Noel Gallagher has said he is «thrilled and honoured» to have his portrait added to the National Portrait Gallery. Let’s hope Liam doesn’t get jealous…
Oasis have been dominating the headlines of late with the announcement of their reunion tour and the resulting ticket controversy, as the band used Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing option.
Now, one half of the warring Gallagher brothers gets some good news, as a picture of Noel Gallagher is set to go on display at London’s National Portrait Gallery later this year.
Let’s hope Liam doesn’t get jealous and call off the whole tour…
The photograph of Noel, taken by photographer Zoe Law, will go on display for the first time as part of the gallery’s ‘Legends’ exhibition on 29 November, and will then be part of the gallery’s permanent collection once the exhibit comes to an end on 2 March 2025.
The musician said he was “thrilled and honoured” to be among the portraits, adding: “The thought of the portrait of a grumpy middle-aged man, who frankly hates having his picture taken, being permanently displayed for future generations to marvel at is very special. Thanks and praise.”
Photographer Law said: “It is the greatest honour that my portrait of the legend Noel Gallagher has been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery – a lasting legacy that all portrait photographers and artists dream of.”
As previously stated, the news comes after the selling out of Oasis’ reunion tour, which had an estimated 14 million people battling it out for tickets to next summer’s stadium gigs. Fans queued online for hours and were shocked due to the dynamic pricing.
Standing tickets, advertised for £135 (€160) were subject to dynamic pricing, and at its peak, these tickets rose to £355 (€421) by the time fans reached the checkout.
The UK government confirmed that it would look at the issue of dynamic pricing. “The government’s job is to make sure the regulations are in place to make sure consumers are protected,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Liam addressed the chaos of ticketing on X, posting: «I’m seriously gutted for people that can’t get tickets, I can’t even go there it hurts my heart and I know people will think I’m taking the piss, but I’m not.»
In response to the huge demand, Oasis announced that they would be playing to extra nights at Wembley on 27 and 28 September, this time with stricted rules for ticket sales.