, which is headlined by The Complete Stone Roses and is in aid of Ardgowan Hospice.

He contacted the musician’s management team and other top bands and has been delighted at the response.

Michael said: “A massive thank-you to Noel Gallagher and his manager for sending this.

“I’m a huge fan of Noel’s — I might have to auction it for myself!”

Other items include signed CDs from James and souvenirs from The Libertines.

He said: “They all think it’s amazing that I’m organising such a big event. Some of them have had family members cared for at a hospice.”

Michael also managed to secure a signed CD from indie rockers The Charlatans after meeting them last month.

He said: “They’re a cracking bunch of guys.”

Tickets have been selling fast for the gig, which is being held at Greenock Town Hall on Saturday 21 March.

Michael said: “The concert is nearly sold out after increasing the capacity.

“We are also trying to arrange a big after-party as well.”

Michael wants to raise as much as he can for a charity which is close to his heart.

He said: “I’ve had family and friends who have been looked after in the hospice.”

The Soviets are one of the support bands and tickets cost £17.50.

For more information visit www.justgiving.com/michaelscharityconcert

Source: www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

On This Day In Oasis History...

On August 11th 1996, Oasis played the second of two nights at Knebworth. Support for the two days included The Prodigy, Ocean Colour Scene, Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers, Kula Shaker and Dreadzone.

Below is a video of the gig.

Bid For A Genuine Oasis Platinum Disc By Bonehead, Liam Gallagher And More

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a disc awarded to Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs for Platinum sales of Definitely Maybe, Whats the story Morning glory and Be here now.

Bonehead personally donated this disc after playing at the Royal Albert Hall on 18th October 2013 at A night for Jon Brookes. Jon was the drummer of The Charlatans and tragically died  after a long battle with a brain tumour.

Bonehead performed Live Forever and Columbia with Liam Gallagher for the first time since 1999 and also played the shows finale with Beady Eye and the Charlatans with a stunning rendition of My Sweet Lord

All proceeds from the night were donated to The Brain Tumour Charity. This charity relies completely on donations and and only around 2% is spent on research. Even more alarming is the fact that Brain Tumour cancers are the biggest killer of people under 40 in the UK.

The disc is signed by, Liam Gallagher, Bonehead, Gem Archer, Andy Bell, Chris Sharrock, Jay Mehler, Tim Burgess, Martin Blunt, Mark Collins, Tony Rogers and Pete Sailsbury. As each person signed the disc we took photo's, some of which are shown here.

All proceeds from the auction will go to The Brain Tumour charity in memory of Jon Brookes.

We will start the auction at 1p and there will be NO RESERVE so everyone has a chance.

The disc is on display for viewing at South City Music, 18 Ashley Road, Altrincham, Cheshire.

The item can be shipped WORLDWIDE and will be insured to the amount it is sold for.

Import duty will be paid by the winning bidder.

Click here for more details.

Check out the current collection from Pretty Green's AW13 collection here.

Beady Eye's Gem Archer Says He's Recovered From Fractured Skull

Gem Archer has talked for the first time about the injuries which caused Beady Eye to cancel performances in Belgium, Japan and at V Festival this summer.

Talking to NME ahead of the band's show at Dublin Olympia tonight (November 7), the first of their autumn Ireland and UK tour, a now-fully recovered Archer recounted how he slipped at home in August and fractured his skull, leading to a week in hospital.

He said: "The odd thing is I can't remember falling, or much after it. It was pretty serious, shall we say, and there are a lot of people affected by it, but it seems we're through it. My wife, certainly, and the kids… It was something I wouldn't wish on anybody. I almost feel I missed it all, but they didn't – they went through it and it was horrible."

He continued: "The second fall, two weeks after the first, I've since found out, isn't that uncommon for people who've fractured their skull. Once you've had that, there is the chance of falling again and breaking an arm and/or a leg. At least I didn't do both. It's one of those things. You could think yourself into a corner with these things, worrying, but I'm not one of those guys. I've never broken a bone in my body before this summer, and now I know what it feels like. I'd hate to repeat it. And when I speak to my mam and she's worried, I just have to say 'It could happen again but I'm still here'."

Thankfully now Archer is recovered and says he's "match fit" ahead of the tour starting. He said: "I am fine. In some ways more than fine. There are slight things I see differently, which is always a bonus in life. The weird thing is when I have my guitar strapped on I feel better than ever and walk around without even thinking about what I'm doing. When I don't have it on…there are certain parts of the day when I should have my guitar on to help me. But I am definitely match fit for these gigs."

"Whether I'm completely recovered, that's a different thing. For me, completely recovered would mean being able to run down the street faster than my son and I can't yet, but maybe those days are over anyway?"

He also promised Beady Eye's setlist would be different from the band's shows earlier this year, saying: "We've rehearsed enough stuff to change it up. We'll see, I don't know what tonight's setlist is, we'll see how the soundcheck goes, but we do have a few permutations. Even just for the band's sake it's good to change things and put new songs in, and then there are a lot of people who have already seen us this year."

Finally, he talked of Jon Brookes tribute concert organised by The Charlatans which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in October. On the night former Oasis guitartist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs stepped in to replace Archer, who watched from the side of the stage.

He said: "It wasn't frustrating, it was weird for everyone else but me, I think. I loved it, and there's no way I could've done it anyway. To see them step up, and Bonehead get up like that, was a bit of a moment."

Source: www.nme.com

Bonehead On Liam Gallagher Reunion: 'It Was Like We'd Never Been Apart'

Bonehead, the guitarist who left Oasis during the making of 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' in 1999, says playing with Liam last Friday (October 18) felt as if they'd never been apart.

The estranged bandmates reunited for a one-off performance at A Night For Jon Brookes, the tribute to the late Charlatans drummer, who died of brain cancer in August.

Speaking to NME, Bonehead – real name Paul Arthurs – said: "[Liam and I] said beforehand 'This is going to be weird,' but once I plugged my amp in it was as if we'd never been apart. I've matured and Liam’s more professional too… Liam seemed the same Liam. He looked great and sang great."

The performance has naturally sparked further talk of a fully-fledged Oasis comeback, but Bonehead has mixed feelings. “If someone asked me to play Glastonbury next year, I’d do it for nothing, but I think it’d be too soon, really. Oasis have only just split up.”

Bonehead said he harboured no resentment towards Oasis after leaving the group. "I didn’t miss Oasis after I left, as we hit great heights during my time. I stayed in the background as a fan, going to their gigs," he said. The guitarist now plays in the duo Parlour Flames.

At the charity event, organised by The Charlatans, Liam's Beady Eye played Oasis tracks 'Live Forever' and 'Columbia' with Bonehead on guitar. He was filling in for guitarist Gem Archer, who is recovering from a fractured skull.

To read more from Bonehead, pick up a copy of this week's NME, on newsstands now and available digitally.

Source: www.nme.com

Bonehead Loved Stage Reunion With Liam Gallagher

Former Oasis rocker Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs has praised his ex-bandmate Liam Gallagher after they reunited onstage at a tribute to late The Charlatans star Jon Brookes.

The guitarist, who quit the Wonderwall hitmakers in 1999, joined singer Gallagher to perform two tracks from the band's heyday at the special concert in London earlier this month (Oct13).

Following their live renditions of Live Forever and Columbia, Arthurs told NME magazine, "Once I plugged my amp in it was as if we'd never been apart. We've both matured. Liam's off home to bed now, so maybe he's more professional these days."

The gig was held as a tribute to Charlatans drummer Brookes, who died of brain cancer in August (13), aged 44.

Source: www.express.co.uk

Another Gallery: Liam Gallagher And Friends At 'A Night for Jon Brookes'

Click here to see a number of pictures of The Charlatans were joined by a number of special guests at the Royal Albert Hall on 18 October 2013 for an unforgettable evening in celebration of Jon Brookes, the band’s late drummer who died on 13 August 2013.

Gallery: Liam Gallagher And Friends At 'A Night for Jon Brookes'

Click here to see a number of pictures of The Charlatans were joined by a number of special guests at the Royal Albert Hall on 18 October 2013 for an unforgettable evening in celebration of Jon Brookes, the band’s late drummer who died on 13 August 2013.

Liam Gallagher And Bonehead Reunite At Jon Brookes Tribute Concert

Liam Gallagher was joined on stage by former Oasis guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs for first time in 14 years at 'A Night For Jon Brookes' tribute concert.

The two ex-bandmates played with Andy Bell, Chris Sharrock and Jay Mehler from Liam's current band Beady Eye and performed Oasis classics 'Live Forever' and 'Columbia' at the show held in memory of the late drummer at The Royal Albert Hall in London on Friday night (18.10.13).

Regular Beady Eye guitarist Gem Archer - who is recovering from a fractured skull and broken leg - was among the audience watching and was seen using a crutch to walk.

Later in the evening, Liam, Andy and Bonehead joined The Charlatans on stage to perform a cover of George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' which Liam dedicated to Jon's widow Debbie.

Earlier, Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield played a solo acoustic set made up of 'Motorcycle Emptiness', 'A Design for Life' and 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next'.

James paid tribute to Jon on stage, saying: ''I met Jon a fair few times over the years, I won't get too deep ... but he was f***ing beautiful and the boy had groove!''
The Charlatans singer Tim Burgess played a short set with assembled 'friends'; Freddie Cowan and Arni Arnason from The Vaccines, New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, Mumford & Sons' Winston Marshall and James Walbourn from The Pretenders.

They played three songs including a cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.
The Charlatans headlined the evening with former Verve drummer Pete Salisbury replacing Jon, who tragically died from brain cancer in August aged just 44 after battling the illness for three years.

They played a selection of their greatest hits such as 'North Country Boy', 'The Only One I Know', 'How High' and 'One To Another'.

Introducing a moving rendition of 'My Beautiful Friend', singer Tim said: ''I think we can all guess who this is for.''

They closed with their usual encore of 'Sproston Green'.

Andy Bell took to his Twitter page today (19.10.13) to share his pride at being part of the special concert.

He wrote: ''Morning all. Wow thanks to @thecharlatans @Tim_Burgess @markcharlatan for putting on a great event for Jon.

''A pleasure to be part of it ... If I say so myself, @liamgallagher @Beady_Eye & @ParlourFlames were on fire! Loved @Tim_Burgess & friends doing ''Love will tear us apart''too (sic)''

Tim Burgess also took to Twitter to thank everyone involved in the concert and the fans who went.

He tweeted: ''A huge thank you to everyone who came to last night's gig, those who performed & all the lovely people who worked on it.''

All proceeds from the show went to The Brain Tumour Charity, of which The Charlatans are now patrons.

Source: www.tv3.ie

Members Of Beady Eye, The Vaccines And The Charlatans Perform At Jon Brookes Tribute Concert

Bonehead along with members of Mumford & Sons, New Order and Manic Street Preachers joined charity celebration.

The Charlatans headlined A Night For Jon Brookes, a tribute concert for their late drummer, at London's Royal Albert Hall last night (October 18).

The evening started with Birmingham band Dumb, followed by Tim & Friends, a line-up featuring New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, Mumford and Sons' Winston Marshall, The Vaccines' Freddie Cowan and Arni Arnason, and The Pretenders' James Walbourn, with Tim Burgess on vocals.

They performed New Order's 'Love Vigilantes', The Vaccines' 'Melody Calling' and finally Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', with Burgess explaining how the band came to be. "I asked The Vaccines, but the singer was on holiday. I asked New Order, but the singer was on holiday. That wasn't going to stop us, so I said I'd sing."

Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield was up next, delivering a three-song acoustic set comprising 'Motorcycle Emptiness', 'A Design For Life' and 'If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next'. Speaking between songs, Bradfield said: "I don't want to get too deep because there are people here who knew Jon a lot better than I. But we met a fair few times over the years, and he was always fucking beautiful. And the boy had groove."

Liam & Friends came next, essentially Beady Eye without injured guitarist Gem Archer who, incidentally, was in the audience, walking with a crutch but otherwise looking to be in good shape. Instead of Archer, former Oasis guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs performed with the band as they ripped through Oasis songs 'Live Forever' and 'Columbia'.

Finally, The Charlatans came to the stage, with former The Verve drummer Pete Salisbury filling in for Brookes. Speaking to NME before the concert, Charlatans bassist Martin Blunt said: "There was a tour when Jon was ill and wasn't going to be able to play. We asked who he wanted to replace him, and his first choice was Pete Salisbury."

Blunt added: "There is one special song in the setlist, for Jon, but I've found since he passed that every song has taken on a new meaning. Lyrics that I never thought about before have suddenly become really poignant. The whole evening had to be a celebration. A big send-off, as well as a big thank you to everyone for their support and a chance to raise money for an under-funded charity. We've learned since Jon was ill that brain tumours are being detected a lot more, but research, care systems and funding is severely lacking."

The band's singer Tim Burgess said he'd been "amazed" by the support from musicians following Brookes's death. He said: "I'll think about Jon during every line of every song."

They began their set with 'Forever', and moved through some of their best-known songs including 'North Country Boy', 'Just Lookin'', 'The Only One I Know', 'One To Another' and 'How High'. There was also a particularly moving version of 'My Beautiful Friend', before which Burgess said: "I think we can all guess who this is for."

After 'How High', three of The Charlatans left the stage, leaving guitarist Mark Collins and keyboard player Tony Rogers with Liam & Friends, who returned for a version of George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord', dedicated by Gallagher to "Jon's missus Debbie". Finally The Charlatans returned for their traditional encore of 'Sproston Green'.

Jon Brookes passed away in August, aged 44. He was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2010 and underwent several operations and treatment for the condition. Proceeds from the night went to The Brain Tumour Charity, of which The Charlatans are now patrons. The charity say more than 9,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year in the UK, with the condition being the biggest cancer killer among those under 40. The charity have also set up The Jon Brookes Fund as a lasting tribute to the drummer.

The Charlatans played:

'Forever'
'Just When You're Thinking Things Over'
'North Country Boy'
'Blackened Blue Eyes'
'Just Lookin''
'The Only One I Know’'‘Oh Vanity'
'One To Another'
'Here Comes A Soulsaver'
'My Beautiful Friend'
'Then'
'How High'
'Sproston Green’

Source: www.nme.com

Video: Liam Gallagher Joins The Charlatans On Stage And Performs My Sweet Lord

Liam Gallagher and friends played at benefit concert to honour The Charlatans' late drummer Jon Brookes, taking place in London yesterday.

Below is a video of them playing a cover of George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord', as soon as I come across any other videos I will post them.

Video: Liam Gallagher And Friends Perform Live Forever And Columbia

Liam Gallagher and friends played at benefit concert to honour The Charlatans' late drummer Jon Brookes, taking place in London yesterday.

Below is a video of them playing Oasis' Live Forever and Columbia, as soon as I come across any other videos I will post them.

Mumfords & Sons Member To Join Liam Gallagher At Tribute To Late Charlatans Drummer

'I’ll be thinking of Jon Brookes in every line of every song,' says Charlatans singer Tim Burgess.

The line-up for the benefit concert to honour The Charlatans' late drummer Jon Brookes, taking place in London today, has been bolstered by the addition of members of Mumford & Sons and the Pretenders.

The Vaccines' guitarist Freddie Cowan recruited Mumfords banjo player Winston Marshall and Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne to back him and Vaccines bassist Arni Arnason at A Night For Jon Brookes, which takes place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday. Proceeds go to The Brain Tumour Charity; Brookes died of brain cancer in August.

Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, who is hosting and fronting the celebration, told NME: "The Vaccines all wanted to take part, but Justin Young and their drummer Pete Robertson are on holiday, so Freddie kindly got some friends to help back me up. I love The Vaccines, it'll be great to sing a couple of their songs."

Also on the bill are Manic Street Preachers' singer James Dean Bradfield, New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, a Chemical Brothers DJ set, Birmingham band Dumb.

Beady Eye will be joined by original Oasis rhythm guitarist Bonehead, appearing on stage with Liam for the first time since he left Oasis in 1999. He replaces Beady Eye's Gem Archer, who is recovering from a fractured skull.

Burgess said he's been "amazed" by the support from musicians following Brookes' death. He said: “I'll think about Jon during every line of every song. It’s a celebration of Jon’s life, and I’m going into the show thinking that I won’t struggle through any of the songs.

"Thinking about Jon doesn’t make me break down, it makes me straighten my back instead. I’m a Manchester United fan, and having Jon in my band was like having Roy Keane in my team."

According to the frontman, only Johnny Marr – who plays at the nearby Roundhouse on Friday – and Julian Cope – who has a deadline of Monday to finish writing a new book – were unavailable to play at the benefit. "The number of musicians who loved Jon has touched me, and Jon's family are blown away," he added.

Burgess also revealed that The Charlatans began work on a new album with Brookes shortly before his death, which will be released next year. "We started recording because Jon wanted to be involved on it,” said Burgess. "The more Jon’s cancer progressed, the more he wanted to be involved. We had to tell him sometimes he couldn’t do it – in his head, Jon felt fine, but he physically couldn’t play. But, whenever he could, we’d get Jon into play."

Burgess compared the album, which will be the band’s 12th, to their 1990 debut 'Some Friendly'. He said: "An album is only good if it’s not a struggle, and there was no effort to the optimism in that record, which I think has happened in these songs too." Of the album's sound, he said: "It’s a very light-sounding record, considering what was going on. It’s inspired by the sunshine and sounds like 1960s California, brought forward to today."

Songs on the new album will include 'Emily' and 'I Would Never Leave You Ever'. The band will produce the album themselves. “It’s hard when you’ve got an allotted amount of time with a producer," said Burgess. "If we’ve got eight weeks to make something, you know it’s going to take us 10."

Source: www.nme.com