The singer, who is best known for hit songs like Bitter Sweet Symphony, is said to have been "inspired" by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher early in his career. The Verve's Richard Ashcroft confirmed as support act for Oasis reunion tour Announcing the news, Richard said: “As a fan from day one I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis’s return was announced. I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam’s pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work.
"It was the perfection of ‘Live Forever’ that forced me to try and write my own. They dared to be great, made the dreams we had real and I will always remember those days with joy. Now it’s time to create more memories and I’m ready to bring it.
See you next summer. Music is power.” Richard has had a good relationship with since the 1990s with The Verve supporting the band during their first national tour in 1993.
Their relationship goes beyond the stage with Noel dedicating the song Cast No Shadow from the (What's the Story) Morning Glory album to Richard. Richard also provided vocals to the song All Around The World from the 1997 album Be Here Now. Oasis confirmed they would be reuniting for a UK and Ireland tour earlier this year, seeing the distant duo perform in cities like London, Edinburgh and Manchester in 2025.
Discussing the exciting news, the band stated in a press release: "The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned.