Some might say his shows are as good as an Oasis gig, now Benidorm’s viral Liam Gallagher tribute act has shared his rigorous pre-gig ritual that helps him get into character
A Benidorm Liam Gallagher tribute act dubbed “better than the real thing” has revealed the secret to his success — cigarettes and alcohol before every gig.
Fans have gone mad for Dean Ryan’s supersonic shows which see him mimic the Shakermaker singer perfectly. But the rock and roll star, 58, said: “I don’t do much preparation. I’ll smoke a couple of cigarettes and have a bottle of San Miguel before I go on stage.”
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, Chester lad Dean revealed he first put the Liam Gallagher show together seven years ago as he was needing to change pace on stage after being diagnosed with arthritis in his feet.
But entertainment managers in the resort didn’t want to book it as he was too well known for his Shakin’ Stevens tribute act, which he’d been doing for more than 20 years.
His debuted his Liam show when his girlfriend and fellow singer Gaynor couldn’t make a show at Morgan’s Tavern in the Costa Blanca resort in February 2023, so he stepped in as the legendary Oasis frontman at the last minute.
After performing at smaller venues for a few months to grow his audience, he signed an exclusive contract with Morgan’s Tavern, who were desperate to keep him as a headline act.
And fans of all ages flock to his twice-a-night gigs at the bar and its sister pub the Western Saloon, with many hailing it as good as an Oasis gig.
On fan wrote on social media after seeing his show: “I’ve seen him twice now he’s probably better than the real thing!” Another Benidorm tourist added: “Saw him a few weeks ago and he’s genuinely better than actual Liam Gallagher.”
Dean said: “It took me a few months of watching myself back and getting the mannerisms right before I was happy with it and there’s always room for improvement, but I think I’m there now, I’m happy with it.
“There’s a crowd of kids coming to my show now with their grandparents, it’s great. I see different age groups and there’s an excitement and the energy in the crowd. If I can bring joy to people and get them in mindset that they’re at a concert for 45 minutes, my job is done.
“It’s been like a rebirth for me. I’d been doing something I really loved for so long, but I was perhaps going through the motions a bit. I feel rejuvenated and I’m doing something that gets me excited. The rock and roll keeps you young.
“There’s a lot of tribute acts out here and I think a lot of acts have a shelf-life, so I think this is a bit fresh. Now I’ve got an audience of kids and grandparents coming in to my show and I think a lot of the performers over here and stepping up their game a little bit.”
Dean had no idea the Britpop icons were set to announce a megabucks reunion tour when she started performing his tribute act and started to grow an audience during 2023, but he admits the news helped spark more interest.
He added: “I’ve been here for 25 years and I’ve reinvented myself, I didn’t want to be left behind by the entertainment industry. I wanted to do something different.
“Obviously I didn’t know about the reunion when I started doing the show. I was getting a bit of an audience before the reunion was announced.
Dean’s performances have gone viral when shared by fans online:
“It was a new show and some of the regulars were coming to the show and even the people who knew me and worked with me didn’t know it was me, which is what I wanted, I got a good audience in the first few months.
“And then the reunion has sparked more interest. I’ve always been an Oasis fan, I’ve seen them live a couple of times. And my voice is quite naturally suited to that style.
“If I got to work a couple of shows a night, I’d have been happy with that, but it had to work. Performing for 25 years as Shakin Stevens took its toll.
“It is a bit easier, but my hip is starting to hurt now because I have to do that famous stance every night. There’s rumours they’re touring Europe so I might get another 18 months out of it.”
Dean says his setlist for his show at Morgan’s Tavern is pretty much set in stone, but he throws a few fresh ones in his second show at the Western Saloon for his own sanity.
He added: “One new one I’ve thrown in lately is Digsy’s dinner and theres a lot of them are bouncing up and down to it, so that’s gone down really well.”
Dean has a handful of gigs in the UK lined up for later in the year. Check out his Facebook page for updates.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
