Oasis call Edinburgh Council a ‘bunch of snakes’ over fan comments

Liam Gallagher described City of Edinburgh council as “a bunch of snakes” on the first night of Oasis’s long-awaited Scottish shows at Murrayfield Stadium.

The singer said the Britpop icons were “still waiting for our apology” from the local authority over a report which suggested the band’s fans would be “rowdy” and “intoxicated”.

Gallagher made the comment during Friday’s concert in front of an estimated 70,000 fans at the national rugby stadium.

They will play two further dates at the arena on Saturday and Tuesday.

It marked the first time Liam and Noel Gallagher performed together in Scotland since the band split in 2009.

Fans without tickets gathered at the stairs leading to the nearby Edinburgh Trams stop and in Roseburn Park to listen to the performance.

Inside, the crowd was treated to a 23-song setlist featuring some of Oasis’s greatest hits, ending with a spectacular fireworks display after the final song, Champagne Supernova.

But they also heard the band’s frontman fire back at the council over reports that a safety briefing labelled their fans “middle-aged men” who “take up more room”.

Gallagher said the band was “bringing £1bn to this city” before saying none of the crowd would see any of it thanks to the council.

He also took aim at the Edinburgh festivals running across the month of August, describing them as a place for “people who swallow swords” and perform “poor magic tricks”.

The council comments were made public under a freedom of information request by the Scottish Sun.

They were made at a safety briefing in October last year involving the council, promoters DF Concerts, security firm G4S, Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and transport providers including Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail.

A number of concerns were raised – including about fans of Oasis “on weekends as they are already rowdy”, as well as “the tone of the band”.

It also noted the crowd may feature a number of “middle-aged men,” stating they “take up more room” compared to the audience which attended Taylor Swift’s run of shows at the same venue last summer.

DF Concerts suggested the audience would be “energetic and high-spirited” with a “medium to high intoxication”.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, who is an Edinburgh MP, described the remarks as “classist and snobby”.

Earlier on Friday, fans poured into the stadium to secure a prime viewpoint before the band took to the stage at about 20:15.

Some braved blustery conditions to hear them run through their soundcheck hours before doors opened at 17:00.

Inside the venue a sea of bucket hats and band merchandise was displayed by eager fans wanting to soak up the group’s first Scottish gigs since 2009.

An all ages crowd ranged from Britpop veterans to children not even born when the band performed their last tour.

Early tracks from their 90s heyday, like a jubilant Morning Glory and a swaggering Supersonic, were greeted with roars of approval.

Another favourite, Roll With It, had practically the whole stadium jumping.

And one fan even seized the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend during Slide Away.

Like on other nights of the tour, the setlist was nearly entirely devoted to the band’s first three albums.

A rousing encore included two of their biggest hits – Don’t Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall – back to back.

Earlier, a short walk from the stadium at Murrayfield Ice Rink, Scotland’s top Gallagher tribute act Definitely Oasis warmed up the crowd.

Lead singer, Brian McGhee, said the band had never been busier since the group reformed.

“We’re always busy, but this is probably the busiest year we’ve had,” he said.

“Next year is looking like being even busier. The demand has just gone insane, it has just gone through the roof.”

His bandmate, Noel Gallagher alter-ego Martin Reid, said it was easy to see why tickets for the gigs had been like gold dust.

“Noel’s songs have just stood the test of time,” he said.

“The thing is, it doesn’t matter what you think of the band in terms of the attitude, the songs are just phenomenal.”

It is estimated the concerts could provide the local economy with a boost of up to £130m.

An Oasis store which opened on George Street on Monday has already welcomed thousands of customers, some spending hundreds of pounds on official merchandise.

The crowd could exceed the record set last year by Taylor Swift for the largest stadium concert in Scottish history.

Police Scotland confirmed three people were arrested at the event in connection with assault, drug offences and abusive behaviour.

The force said a 46-year-old woman was given a warning, while a 49-year-old man and 45-year-old woman will appear in court at a later date.