logo
Fan flies from half the world away to see Oasis gig

Fan flies from half the world away to see Oasis gig

BBC News20 hours ago
An Oasis superfan has flown more than 9,000 miles (14,484km) from Australia to the UK to watch one of the band's reunion gigs.Robyn Hixon has travelled from Perth to her home town of Belper, in Derbyshire, ahead of the band playing on Friday.The 39-year-old self-confessed Oasis obsessive said her journey had taken 37 hours with a stop-off in Hong Kong."Totally worth it," she told BBC Radio Derby.
"I'd probably fly twice as far to see Oasis. I've been a fan forever."
Mrs Hixon, who has seen Oasis perform three times before, said she was "super excited" ahead of the concert at Heaton Park in Manchester on Friday. She said: "I've been in Australia for about ten years, and I try to get home to Belper to see friends and family as often as possible."I wasn't actually going to come back over this year because it's really expensive, but then the chance to see Oasis came up, and some might say it was destiny that I come from half the world away."Mrs Hixon said she also had tickets to see Oasis's gig in Melbourne in Australia in November, which she will go to with her husband Tommy."He's not come over with me this time - I'm going with brothers, sisters and family."
The couple memorably celebrated their wedding day by recreating the cover of Oasis's breakthrough album Some Might Say at Cromford Railway Station.Noel and Liam Gallagher used the picturesque station in the Derwent Valley to create a cover instantly recognisable to millions of the band's fans.Mrs Hixon, in her wedding dress and pushing a barrow, restaged the platform scene with her bridesmaids in July 2024."I think that probably shows how mad I am about Oasis," she added."I just love them and I'm really excited."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

James May: ‘When I'm mistaken for Jeremy Clarkson, I have to go home and examine myself very deeply'
James May: ‘When I'm mistaken for Jeremy Clarkson, I have to go home and examine myself very deeply'

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

James May: ‘When I'm mistaken for Jeremy Clarkson, I have to go home and examine myself very deeply'

James May. But what would James Definitely Not? All sorts of things. Skydiving. Morris dancing. Living as a monk. Agricultural work. Being a high court judge. Anything that involves dressing up. I'm not too fussy about food. I can't think of anything I wouldn't eat, although I have a strange ambivalence about broccoli. I can't make my mind up about it and it infuriates people. People say: you're not doing it properly. I think: how do you know how I'm doing it? I've heard you can roast it with bits of bacon, garlic and olive oil. In which case, it's not only broccoli any more, is it? Why does the water flow anticlockwise down the plug hole in Australia but clockwise in the UK? Because of the rotation of the Earth. If you go to the equator – and I've done this – you can do an experiment with a bucket of water with a hole in the bottom. If you stand exactly on the equator and drop in a matchstick, it will stay stationary. If you walk north of the equator 100 paces, it starts going around one way. If you walk south, it starts going the other way. It's quite a boring experiment and you have to have absolutely nothing else left to do in your life. If you could have a sandwich named after you, what would you call it? I think sandwiches are crap. I'm making a series on YouTube called Sarnies of the 70s, where we dig up these terrible old fillings like Spam and Branston pickle. It's fascinating to remember what we ate when I was a child. But I describe sandwiches – and I'm afraid I also think this about pizza – as crisis food. Nobody ever says: I can't be bothered to cook tonight. Should we go out for a sandwich? No one wants a sandwich. You are reduced to having a sandwich. Both you and Clarkson own pubs. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, which pub would you rather be stuck at? Oh, mine. It's in Wiltshire. We're heavily armed down here. People queue up at Clarkson's. There's queueing protocol going on, which I don't like. We've had this argument many times. The whole point of the bar in a pub is that it's wide and shallow. It's not a hatch. Why would you queue at it? Good bar people know the order in which to serve. Alan Davies told us in this very column that he gets mistaken for you. Who do you get mistaken for, if not Alan Davies? I have been mistaken for Alan Davies. I've been told I look like King Théoden from Lord of the Rings. Robert Plant is very flattering. Billy Connolly is flattering. Unfortunately, quite a few times when I've been out walking or riding my bike around London, I've been mistaken for Jeremy Clarkson. I have to go home, examine myself very deeply and think: what have I done? The small print on your new tour, Explorers, warns of 'occasional scent, fog and other immersive theatrical elements'. What is your favourite occasional scent? Good question. I like all the obvious nature scents like flowers, freshly mown grass and rain falling on a hot pavement. I like the smell of bicycle shops because I like that smell of rubber and rubber solution. It's not a pervy or fetish thing. I like the smell of freshly pumped petrol, which smells exactly like what it isn't – which is delicious. If you get petrol in your mouth because you're siphoning it from the lawnmower, it tastes absolutely foul. But when it's coming out of the pump into your car, it's got almost a mango juice smell to it. What's been your most cringeworthy run-in with a celebrity? I haven't had any, really. I've never run up to Alan Davies and said: 'I love Top Gear. Can I have your autograph?' Would you rather die at the bottom of the ocean or deep out into space? I've wondered about dying in space. The Apollo 11 lunar module was too fragile to test on Earth, so what if it hadn't worked? They'd have been stuck on the moon for eternity. How do you end it? Do you just sit there and gradually suffocate? Or do you take off your space helmet, take a deep breath, open the door and effectively boil? Dying at the bottom of the ocean feels particularly dark and lonely. I'm going to go for space because the view in the last few seconds would be better. If you could change the size of any animal and keep it as a pet, what would you choose? A miniature elephant. I was going to say a tiger. But then you can just have a domestic cat, can't you? A miniature great white shark in a pond in your garden would be pretty cool. If you had miniature blue whales in an aquarium, they'd come up to the surface and blow off in miniature. I'd like that. Who is your biggest nemesis? Honestly, it's probably Jeremy Clarkson. James May's show Explorers – The Age of Discovery tours Australia and New Zealand from 29 July, and the UK from 20 September

‘Costly mistake' that some holidaymakers are making when travelling abroad
‘Costly mistake' that some holidaymakers are making when travelling abroad

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

‘Costly mistake' that some holidaymakers are making when travelling abroad

Going without cash when abroad could be an expensive mistake for some holidaymakers, according to research, with more than one in three having found themselves caught out when needing physical money. Some 39% of holidaymakers have found themselves in unexpected situations where cash was required while they were abroad, according to a survey commissioned by website Be Clever With Your Cash. The most common expenses included tipping, taxi fares and shopping at local or independent retailers, according to the research. Prepaid and specialist travel cards can make it easier to rely less on physical cash while travelling overseas. But those suddenly needing that cash could end up paying extra costs, the survey carried out by Opinium, among 2,000 people across the UK who have travelled abroad, indicates. The research found some people who had to make an emergency cash machine withdrawal on their last trip overseas were charged an ATM fee. Some people also said they turned to airport exchange desks for last-minute cash, even though they may potentially be getting a worse deal than if they had shopped around for their travel money and planned ahead. The website said that stepping outside major cities can also present challenges, as rural and remote areas in some countries could be less likely to accept cards. Amelia Murray, a money expert at Be Clever With Your Cash, said: 'There's still a blind spot when it comes to cash. Many people assume that having a fee-free card is enough, but that can be a false economy if you end up using an ATM abroad that charges or get stung by poor exchange rates. 'It's not about carrying wads of cash, it's about being prepared for those moments when a card simply won't cut it.' Ms Murray suggested packing a 'cash cushion' – a small amount of local currency that could be useful for tipping, local travel, or if holidaymakers end up somewhere that does not accept cards. She also suggested that holidaymakers make sure they understand their card's policy on fees and currency conversion before they travel. People may also want to check how much they would be covered for by their travel insurer if their cash is lost or stolen while they are abroad. Research released by financial information business Defaqto in May indicated that 91% of annual and 86% of single trip policies included cash cover as standard. Just over a third (35%) of single trip travel insurance policies covered as much as £200 to £299, while a quarter (24%) covered between £300 to £399, according to Defaqto's analysis.

At least he didn't look back in anger! Liam Gallagher fled stadium after Oasis' Cardiff tour opener while Noel was still on stage - and they're staying in separate hotels 20 miles apart
At least he didn't look back in anger! Liam Gallagher fled stadium after Oasis' Cardiff tour opener while Noel was still on stage - and they're staying in separate hotels 20 miles apart

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

At least he didn't look back in anger! Liam Gallagher fled stadium after Oasis' Cardiff tour opener while Noel was still on stage - and they're staying in separate hotels 20 miles apart

When Noel and Liam Gallagher walked on stage hand-in-hand in front of 75,000 fans on Friday night, there was a collective roar of joy – their bitter 16-year feud was finally over. Or was it? For despite the brothers' arms held united in apparent triumph, the reality behind the scenes was rather different. The Mail on Sunday can reveal there was a distinctly 'frosty' atmosphere backstage between the warring brothers, who sensationally fell out in 2009. When the two-hour set at Cardiff's Principality Stadium ended, Liam, 52, wasted no time in racing off stage and straight into a black four-by-four vehicle. Left behind was Noel, 58, still waving to fans before slowly walking off with the rest of the band. And it is understood the brothers shunned each other after the show as they were staying in separate places, with guitarist and songwriter Noel at the four-star Parkgate Hotel, which backs on to the stadium. The father-of-three was staying there with daughter Anais, 25, who supported him at the concert from the VIP section with her 26-year-old actor boyfriend, Callum Howells. Liam, meanwhile, was staying 20 miles away, close to the Celtic Manor Resort, where previous guests have included then US President Barack Obama. Friends fear relations between the brothers may deteriorate to breaking point, resulting in them ending the tour halfway through their worldwide 41-gig trip. A source close to Oasis told The MoS: 'They can't stand each other because they still have not forgiven each other. It's all very frosty and awkward. We all doubt they'll make it to Australia at this rate.' Oasis play five nights in Melbourne and Sydney from the end of October, with five more gigs in South America scheduled. Live '25 is expected to earn them £600million, with ticket prices ranging from £200 to £2,000. Earlier in the evening, Noel was spotted at the back of the stadium quietly supporting the Verve frontman, Richard Ashcroft, who opened for Oasis, while Liam was nowhere to be seen. Later, just moments before going on stage, the Gallaghers were seen standing with their backs to one another just metres apart, ignoring each other. But when they went on stage, the brothers gave the crowd what they wanted by holding hands momentarily before kicking off their 23-song Oasis marathon to a wall of cheering. It is understood the brothers shunned each other after the show as they were staying in separate places, with guitarist and songwriter Noel at the four-star Parkgate Hotel (above) They further delighted fans at the end of the gig when Liam strolled over to his older brother and embraced him in a brief handshake and shoulder bump. But the singers did not always appear in unity, often occupying different sides of the stage. When Noel played his solo songs such as Don't Look Back in Anger and Masterplan, Liam left the stage and walked past his brother without looking at him. He returned only when he was needed on vocals, and Noel would often turn his back to the audience and slink into the background. But the lingering animosity appeared to go unnoticed by the joyful fans who hailed the comeback 'biblical'. Oasis were back on stage in Cardiff last night before returning to home turf in Manchester on Friday. In August the brothers announced they would be reuniting as 'the guns have fallen silent' – an indication their often vicious quarrel was over. Liam (above) returned only when he was needed on vocals, and Noel would often turn his back to the audience and slink into the background They famously fell out after a backstage row in Paris in 2009, with Noel insisting he would never work with Liam again and describing him as 'a fork in a world of soup'. Their relationship appears to have remained fractious in the run-up to the worldwide reunion tour, with the pair turning up to rehearsals at different times. While Noel was practising with the band in May, his younger brother had flown to his £3million mansion in France. Last month, the pair had delighted fans by appearing in an Adidas shoot together but they reportedly spent only 14 minutes in the same building for the advert campaign. Liam arrived an hour earlier than Noel, insiders said, and computer software was said to have been used to mesh the two together for the photograph.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store