Suffolk artist who worked with Oasis says reunion is ‘surprise’

An artist who worked with Oasis says the music industry “owes them a big thank you” upon the announcement of their reunion tour.

James Wilkinson, an artist and curator from Sudbury, Suffolk, created a variety of paintings for the group and spent time with them before and after concerts.

The band have announced a 2025 reunion tour with gigs in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.

“Everybody was thinking it was never going to happen, but everyone wanted it to happen,” Mr Wilkinson said.

He was invited to Wembley Stadium by the band for their Standing on the Shoulder of Giants tour in 2000 and said he was “lucky enough” to be with brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher before and after the concerts there – an experience he described as “extraordinary and brilliant” .

“They included some clips where Liam hits me over the head with one of the portraits I did of him in one of their Familiar to Millions videos,” Mr Wilkinson said.

“It was an amazing concert.”

He painted a portrait of the Wembley gig and said he was often asked to paint pictures by Liam Gallagher.

But he has also spoken of his “surprise” at the group’s reunion announcement.

“My son is 30 now and he’s never seen Oasis perform live and him and all his friends can’t wait to see them live,” he added.

“The next generation is just gagging for this gig.”

Mr Wilkinson likens the band – known for hits including Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back in Anger – to The Beatles and says the brothers were “thrust into very big stardom”.

He said: “The thing about Oasis was during the early 90s, music had taken a turn where it was really producer led; the faces, the popstars had disappeared, melody had disappeared and Oasis brought that back to music.

“I think it revived not just the music scene and guitar-based music but it also revived a lot of the music press… I think the industry owes them a big thank you.”

While he worked with the band during his career, the artist said he would be applying for tickets for the upcoming tour “just like everyone else”.