What you need to know
Richard Ashcroft has spoken out about fans who were shagging The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ during an Oasis show.
In an interview with the Guardian on Monday, November 3, the British musician reflected on the moment he opened Oasis’ first show in 16 years in Cardiff, Wales, on July 4, according to footage captured by a fan at X.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing,” Ashcroft, 54, told the fan publication, who uses the Shazam app to identify artists and songs. “That’s a whole new fan joining the team.”
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He then recalled asking fans to “bring out Shazam” during the following week’s show, saying people should “be proud” of their desire to discover new music.
“Why does everyone need to know everything? They might have just heard the song before England played football on ITV,” Ashcroft said.
He continued, “If someone doesn’t recognize a famous painting, then what’s the point? We can’t be cultural snobs.”
In fact, Ashcroft said he looked forward to fans holding cell phones on stage while performing “Bittersweet Symphony.”
“That would be really interesting,” he said.
Ashcroft also explained how the Oasis opening helped introduce new fans.
“I’ve already built a good following,” he said. “If you lose Verve and become just Richard Ashcroft, it can be a big deal. It can take a while for people to rediscover you.”
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When the moment happened at the July 4th show, users took to X’s comments to share their thoughts on fans shagging the song.
One fan wrote: “She doesn’t know that song. Why don’t they just record people and put it all over the place.”
Another person commented: “What’s worse is someone filming someone else’s cell phone knowing they’ll be able to watch ‘Bittersweet Symphony.'”
“Maybe she didn’t grow up with Britpop. Not everyone is into 90s Britpop. Maybe she enjoys the night in her own way. No need to embarrass people by not knowing the songs,” another fan pointed out.
Ashcroft even shared an Instagram post encouraging fans to Shazam their music two days after his July 6 viral moment.
“Thank you to everyone who came out and gave great support to my set on day 2,” he wrote.
Ashcroft continued: “If you don’t know, give Shazam a try. New fans are welcome! Love to Liam Gallagher for ‘Cast No Shadow’. What a great song! We move on, Manchester. Are you ready? Music is power. RA.”
