Richard Ashcroft: Why not Sir Liam and Sir Noel? | Richard Ashcroft

RRichard Ashcroft is the man of the moment. Having championed Oasis as “the only man for the job,” the former Verve singer is back with an arena tour (almost) for 2026, and a few more Oasis dates in South America, not to mention his seventh solo album, Lovin’ You. We caught up with Ashcroft to chat about loving ABBA, being inspired by Serge Gainsbourg and fighting Liam Gallagher.

Hi Richard! It’s always a pleasure to interview another Richard – who else is at the club?
Madeley…Hammond…he’s dying. I wonder if it’s because of the abbreviation Dick? In the past, old actors were quite happy being a dick. I got out my driving license in Chiswick and this lad said: ‘Okay Dickie?’ I said, “Do you know what happens to people who call me Dicky?” He said: No, sorry, my friend. I said, “I’m just kidding. I don’t care. Call me whatever you want.”

How does it feel to sell out arenas in 2025??
The seeds have begun to germinate. Oasis’ summer concerts put them in the spotlight. Now, the plants grew faster. “I forgot how much I love these songs,” older fans said. Young fans are introduced to Bitter Sweets via cover versions and TikTok. My ability to communicate with the audience is at its peak. Everything is so broken, we’ve almost forgotten what it means to come together and have a good time. I remember seeing what looked like a real football hooligan screaming “drugs don’t work” with his eyes. These songs and moments have such power. There are few spaces left on the planet where we can create this type of energy.

Have Oasis shows helped introduce you to new fans?
My set was only 45 minutes. People thought: “I want to see this guy do his life’s work over two hours.” You’ve already built a good following. It can be difficult when you lose your vitality and become Richard Ashcroft. It may take people a while to rediscover you.

What did you think about? That viral clip of someone Shazamming Bitter Sweet Symphony at an Oasis show?
I see that as a beautiful thing. This is a brand new fan, joining the team.

I walked out on stage the next day week and said: “Bring out your Shazam!”
exactly. Be proud! Why should everyone know everything? They probably only heard that song before England played football on ITV. If someone doesn’t recognize a famous painting, so what? We cannot be cultural snobs. I would love to get her on stage with her phone when I perform Bitter Sweet. That would be really funny.

Do people still shout “Bitter Sweet Symphony’s over, buddy” when they see you walking down the road?
In the past, I’ve walked around wearing the same jacket, shirt, shorts and Wallabies. [as in the video]. This does not happen often now, thank God. I’m supposed to get my revenge outside this bar, but we deleted that because it seemed ridiculous.

for you 2018 appearance on BBC Breakfast It was legendary: who Dising Kellogg’s Krave to Complimented Charlie State on his hair and Jump on the couchA Claiming that the studio was The Truman Show. Would you like your own chat software?
In my mind, jumping on the couch, doing the whole Truman Show, was a deeper analysis than people thought. Live TV makes you – me – want to do something stupid, or screw it up. I’d love to start my own chat show, but I’ll take it back to the 1970s and interview Peter Sellers and Peter Cook. I want to be able to smoke, because that was the pinnacle of a smoker’s life. If you look at old chat shows, like Parkinson’s, there are some amazing moments…

You managed to go supermarket sweep style, grabbing everything you could around John Lewis to let him is used Sonnet in Christmas ad 2024?
It’s funny that you should say that. The first thing I thought was: “Am I going to do a midnight Christmas tour?” I just got my paycheck, and that was that. I don’t think it was loud enough. If you’re going to use a beautiful song like this, make sure people can hear it. But it was great. I was offered PG advice, but like almost all ads, I turned it down.

Wait…you mean you could have moved in with a monkey PG Tips Where is Johnny Vegas?
This was in the post-monkey phase, when monkeys were no longer politically correct. I’ve always loved you [French songwriter/actor] Serge Gainsbourg and all the crazy, eclectic cultural things he would do. He was making a reggae album, then a hot dog ad. The way he looked at it was: “I’m going to be everywhere from top to bottom.” Then it all becomes pop art.

Sir Paul, Sir Bob, Sir Cliff, Sir Elton, Sir Rod, Sir Brian… when can we expect Sir Richard?
Years ago, I was invited to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen, but it was a solo invitation without my wife, and I didn’t want to go alone. Maybe it was a screening process? People who were knighted used to star in the greatest films of all time. These days, you’re like, “What the hell? What did he do?” There are people who sacrifice their lives to ensure society does not collapse and are never recognized. Getting to know people who get paid for their passion can be distasteful. Why should you put cold steel on your shoulder just because you are running on a track or jumping over some obstacles? So, no. I firmly believe you will never hear that moment – although Sir Richard has a great influence on it. Where are Sir Liam and Sir Noel? Who else brought billions into the economy this summer?

Liam Gallagher thinks you’re going to get him into a fight (“He’s a lean machine,” Gallagher said. But who has the best hair?
This is difficult. Other than when I transition to a skinhead, my hair has stayed the same as it has for 30 years. If he’s going to fight me, I’ll give him poetry.

I was briefly on the books of Rotherham United. What Would Richard Ashcroft be a professional footballer to this day?
This is a great question. I wasn’t good enough when I was a kid, that’s why I wasn’t a player. I’m sure I’ll slow down, but oddly enough I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older. Maybe I’ll manage Manchester United. They need to be grounded quickly. It would be as if Don Corleone had taken charge: zero tolerance for any nonsense. I’ll have them go to the game on the bus, like the Busby Babes. I’ll tell you what, they’ll be better off than they are now.

What scares you?
I have always predicted the future and read the tea leaves to see where we are headed. Artificial intelligence seems inevitable, but there is nothing to be afraid of, because we can see that dystopia and the technocratic future slapping us in the face. If we went back to the 1970s, we’d think smartphones were from Star Trek. As an artist, I’m glad that a lot of people have posted AI stuff on YouTube without getting any views. People are already bored. But technology will grow to the point where it becomes difficult to say: Is this Frank Sinatra? Is this Facebook? But I always wanted to have a lookalike who would travel the world and do all the journalism.

Have you seen Abba Voyage? You can send a Richard Ashcroft hologram on tour and stay home with your feet up.
I went the other week. It was like an oasis… song after song. I’ve always appreciated them as songwriters. That’s the thing about writing great songs. Anyone can make an avant-garde experimental record. Not everyone can write songs that connect with a guy painting a wall at two in the afternoon as much as a student getting his head knocked out at four in the morning.

What will you say to God when you meet him?
“Forgive me. Let me in…”

You once He said You’ve never gotten a bad review from someone so good looking. Is this still true?
I have to admit I looked them up. When I saw their profile picture, I thought: “Fair enough. I’d hate me too if I were you.”

You once filmed yourself burning a copy of the NME. Would you set The Guardian – or worse, me – on fire if you weren’t happy with this interview?
No, my burning days are over. I thought it was kind of pop art at the time. I don’t have any beef with anyone. Although I have to admit I didn’t give an interview to NME for this album, so maybe someone took it seriously. If you’re there NME, I’m here, and it’s all good…

Richard Ashcroft’s new album, Lovin’ You, is out now. He plays Manchester Co-op Live on 8 November and tours from March 2026.