Liam Gallagher pictured for first time since Oasis reunion news as he returns to UK
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has been spotted for the first time since the band confirmed their comeback at the end of last month.
The singer was spotted walking his rescue dog, Buttons, on a common in the southwest of England, following a recent break in the south of France.
The sighting comes just days after Liam caused a stir on social media as he addressed fans for the first time since the controversy over ticket prices for the huge reunion tour. Not one to shy away from controversy, the younger Gallagher brother told one fan to "shut up", which reignited a debate online about the general sale debacle a few weeks ago.
READ MORE: Liam Gallagher hints at Oasis tour support act and how long the shows will last
In the pictures released today, Liam can be seen wearing a trademark parka to shield him from the elements, as well as a cap and matching trainers. It's the first time the singer has been photographed publicly since announcing the return of Oasis.
In late August, the Manchester-born musician that he and brother Noel would be reforming the 90s Britpop outfit as part of a newly announced 2025 world tour. Millions attempted to secure tickets for 17 UK and Ireland shows at venues including Heaton Park and Wembley, but the group faced backlash over dynamic pricing which saw tickets originally priced at £148 surge to £355 in some cases.
The Oasis Live ‘25 tour was the biggest concert launch ever seen in the UK and Ireland, with over 10 million fans from 158 countries queuing to buy tickets. Last week, the band added two more shows to the bill with extra London Wembley gigs taking place on September 27 and 28.
Addressing the backlash, an invitation-only ballot ticket sale strategy will be implemented for the two shows. Eligible fans received an email over the weekend asking them to register, however a entry does not guarantee they will receive a code for the ticket sale, which is anticipated to take place after 8pm on Friday, 13 September.
Despite opening up more opportunities for tickets, several supporters voiced their discontent with the band's decision to continue using Ticketmaster though. One disgruntled fan remarked: "Nothing for the fans who couldn't even get signed into their Ticketmaster accounts because they were stuck in a Q to get on the website."
In a statement on Wednesday (September 4), Oasis also said it had 'no awareness' that 'dynamic pricing' would be used. Then on Friday, Liam addressed fans on X, formerly Twitter, telling some to 'shut up' after they called out the cost of tickets to see the brothers next summer.
In a post shared last week, he wrote: "OASIS are back your welcome and I hear there ATTITUDE STINKS good to know something's never change LF****** X."
On a slightly lighter note, Liam also told fans last week that he "won't have a bad word said" about his brother Noel and described ticketing issues around Oasis' upcoming reunion as "ain't cool".
Reflecting on the relationship with brother Noel since the announcement of their comeback gigs on August 27, Liam revealed that during performances he's planning to be "blowing him kisses in between each song".
In a follow-up tweet he also expressed his disappointment, saying: "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.
"I want to celebrate this biblical moment with everyone I gotta go I'm sorry."
Last week, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) confirmed it received 450 complaints about adverts which allegedly made 'misleading claims about availability and pricing' with some fans finding standard tickets had more than doubled on Ticketmaster as a result of dynamic pricing.
The controversial practice involves increasing or decreasing prices based on demand. Ticketmaster has said it does not set concert prices and its website states this is down to the 'event organiser' who 'has priced these tickets according to their market value'.
On Thursday (September 5), The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) said it was also probing the ticket sales for band’s upcoming reunion tour, including how the pricing structure may have been used. The CMA is scrutinising whether the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law.