John Smallbones, 50, has been a huge fan of the band since 1992 and says he will be sleeping out the night before the July 26 concert in his van – which is Oasis themed – to nab a spot at the front of the queue
An Oasis super fan who has splashed over £14,000 on the band is plotting to camp overnight in a bid to finally get face to face with Liam Gallagher.
John Smallbones, 50, has been a die-hard follower of the band since 1992. He plans to spend the night before the July 26 gig sleeping in his Oasis-themed van to ensure he’s first in line when the gates open.
His ultimate goal is to meet his idol, Liam Gallagher, and prove that he’s not “just a random fan” – a point he hopes to make by showing off a tattoo of the singer’s face inked on his back.
John, a window surveyor from Andover, Hampshire, said: “A lot of people meet him. Obviously they are fans but they probably don’t have what I’ve got.
“I’d have to show him how much stuff I have. I’d probably show him my tattoos, and my van with his mugshot. Also something in my house.
“I think by then he’d realise that I was a ‘nutter’.”
In his quest for a personal encounter with Liam, John has even offered his mates Chris Jackson and Spencer Walker, who deal in music records and assisted in securing tickets, a cool £1,000 if they can arrange a meeting through their “industry contacts.”.
While hundreds of thousands of Oasis fans will be flocking to see the reunion tour, John certainly stands out from the crowd. His home is an Oasis shrine, adorned from floor to ceiling with band memorabilia, including mugs, t-shirts, cardboard cut-outs of the Gallagher brothers, and even a handmade ‘Liam’ wig.
His vinyl collection boasts rare live recordings, thanks to the assistance of Chris and Spencer, the owner of a record shop in Whitchurch, Hampshire.
However, securing tickets for the reunion tour proved a challenge for John. It required a squad of seven mates and family members to track down tickets for two gigs – one in July costing £650 and another in September for £350.
He explained: “They were all in their own houses on different laptops. Every time when everyone got down to number one in the queue it logged you out. They spent about seven or eight hours each on it.
“They were all doing it and I wasn’t. I don’t do computers and I was busy thinking about what I’ll be wearing. I’ve got a Liam Gallagher wig but I think it might be too hot for it.
“We couldn’t get any in the first sales. They weren’t impressed. I’d wasted everyone’s time. But they tried again and again, and it just went on like that for about a month.
“If I could have got a ticket for every night in each different place, I would have done.
“Eventually everyone gave up except my dad. He was the one who got them. He just kept trying and trying, because he always does for me.
“He got me the ticket for my 50th birthday. I was smiling from ear to ear.”
John’s father, also named John and in his 70s, declined the opportunity to accompany his son, instead offering the spare July ticket to John’s cousin, James Bulpitt.
James, a 50 year old carpenter, will be joining John for an overnight campout in the van ahead of the first gig.
“He’s not as into it as I am. But he’ll dress up as Liam as well because he’s borrowing some of my clothes,” revealed John. “To be honest, I don’t think they ever really probably fell out. I’ve always said to people that they get back together.
“A mate of mine said that there was no chance that they would get back together and that he didn’t know why I kept banging on about it.
“But I said ‘yeah, they will – they definitely will’.
“I remember him saying how they don’t even like each other and me saying ‘yeah, that’s what they say, but it’s probably all part of the plan’.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
