Matt Lucas and Liam Gallagher appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show this weekend in an interview that saw the pair delve into the age-old rivalry between Oasis and the Damon Albarn fronted Britpop counterparts Blur.
It’s a tiff that’s been simmering for over two decades, and one that may never see a resolution. During the interview, Jonathon Ross brought up Lucas’ friendship with Oasis foes Blur.
The rivalry stems from one fateful week in 1995, where the two Britpop titans engaged in a chart battle after releasing their highly-anticipated singles on the same day. With Blur’s poppy offering ‘Country House’ going neck and neck with Oasis’ soaring rock anthem, ‘Roll With It.’
The chart battle incited a media maelstrom. Press whipped up a narrative that pitted Blur’s middle-class Southern upbringing against Oasis’ working-class Northern manifesto.
On his friendship with Blur, comedian Matt Lucas recalled: “I ended up supporting them, I toured with Blur the week they released [1995’s] The Great Escape.”
Adding, “Which is a wonderful album, Jonathan, [The Great Escape] that has classics on it like ‘The Universal’.” A comment that Liam couldn’t help but take a jab at, “Didn’t fucking sell much though, did it? It’s not as good as Morning Glory,” Gallagher interjected. To which Lucas responded, “I’d be inclined to agree with you, only for fear of getting knocked out.”
Lucas went on to recall a “very civil” drink he shared with Damon and Liam at the Groucho Club years back. Which Gallagher vehemently denies ever happening.
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“Are you sure that wasn’t Noel? I don’t know if that happened,” he claimed.
Elsewhere in the interview, Liam took a swipe at Noel for his reluctance to take part in an Oasis reunion. Revealing that he turned down £100 million to take part in a tour.
“When someone offers you 100 million pounds to do a few gigs and that man, you’re going to go, ‘Alright then yeah…’ there was a lot of money knocking about,” he said.
“It was 100 million pounds to do a tour and that and I’m thinking, ‘I’m not a dickhead, know what I mean? I’ll have a bit of that.’ He’s not into it is he? He’s after a knighthood isn’t he?” You can watch the interview below.