NJ Britpop Tribute to Open for Oasis.
Clifton, NJ, Oct. 08, 2024 – The Wankers, a New Jersey-based quintet that bills itself as “The Best of Britpop – and Beyond,” will be the opening act on eight dates of the East Coast leg of Oasis’s 2025 U.S. tour.
“We were quite flummoxed when we heard the news,” says vocalist/guitarist David “Fagin,” aka Damon Gallagher. “Not because we got the gig. The lads in Oasis obviously have serious bollocks, as we do their songs better than they do. It takes some real moxie to go on after us. They’ll be lucky if anyone stays to see their set. We take our hats off to them.”
However, bassist Helena Holmes, aka “Hellie O’Riordan,” isn’t counting her chickens just yet. She states, “On paper, opening for Oasis sounds pretty great, but when I asked our manager if it was a done deal, she replied, ‘Definitely. Maybe.’”
With a live show that straddles the line between Spinal Tap and Monty Python, The Wankers pepper the audience with sardonic jabs, quips, and the occasional insult, all while dressed like Austin Powers. Musically, according to Fagin/Gallagher, they nail each legendary artist they cover—Oasis, Blur, Coldplay, Radiohead, Supergrass, Stereophonics, Travis, Keane, and more. “I really don’t envy any tosser that has to follow my performance.”
Fagin certainly gives young Liam a run for his money in the ego department. When asked what he thought of The Beatles, he replied, “Who?”
Why the Gallagher brothers chose a cover band to open some of their shows is best explained by The Wankers’ manager, Kelly Garvey. “I think Liam and Noel recognize how big the tribute genre has become here in the States. And while there are a ton of Yacht Rock copycats out there if you search the Yellow Pages for ‘Britpop Tribute,’ The Wankers are the only name you’ll find, so we were probably an easy choice. I also give them props for giving a band that’s in the same AARP age bracket as they are the exposure. After all, we’re not gonna live forever.”
