Oasis promoters SJM Concerts praise Manchester City Council after 'folklore' homecoming gigs
IT’S the homecoming reunion that will live forever in the folklore of Manchester music history.
Now, following five iconic shows at Heaton Park, Oasis’ promoters SJM Concerts have thanked and praised Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and back stage crews for all their help and support, writes Graham Walker.
Rob Ballantine, Director of SJM Concerts, hailed Oasis’ five-nights as a cultural milestone and also saluted the fans who made it unforgettable, including thousands who gathered without tickets on so-called ‘Gallagher Hill’.
Gallagher Hill wasn't part of the official venue, but the hill offered a spot where people could hear the music and soak up the atmosphere, an unofficial viewing party without being inside the gates - a spontaneous tribute from the fans, embraced by the band.
Oasis acknowledged it.
Liam gave shout-outs during the gigs, and on the final night, live footage of the crowd on the hill was shown on the big screens. The band even printed special T-shirts with Gallagher Hill included in the logo, which Rob helped to hand out to fans there as a thank-you.
Rob paid special tribute as he acknowledged the work of Manchester City Council, the emergency services and TfGM for the safety and comfort of almost 350,000 fans
He said: “We were blown away by the incredible support, atmosphere and success of all five homecoming shows by Oasis.
“They proved they are the most culturally important band in the UK and those concerts will live in the memories of hundreds of thousands of music fans for years to come and will live in the folklore of Manchester music history for decades.
“Manchester City Council played a huge part in the success of the concerts and helped the City embrace the excitement with their promotion of Manchester Live 25 across the City.
“Along with the emergency services and TfGM the safety and comfort of almost 350,000 fans was of paramount importance and a great success.
“Outside of the concert arena there were thousands of ticketless fans who gathered to hear and be involved in the events. SJM Concerts on behalf of, and with the full support and knowledge of Oasis, worked closely with the Safety Advisory Group chaired by MCC to discuss how best to ensure the safety of those gathering on what is now known as Gallagher Hill.
“It was unanimously decided the action necessary to safeguard those gathering, and steps were taken to ensure the safety of the crowd.
“Oasis themselves wanted to include Gallagher Hill in the concert and Liam gave a 'shout out' on both concerts of the final weekend and on the last concert a film crew relayed live pictures of the crowd onto the big screens of the main stage.
“Other ideas were explored but were not workable for technical reasons.Oasis printed commemorative T-shirts with Gallagher Hill in the Oasis logo and myself with a team of staff distributed these to people as they arrived on the Hill.
“SJM Concerts and Oasis want to thank the council, the emergency services and all members of the Safety Advisory Team on a first-class delivery of the biggest and most significant music events the City has hosted for many years.
“We would also like to acknowledge the incredible atmosphere generated by the fans who seem to have unanimously decided the gigs were the best nights of their lives!
“It was a privilege to be involved in the huge team of people making these concerts the success they were.”