Noel Gallagher has confirmed that he will rejoin Oasis for its Irish concert in Lansdowne Road on July 8th, but said that it would also be among his last dates with the group.
The guitarist and songwriter announced earlier this week that he was quitting overseas touring with Oasis, but would play the band's British and Irish dates. Matt Deighton, formerly of British band, Mother Earth, and a sometime member of Paul Weller's band, has been drafted in to replace Gallagher on tour - but Oasis had to wait while the singer-songwriter performed a solo concert in Dublin last night. "I got the call on Monday night out of the blue," said a bemused Deighton, speaking to The Irish Times yesterday afternoon. "Their management told me what it was all about, but they didn't tell me who the band was. I found out who it was the next day."
Deighton was asked to fly out immediately and join Oasis on tour, but he refused, saying he had to play a concert in Dublin's Temple Bar Music Centre.
"They wanted me out there straight away, but I said no, I'm not cancelling this gig. I've been looking forward to doing it."
Following last night's solo show in Dublin, in front of a small but appreciative crowd, Deighton flew straight out to begin hasty rehearsals with Oasis, in preparation for the band's concert in Milan on Tuesday.
"They sent me over all the CDs, and a set list, so I'll probably be working it all out on the plane going over," Deighton said. "Doing this Oasis thing won't disrupt my plans very much - I'll just have to postpone everything. And by that time, I'll probably be a lot more well-known!"
