Noel Gallagher puts guitar up for auction in Salford Lads Club fundraiser
Noel Gallagher has announced that he will be auctioning off one of his guitars alongside holding an Oasis exhibition in aid of the under-threat Salford Lads Club.
The guitar, a Cherry Hofner Verythin that has been signed by Gallagher and was used on some of the Manchester group’s recordings, is open for bidding until November 15th and is expected to raise up to £8,000, with approximately 20% of the proceeds going towards the fundraiser to save the club.
On November 23rd and 24th, the club will also hold an exhibition of Oasis memorabilia to raise additional funds, following the success and popularity of a similar exhibition in June of this year.
Salford Lads and Girls Club has been told that it will need to have raised at least £250,000 before the end of November in order to stay open, to help cover rising maintenance costs and in lieu of the shortfall the club suffered from the loss of grant funds earlier in the year.
The fundraiser was started by Manchester Evening News, and has so far raised £225,000, with any additional funds received over the £250,000 threshold being pledged towards a legacy fund for the club which will help with any ongoing costs and community projects in future.
Opened in 1904 by future Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell as a club for young boys from impoverished areas of Manchester to attend, the building has become a large part of the city’s cultural history and was given Grade-II listed status in 2003 by Historic England.
Notable former attendees of the club include Allan Clarke and Graham Nash of The Hollies, while the exterior of the club has been immortalised in the inner cover to the Smiths’ 1986 album The Queen is Dead. Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has been one of the largest donors towards the fundraiser so far, pledging a total of £55,000 towards ensuring the club’s safety.
Also, during the exhibition, there will be memorabilia of other iconic Manchester bands from the ‘90s and beyond on display, with items celebrating the history of acts like the Smiths, Stone Roses and Courteeners on show. Alongside this, the exhibition will close with a Q&A between founding Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll and rock journalist John Robb.
Oasis are reuniting for their first shows in 26 years in 2025, with the predicted revenue of their tour expected to be in excess of £400million, with Gallagher and his brother Liam expected to make at least £50m each.
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