An image of Oasis star Noel Gallagher as a ‘grumpy middle-aged man’ will be added to the National Portrait Gallery.
As part of the London gallery’s Legends exhibition, a black and white photograph of the rockstar will be one 100 portraits on display later this year.
It follows a tumultuous month for the Don’t Look Back In Anger singer and brother Liam, as their Oasis reunion announcement was marred by ticketing chaos which saw fans queue online for hours only to be booted off Ticketmaster for ‘being a bot’.
The situation was further inflamed by the ticketing site’s dynamic pricing, which increases the prices of tickets in line with demand – similar to an Uber journey or seats on a plane.
The band said after that furore that the system would ‘help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting’ but admitted: ‘The execution of the plan failed to meet expectations.’
Oasis star Noel Gallagher will become a new addition at the National Portrait Gallery in a depiction of him as a ‘grumpy middle-aged man’
His black and white photograph will be one 100 portraits on display as part of the London gallery’s Legends exhibition later this year
It follows a tumultuous month for the Don’t Look Back In Anger singer and brother Liam, as their Oasis reunion announcement was marred by ticketing chaos
Coming down from a hectic week, in which Oasis added two dates to next year’s world tour, Gallagher said he was ‘thrilled and honoured’ to be featured in the National Gallery.
His picture, taken by Zoe Law, will go on display for the first time on November 29 alongside snaps of other stars such as England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, actor Orlando Bloom and a never-before-seen picture of Canadian actress Kim Cattrall.
All the portraits in the upcoming exhibition, lasting until March 2, 2025, are of people who have influenced the photographer’s life and career.
But Gallagher’s picture will remain part of the gallery’s permanent collection thereafter.
Speaking about having a picture of himself in the gallery, Gallagher said: ‘I am thrilled and honoured to have my portrait added to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.
‘The thought of the portrait of a grumpy middle-aged man, who frankly hates having his picture taken, being permanently displayed for future generations to marvel at is very special.’
Ms Law said having her photo of Gallagher become part of the gallery’s permanent collection is ‘the greatest honour’.
She said: ‘It is the greatest honour that my portrait of the legend Noel Gallagher has been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery – a lasting legacy that all portrait photographers and artists dream of.’
Sabina Jaskot-Gill, senior curator of photographs at the gallery, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to have recently acquired Zoe Law’s portrait of Noel Gallagher for the National Portrait Gallery’s photographs collection.
‘I am really looking forward to seeing more of her Legends exhibited across our studio gallery and spotlight space in what promises to be an exciting and innovative display.
‘I hope that these striking monochromatic portraits – which celebrate the diversity of British cultural life – help inspire the next generation of photographers and visitors to the National Portrait Gallery.’
Gallagher’s picture, taken by Zoe Law, will go on display alongside snaps of other stars such as England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton (left in 2016), actor Orlando Bloom (right)
Manchester rock band Oasis (seen in 1993) will be performing next year for the first time since breaking up in 2009
Ticketing issues for the Oasis Live ’25 tour, including Ticketmaster’s dynamic prices for ‘in demand’ tickets (above), marred their announcement last month
It comes after the previously feuding Gallagher brothers announced their band will be uniting for the first time since 2009 with a run of UK and Ireland gigs in 2025.
But it will likely continue to be a driver of division among music fans, as the ballot for a further two Wembley dates next September has already drawn criticism as hundreds missed out, eroding the goodwill built up by the reunion.
Ticketmaster users who queued for hours to secure tickets for the original gigs were emailed over the weekend with invites to the additional dates, but many still missed out.
The online ticket company has also become the subject of an investigation by The Competition and Markets Authority for its changing ticket prices.
The competition watchdog said fans ‘may not have been given clear information about ticket prices’ as they struggled to snap up tickets for the Oasis Live ’25 tour.
Regulators are also set to assess whether concert-goers were pressured into buying the tickets within a short space of time and at a higher price than they thought they were going to pay.