logo
Emotional moment as couple who 'got together because of Oasis' get engaged at concert

Emotional moment as couple who 'got together because of Oasis' get engaged at concert

Yahoo22-07-2025
Watching Oasis at Heaton Park was unforgettable for tens of thousands of fans over the weekend - especially for one couple.
And there was ''Definitely Maybe' about it when a die-hard Oasis fan popped the question to his girlfriend just before Liam and Noel came on stage on Saturday.
In fact, when they first met the first message Craig Hogg sent to his now-fiancée, Simone Taylor, was "what is your favourite Oasis song?" - Stop Crying Your Heart Out was her answer.
And now nearly five years on from that first contact, the couple got engaged just as they were on the cusp of seeing the band for the first time.
Craig, aged 27, and Simone, aged 21, from Horwich, went to the gig at Heaton Park on Saturday, July 19, seeing Oasis for the first time.
Having seen Liam and Noel play separately "around four or five times" it is fair to say that they are big fans of the band and their music.
Simone and Craig (Image: Public) Before any of the acts came on stage, Craig ensured the concert would be even more memorable.
Speaking to The Bolton News, Simone said: "We were at the gig, I could see he was nervous, but I thought he was just excited to see Oasis for the first time.
"We were in the VIP section and I saw an Oasis backboard, I said I liked it. We went to take a picture in front of it, then Craig got down on one knee.
"Everyone started cheering, and I said yes, obviously.
"It was so emotional and a massive surprise, I did not expect that. It was a day to remember.
"And as an engagement present, he told me that we had tickets to see them at Wembley on Saturday! I was just speechless, I was so shocked."
Read more: Oasis return home to hero's welcome in first night at Heaton Park
Read more: Fans undeterred by fencing on 'Gallagher Hill' at midweek Oasis gig
Read more: Oasis fan starts petition for store to make name change permanent
She added: "It was before any of the sets came on. Craig told me he had seen someone had proposed in the crowd at one of the other gigs, so thought 'do I do it, do I not?', people might think he is copying them.
"But ours has a special meaning to it. He said as soon as I told him I liked that background, he thought that is the place to do it."
Craig down on one knee (Image: Public) Craig was ably assisted by his mum, who was at the gig with the couple - though he did all he could to make sure the surprise was not ruined.
Simone said: "His mum had the ring in her bag, though Craig made her go through security last in case the guards saw it and took it out.
"When we got in I went to the toilet, and that must have been when he got it out."
Craig and Simone very much enjoyed the gig afterwards, even getting matching tops to frame, which had the date of the show on them.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Seth Meyers Says Trump Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors
Seth Meyers Says Trump Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors

New York Times

time42 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Seth Meyers Says Trump Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors

Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Redacted Reasoning President Trump couldn't escape questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein while in Scotland this week. Trump answered questions about his falling-out with the disgraced mogul, saying he'd been upset that Epstein poached workers from his spa at Mar-a-Lago. 'That's not helping you, dude,' Seth Meyers said on Wednesday. 'Going out of your way to explain that you cut ties with a monster, not because he was a monster, but because he hired people away from you just makes you sound even worse. That's like saying you stopped inviting Charles Manson to parties because he wouldn't use a coaster.' — SETH MEYERS '[imitating reporter] Mr. Trump, do you think everyone will forget about your decades-long friendship with a monster just because you're on a golf trip? Do you think people are that stupid?' — SETH MEYERS 'One thing you can't deny about Trump is that he has excellent political instincts, so he definitely pivoted away from that explanation. And I'm just kidding, he doubled down on his way back from Scotland.' — SETH MEYERS 'I can't believe this guy somehow convinced people he's the voice of the common man, and yet he starts sentences, 'I don't have to tell you how hard it is to keep your spa staffed.'' — SETH MEYERS 'Buddy, you're the one who keeps digging a hole by saying you cut ties with Epstein, not because of his sex trafficking, but because he stole people from your spa. Of course there are going to be follow-ups.' — SETH MEYERS 'People haven't moved on, because Trump and his MAGA base spent years cynically hyping up the Epstein conspiracy. They thought only their political enemies would be harmed. But they either forgot or conveniently ignored the fact that Donald Trump was Epstein's best friend. It's like basing an entire political movement around your opposition to Bert, and then voting for Ernie for president.' — SETH MEYERS The Punchiest Punchlines (No Filter Edition) 'So President Trump recently said he never went to Epstein Island, but Bill Clinton went there 28 times. Clinton defended himself by saying it was the only way to use his frequent pervert miles.' — GREG GUTFELD 'Trump is now claiming that he cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein hired young women who already worked at Mar-a-Lago. At this point, Trump is like a Brita water pitcher that you had in your fridge for the past 10 years — absolutely no filter.' — JIMMY FALLON Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Trainers signed by Liam Gallagher help to raise £2,500 for homeless charity
Trainers signed by Liam Gallagher help to raise £2,500 for homeless charity

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Trainers signed by Liam Gallagher help to raise £2,500 for homeless charity

A Blackburn retailer has helped to raise almost £2,500 for Nightsafe by raffling off two pairs of limited-edition Liam Gallagher Adidas trainers, signed by the artist himself. Nightsafe, a charity that offers supported housing, emergency accommodation and holistic support to 16 to 25-year-olds in Blackburn and Darwen who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, said they are thrilled with the kind donation. Cult fashion retailer Cotton Town Vintage ran two exclusive raffles, each giving supporters a one in 50 chance to win a pair of signed Liam Gallagher Adidas Spezial trainers. The trainers are now sought-after collector's items. A pair of trainers signed by Liam Gallagher raised more than £2,000 for Nightsafe (Image: Viva PR) Carl Walker, founder of Cotton Town Vintage, who recently joined Nightsafe's Patron scheme, said: 'The response has been phenomenal. "This is about more than winning rare gear - it's about helping young people in desperate situations find hope again, and we're just getting started.' Carl has announced plans to continue supporting Nightsafe through further raffles in the coming months, including chances to win limited-edition posters and a selection of exclusive clothing. The raffles mark a continuation of the Oasis frontman's support for the charity, which began in 2022 when he donated pairs of the 'Blackburn' Adidas Spezial shoes to young people supported by Nightsafe. His solo show that year at King George's Hall was also held in aid of the charity. The raffles capitalised on the Oasis fever sweeping the nation, as Liam and brother Noel recently reunited on stage for the first time in almost 16 years. At each draw, a member of Nightsafe's staff and a young person supported by the charity had the honour of pulling the winning raffle ticket. READ MORE: Oasis legend Liam Gallagher rocked King George's Hall Blackburn READ MORE: Water tunnel depot decision drags on amid independent study referral The two raffles raised £2,000 in ticket sales, with a further £450 coming from Cotton Town Vintage's in-store donation rail, which allowed supporters to contribute clothing for resale in aid of Nightsafe. The donation rail will now remain in the Blackburn store until December, with all proceeds going towards a special Christmas donation. Jan Larkin, chief executive of Nightsafe, said: 'We're overwhelmed by the generosity shown through both raffles and the donation rail. "To raise £2,450 is incredible as it will help to fund intensive support for several young people in crisis. "Every single pound makes a difference, especially right now when demand for our services has never been higher.'

If Edinburgh Fringe wants more hits like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, it needs a complete overhaul
If Edinburgh Fringe wants more hits like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, it needs a complete overhaul

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

If Edinburgh Fringe wants more hits like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, it needs a complete overhaul

When the TV channel Dave announced it was scrapping its long-running Joke of the Fringe award, I felt a weird mixture of relief and trepidation. Yes, the widely publicised one-liners increasingly felt like a bit of a disservice to all the actual comic genius you'll find at the world's biggest arts festival (2023's Lorna Rose Treen winner 'I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah' was only ammo for pub bores across the land to say they could do better). But all the same, it's this kind of mainstream attention that makes the Fringe what it is: a place where hit shows like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer emerge from dingy tents, and comedy legends from Bridget Christie to Sacha Baron-Cohen to Miranda Hart find their feet, victors of a fevered battle against the odds, the Scottish rain and public indifference. The loss of Dave's headline-grabbing annual award feels like a warning sign. Is the fest coming dangerously close to losing its relevance? Before the pandemic, the story of Edinburgh Fringe was one of unstoppable growth and opportunity. Each year, press releases trumpeted the 'biggest arts festival to date' line, as it ballooned from a plucky band of eight companies in 1947 into an event with 3,548 shows at its still-unsurpassed peak in 2018. But in recent years, some of its sheen has worn off. The tide started turning in 2017, when activist group Fair Fringe drew attention to the appalling pay and living conditions of Fringe workers in roles that stretched the term 'volunteer' beyond its reasonable limits. Meanwhile, outcry gathered as profiteering festival landlords began to distort the city's housing market, all year long. But it wasn't until the festival started to get back up to speed after the fallow Covid years that these issues dominated the conversation. Wasn't the pandemic-induced break meant to be an opportunity to build back, better? Instead, accommodation costs have since soared to new heights: 'I can't afford Edinburgh Fringe accommodation – so I'm sleeping in a tent,' said cash-strapped comedian Narin Oz in The Times. A recent Guardian article warned that university comedy revues are struggling to afford the festival, where comedians from John Cleese to Ed Gamble cut their teeth as students. Leeds Tealights paid £6,500 for their accommodation this year, in a huge increase on the £4,000 spent in 2023. And key venues have struggled, too. This year feels artistically depleted by the absence of influential venue Paine's Plough Roundabout, which presented some of the festival's biggest success stories, including hit West End musical Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! in a tent in Summerhall courtyard. Funding challenges, too, have meant that this year's International Festival is presenting a diminished programme of local shows. In a major financial blow, key sponsor Johnnie Walker has pulled out after six years, and the Fringe has struggled to attract new corporate sponsors – many of whom are spooked by the idea of funding the arts, when highly publicised campaigns have forced institutions to reject backing from Baillie Gifford (Edinburgh Literary Festival) and Shell (National Gallery). So many of the Fringe's problems could be solved by a massive injection of cash: to subsidise performers' costs, to shore up struggling venues, to make sure everyone's paid fairly. But outgoing Fringe Society director Shona McCarthy sounded a gloomy note as she left her role this spring. 'This festival is not seen as something that you invest in,' she said. 'It's seen as something that's a money-spinner that you can extract from. And I think that's a real problem.' As she reminded us, the Fringe is the third-biggest ticketed event in the world, after the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup. But while those cultural institutions are given billions in funding by both governments and corporate sponsors, the Fringe is funded in a piecemeal fashion. Its biggest investors are the impecunious artists and comedians who shell out for accommodation and venue hire each year, in the hope of making it big. Last year's scandal over box office takings at Summerhall highlighted that central unfairness. Artists who'd brought shows to the venue were left out of pocket by up to £15,000 each, after their ticket income was caught up in a corporation tax dispute with HMRC (they eventually got their money back in January this year). It's this kind of situation that risks deterring future artists from bringing work to the Fringe – and artists' confidence matters, because although the outside world might love an overnight success story, the truth is generally less romantic. Baby Reindeer seemed like an overnight sensation when it debuted on Netflix in 2024. In reality, its success was years in the making. Richard Gadd had premiered the play at Summerhall in 2019, after nearly a decade of bringing dark, disturbing and increasingly successful shows to the fest (including another stalker narrative, 2013's Cheese & Crack Whores). As his trajectory shows, mainstream success only comes when artists have had time and space to trial their work on the fringe, in front of crowds who are uniquely receptive to brave experiments. But they can only keep going if they can afford to. The Edinburgh Fringe is a hard sell for corporate sponsors, due to its uncurated messiness, its profiteering landlords and its boundary-pushing artistic values. Still, what's heartening is the way that arts industry leaders are increasingly dreaming up new ways to make sure the Fringe lives up to its own mythos, as a place where luminous new talents can emerge from tiny dark spaces. Francesca Moody, the producer who famously locked Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a room until she finished the script for her Edinburgh hit turned telly sensation Fleabag, is running a new Fringe venue this year. Shedinburgh has a uniquely nurturing model: it pays artists' travel and accommodation, plus a fee or box office split, whichever is higher. Another break with tradition comes courtesy of The Keep It Fringe Fund, which launched in 2023 with a £50,000 donation from Waller-Bridge, the honorary Fringe Society president. Now, the fund has secured UK government funding that means it can support 180 shows a year with grants of £2,500, prioritising working-class and disabled artists who might otherwise struggle to attend. In some ways, these measures are drops in the ocean. But they do suggest a key shift. Historically, the Edinburgh Fringe prided itself on being an open-access festival where anyone could turn up and try their luck – provided they didn't expect a leg up beyond a listing in the programme. Now, at least, there's an understanding that the Fringe will only live up to its promise if it supports its participants to take risks in an increasingly tough economic landscape. Changing the Edinburgh Fringe will be costly – but it can't afford to stay still.

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