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Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Oasis vs Blur 'Battle of Britpop' to be brought to stage in new Scotland tour
In August 1995, Blur moved the release date of their single Country House to the same day that Oasis issued their single Roll With It Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is the quintessential 'battle of the bands', when two Britpop legends went head to head to win the most sales in the summer of 1995. Now the story of Oasis vs Blur, billed as the 'greatest chart battle of all time', is to be brought to the stage by an award-winning Scottish writer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Battle, Ayrshire-born novelist John Niven's first stage work, is to tour the UK next year in an 18-venue run, including performances in Edinburgh and Glasgow. From the chaos of the Brit Awards to the infamous chart war, the play examines one of the greatest rivalries in rock history - between the 'clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the South' of England and the 'raw and unapologetic lads from the North'. Featuring the legendary personalities of the Gallagher brothers and Blur frontman Damon Albarn amid unforgettable clashes, the play looks beyond the music to the power, pride, and uncontrollable competitiveness of the feud. In August 1995, Blur moved the release date of their single Country House to the same day that Oasis issued their single Roll With It, sparking a feud that culminated in Albarn saying Oasis was 'like the bullies I had to put up with at school'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Niven, who worked in the music industry for ten years before becoming a novelist and screenwriter, said the play recalled a time 'before music splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds'. The Battle will tour the UK next year. | ATG His last book, O Brother, was a Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for The Gordon Burn prize and Scotland's National Book Award. His screen credits include Kill Your Friends, The Trip and How To Build A Girl. He said: '1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds. When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news and the front page of every newspaper in the country. We're going to take you back there. 'I've never written for the stage before, and it has been an absolute blast to do so for the first time, with a producer as supportive as Simon and a director as talented as Matthew.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The play will be performed in Scotland just months after Oasis performs its much-anticipated three-night run at Edinburgh's Murrayfield stadium this summer. Director Matthew Dunster said: 'I remember the Battle of the Bands. I remember the charts that week, Music mattered. I remember being in my 20s in 1995 - what a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity, just like John Niven's play. 'I'm so delighted to be working with John on such a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time, Blur and Oasis.' Producer Simon Friend said: 'Throughout my sister's teenage years, she had an enormous poster of Damon Albarn on her wall, and I remember her falling out with friends over which band they loved more. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New comedy about Blur vs Oasis chart battle coming to York in 2026
A new comedy play about the Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis is coming to York. The Battle will be performed at the Grand Opera House from June 9 to June 13, 2026. It is the first stage play by screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven. The play is based on the summer of 1995, when the two bands went head-to-head in a chart battle. Mr Niven said: "1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds. "When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news, and the front page of every newspaper in the country. "We're going to take you back there." The play will be directed by Matthew Dunster, who said: "I remember the Battle of the Bands. "I remember the charts that week. "Music mattered. "I remember being in my twenties in 1995. "What a wild time. "Full of energy, naughtiness, and hilarity. "Just like John Niven's play. "I'm so delighted to be working with John on such a punchy, hilarious, and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time, Blur and Oasis." The creative team also includes Fly Davis as set and costume designer, Jessica Hung Han Yun as lighting designer, Ian Dickinson as sound designer, Tal Rosner as video designer, and casting director Claire Bleasdale. Tickets will go on sale for ATG+ members on April 30, 2025, and general sale will be from May 2, 2025 via
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis revisited in ‘punchy' new comedy
It was the great Britpop showdown in the summer of 1995, billed as a contest between cheeky chaps and lairy lads. Thirty years on, a new play is to revisit the fierce rivalry between Blur and Oasis when both British bands put out a new single in the same week and competed to grab the No 1 spot in the charts. Some purchased both releases, many couldn't care less, but for a few days it was a decision that defined you: whether to spend £2.99 on Oasis's Roll With It or Blur's Country House? The Battle is the debut stage play of novelist and screenwriter John Niven who said of the era: 'Music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news and the front page of every newspaper in the country. We're going to take you back there.' These days, said Niven, music has 'splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds'. The Official UK Singles Chart, now based on streams and downloads as well as CDs and vinyl, does not bring the nation together as its Sunday afternoon radio broadcasts once did. The play's director, Matthew Dunster, said of the time: 'Music mattered. I remember being in my 20s in 1995. What a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity. Just like John Niven's play.' The Battle, said Dunster, is 'a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time'. The play – billed as 'based (mostly) on real events' – will follow the feud between the two bands preceding the chart battle, including the 1995 Brit awards where Blur beat Oasis to the trophies for best British single, album and group of the year. A year after the chart battle, coverage of a music industry charity football match centred on Liam Gallagher and Damon Albarn tussling on the pitch as the group's rivalry continued to be hyped by the media. The new play will explore how music fans clashed as they picked which band to support. An allegiance to Blur or Oasis could go beyond the tunes and also open up questions about class, fashion, masculinity and the north-south divide. Producer Simon Friend said: 'Throughout my sister's teenage years, she had an enormous poster of Damon Albarn on her wall, and I remember her falling out with friends over which band they loved more. Ever since, this story has been in the back of my mind, and I was delighted that John Niven agreed to write it because there is no more qualified or hilarious chronicler of this world. Combined with Matthew Dunster directing, we have a fearless team recreating the sweaty mid-90s carnage of the Battle of Britpop'. Niven worked in the music industry for more than a decade and drew upon some of his experiences in the Britpop novel Kill Your Friends, which was published in 2008 and then adapted as a film in 2015. Dunster is the director of the hit 2:22: A Ghost Story, is currently reviving Dealer's Choice at the Donmar Warehouse and will this summer stage an adaptation of The Hunger Games in London. Casting for The Battle has not yet been announced. The play opens at Birmingham Rep in February. Joe Murphy, the theatre's artistic director, said: 'Our audiences are going to have the time of their lives being taken back to the rivalries, the chaos and the big personalities that made it all so unforgettable.' After it finishes in Birmingham the play will go on tour and have a West End run. As spoilers go, it's not quite up there with The Mousetrap but, for the record, Blur emerged triumphant that Sunday in mid-August. Country House sold 274,000 copies while Roll With It shifted 216,000. On top of their Britpop rivalries, Oasis's Gallagher brothers also feuded with each other for years but this summer they are reuniting for the much-anticipated Oasis 25 international tour. In a joint statement after its announcement, the band said: 'The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned.' The Blur v Oasis battle has also long since abated. 'I like them,' said Blur's Alex James in 2024. 'He's an incredible singer, Liam, and he can't help being a rock star.'
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
New Cardiff date for Oasis show inspired by Britpop feud with Blur
New Cardiff date for Oasis show inspired by Britpop feud with Blur The Battle is a new comedy that will relive the heady summer of 1995, when Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in the 'greatest chart battle of all time' - and the play is coming to Cardiff Oasis' Liam Gallagher and Blur's Damon Albarn go head to head in a charity football match back in 1996 (Image: mirrorpix ) A new comedy production, inspired by the infamous 1990s Britpop rivalry between Blur and Oasis, is set to debut - and it will head to Cardiff on a major UK tour before the West End. Billed as a "new comedy based (mostly) on real events", The Battle revisits the pivotal summer of 1995, when Blur and Oasis engaged in the "greatest chart battle of all time". This epic clash began with both bands releasing singles on the same day, sparking a heated competition for the top spot between Blur's Country House and Oasis' Roll With It. However, this musical showdown soon evolved into a cultural phenomenon, pitting the polished, art-school intellectuals from the South against the unapologetic, raw talent from the North, reports the Manchester Evening News. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Renowned screenwriter and Sunday Times best-selling novelist John Niven (O'Brother, Kill Your Friends, How To Build A Girl) makes his stage play debut with The Battle. The production is directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, The Pillowman). The Battle will take the stage at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, April 28 – Saturday, May 2, 2026, as part of its extensive UK tour before reaching the West End. Theatre officials promise an unforgettable experience, urging audiences to "Get ready to roll with it." This wickedly funny production delves into one of rock history's most iconic rivalries, featuring larger-than-life personalities, explosive confrontations, and the cutthroat world of power, pride, and unbridled competitiveness. Theatre enthusiasts are in for a treat with the new comedy that delves into the notorious Gallagher brothers' world, complete with their signature expletives and incisive banter, immersing audiences in the midst of sibling rivalry, stardom, and the subsequent fallout. The Battle: Blur v Oasis is a new comedy play going on UK tour in 2026 including to Cardiff (Image: The Battle ) Playwright John Niven said: "1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different Tik Tok feeds. "When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news and the front page of every newspaper in the country. "We're going to take you back there. I've never written for the stage before, and it has been an absolute blast to do so for the first time with a producer as supportive as Simon and a director as talented as Matthew." Director Matthew Dunster also shared his excitement and said: "I remember the Battle of the Bands. I remember the charts that week. "Music mattered. I remember being in my twenties in 1995. "What a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity. "Just like John Niven's play. I'm so delighted to be working with John on such a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time, Blur and Oasis." Producer Simon Friend reminisced about how his sister was an ardent fan of Damon Albarn during her teens, with a colossal poster of the singer adorning her wall and remembered fervent debates with friends about their preferred bands. He said: "Throughout my sister's teenage years, she had an enormous poster of Damon Albarn on her wall, and I remember her falling out with friends over which band they loved more. "Ever since, this story has been in the back of my mind, and I was delighted that John Niven agreed to write it because there is no more qualified or hilarious chronicler of this world, and combined with Matthew Dunster directing, we have a fearless team recreating the sweaty mid-'90s carnage of The Battle of Britpop." With its debut set for Birmingham, The Battle is a production put together by Melting Pot, Birmingham Rep and Gavin Kalin, and is scheduled to tour throughout the UK following its premiere. For those eager to attend, general ticket sales kick off at 10 am on Friday, May 2, with purchases available through ATG here. The lineup of The Battle tour dates stretches into the year 2025. Following its World Premiere in Birmingham, the tour is set to travel across the UK, stopping at: Article continues below Leicester's Curve Theatre from Tuesday, March 10 – Saturday, March 14 Manchester's Opera House from Tuesday, March 17 - Saturday, March 21 Bromley's Churchill Theatre from Tuesday, March 24 – Saturday, March 28 Woking's New Victoria Theatre from Tuesday, March 31 – Saturday, April 4 Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre from Tuesday, April 14 – Saturday, April 18 Edinburgh's Festival Theatre from Tuesday, April 21 – Saturday, April 25 Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre from Tuesday, April 28 – Saturday, May 2 Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday, May 5 – Saturday, May 9 Ipswich's Regent Theatre from Tuesday, May 12 – Saturday, May 16 London's Richmond Theatre from Tuesday, May 19 - Saturday, May 23 Glasgow's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, May 26 – Saturday, May 30 York's Grand Opera House from Tuesday, June 9 – Saturday, June 13 Norwich's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, June 16 – Saturday, June 20 Nottingham's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, June 23 – Saturday, June 27 Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday, June 30 – Saturday, July 4 Newcastle's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, July 7 – Saturday, July 11 Brighton's Theatre Royal from Tuesday, July 14 – Saturday, July 18 Chester's Storyhouse Theatre from Tuesday, July 28 – Saturday, August 1
Glasgow Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
New comedy about Blur and Oasis rivalry heading to Glasgow
The Battle, presented by Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep, charts the summer of 1995, when Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in a legendary chart race. It will run at the city's Theatre Royal from May 26 until May 30, 2026. READ MORE: Glasgow to be hotter than Ibiza in summer burst this week Written by Sunday Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter John Niven, and directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Matthew Dunster, the play dives into the heart of the Britpop explosion — exploring the friendships, feuds, fame, and fallout that came to define an unforgettable era. John Niven said: '1995: a time long before music splintered into a billion different TikTok feeds. "When music was so central to the culture that two pop groups could dominate the entire summer, the evening news and the front page of every newspaper in the country. "We're going to take you back there. I've never written for the stage before, and it has been an absolute blast to do so for the first time with a producer as supportive as Simon and a director as talented as Matthew.' READ MORE: Watch this TV star go viral with impromptu Glasgow bar performance Set in London at the height of Britpop, the play brings to life the chaos of the Brit Awards, the frenzied tabloid wars, and the moment two bands dominated headlines, airwaves, and living rooms across the country. Matthew Dunster said: 'I remember the Battle of the Bands. I remember the charts that week. Music mattered. "I remember being in my twenties in 1995. What a wild time. Full of energy, naughtiness and hilarity. "Just like John Niven's play. I'm so delighted to be working with John on such a punchy, hilarious and revealing comedy about two of the best bands of all time, Blur and Oasis.' READ MORE: Fresh wine bar and bottle shop announces Glasgow opening date Simon Friend, the producer, added: 'Throughout my sister's teenage years, she had an enormous poster of Damon Albarn on her wall, and I remember her falling out with friends over which band they loved more. "Ever since, this story has been in the back of my mind, and I was delighted that John Niven agreed to write it because there is no more qualified or hilarious chronicler of this world, and combined with Matthew Dunster directing, we have a fearless team recreating the sweaty mid-'90s carnage of The Battle of Britpop.' John Niven, a former music industry insider turned bestselling author, is known for Kill Your Friends, The Trip, and How to Build A Girl.
