“Absolutely despicable and disappointed”: Noel Gallagher faces backlash for announcing Tom Meighan as his High Flying Birds tour support act

Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds group will be embarking on a UK tour later this year, with dates scheduled from December 14, 2023 to December 21, 2023. The singer's band, however, has now announced controversial artist and former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan as their supporting act.

Tom Meighan was convicted of assaulting his former fiance Vikki Ager, after a neighborhood child reported the incident. The singer was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid labor, and left Kasabian soon after.

The announcement by Noel Gallaghar and his band has been met with backlash on social media, with one fan calling it a "despicable" move.

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Noel Gallagher's fans disappointed with the announcement of Tom Meighan as supporting act

Noel Gallagher's choice to have Tom Meighan support his tour has greatly disappointed fans, many of whom have not hesistated to make their feelings known on social media, particularly on X (previously Twitter).

Some fans have clearly stated that they are not attending the December concerts, while others have pointed out that the shows are not sold out, indicating a measure of disapproval from the wider audience as well.

Several netizens have pointed out that the current instance is not the only time the singer and his band have chosen to platform controversial supporting acts. Noel Gallagher also chose Primal Scream as support for his Dublin show in August 2023, despite the 2005 Glastonbury show where band lead Bobby Gillespie had allegedly raised the Nazi salute and was abusive to the crowd.

Twitter reaction by @Rob in response to Noel Gallagher's UK tour support announcement (Image via @roblamb34t)

Noel Gallagher and his band High Flying Birds released their fourth studio album, Council Skies, on June 2, 2023. The album has been moderately successful so far, and the band is currently set to perform multiple tour legs across mainland UK in the coming months in support of it.

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More about Noel Gallagher and his music career

The singer started his music career with the band Oasis, with whom he achieved his career high success with the studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, released on October 2, 1995. The album was a chart topper on several major album charts and has more than 39 Platinum certifications worldwide.

The singer was the band's foremost songwriter and frequently spoke about his creative process, as evident in the following quote from an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Magazine:

"I've got a certain style and I've got no control over what I write. I'm not technically proficient enough to attempt all kinds of music."

The singer continued:

"I just write these songs because they're real to me and they're coming from a place of truth. And that's it. I don't give a s**t about being different. I want to be the same. And that in itself makes me different."

The singer is also known for his political views. A supporter of the Labour party, the singer visited the Prime Minister's office after Tony Blaire came to power in 1997.