Bez of the Happy Mondays has had his say on the upcoming Heaton Park Oasis gigs as he admits he isn’t surprised the band got back together for their reunion tour
Happy Mondays star Bez says the Oasis homecoming gigs in Manchester will be a “monumental moment” in music history. The dancer and pal of Shaun Ryder has toured with the Gallaghers and is thrilled they are back.
Talking of the shows this weekend at Heaton Park, Bez told us: “I think it’ll be absolutely phenomenal. It’ll be really big in time. A monumental moment, that’s what it’s going to be.”
Noel and Liam will be taking to the stage in their hometown for the first time in 16 years. While many could never see this moment happen, Bez, 61, thinks it was never in doubt.
Follow along the Mirror’s live Oasis updates for Heaton Park here.
“I’ve always known it’s gonna happen as soon as they broke up,” he said. “It’s like the Blues Brothers, you know what I mean? Getting the band back together again. And there’s always going to be that time when they have had to go ‘let’s get the band back together again’. And that time is now.”
He also admitted people resonate with the once-lairy brother because they’re “proper boys”. “They’re great. They’re working class lads, aren’t they? Proper boys. You know, you’ve got to take off your hat, because they’re living the dream.
“For me, it’s harder than being a footballer, because you’ve got more chances of being a footballer than a musician.”
Bez, 61, also tipped the icons to bring out new material, saying: “They could make another album. I can’t see why they wouldn’t do it because I’m sure it’d be a worldwide hit to bring another album out after the reception they got.
“You know, what a retirement plan, if that’s the last thing you do. I’m sure they’d go for the retirement plan. If they don’t, they’re mad!”
And he said he “can’t speak more highly of the lads”. “They’re everything you’d hope for them to be. I really like them both and wish them luck. I hope they do go on and make a new album as it’ll be amazing. There’s obviously a lot of legs left in Oasis.”
The Happy Mondays opened for Oasis back in 2000 and Bez said he is eternally grateful for them helping to bring him back to the big stage. Part of Oasis’ Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants tour, the Happy Mondays got the crowd pumping before the Mancunians took centre stage.
And during one of their sets at Wembley, Liam even joined the band for a special moment in history. “On a personal level, I just got over a massive spell in hospital,” Bez said of the tour.
“I had a really bad motorbike crash at the time, and they were my first gigs coming back with Oasis. So, I went from my deathbed to supporting Oasis in front of the biggest crowd you’ve ever seen.”
The near-death experience had left Bez, real name Mark Berry, in intensive care with broken bones and a punctured lung, fighting for his life. Doctors had called family and friends into hospital telling them he wasn’t going to make it through the night.
However, he wouldn’t share any behind-the-scenes secrets from the tour, joking “loose lips sink ships”. But the connection between the two bands remains, with Noel recently recording a tune with Bez’s new band, Mantra of the Cosmos.
Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous), written by Noel and Shaun, brings the two worlds back together again. “Mantra of the Cosmos is like Dylan, Dali and Ginsberg on a rocketship to the moon to have it with the Clangers,” Noel previously said.
While Bez may have given up the opportunity to see this weekend’s huge show, giving his tickets to family instead, he will be DJ-ing over the weekend at the official Oasis after parties and is also taking part in a Britpop celebration on Europe’s largest digital ceiling in Manchester.
The space will come alive in spectacular fashion with a vibrant visual display voiced by Bez himself. The immersive installation will run all throughout July and will pay homage to the golden era of 90s British music and culture, featuring animated sequences of iconic imagery, from Union Jack motifs and recognisable fashion to kaleidoscopic colours that evoke the spirit of the decade.
And speaking of the Oasis after parties, Bez added:: “People can expect to just have a good time, really. That’s what I’m planning on doing, anyway. I don’t know about the rest of you!”
READ MORE: Oasis have released new tickets for UK tour – how to buy yours if you missed out
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