Why is Noel Gallagher touring with Tom Meighan?
At the beginning of the week, Noel Gallagher stamped a ripple of controversy as he announced Tom Meighan as the High Flying Birds’ support act on their forthcoming UK arena tour. The news came just two days after the former Kasabian frontman shared the stage with Gallagher at Heritage Live in Essex.
Naturally, many fans are bristling with anticipation and excitement ahead of the tour, which kicks off in December. After all, Oasis famously welcomed Kasabian to support them on a run of dates in the early 2000s, giving the Leicester rockers a platform from which to conquer the nation in a less profound echo of the 1990s’ Britpop wave. However, a notable furore has surfaced in opposition to Gallagher’s decision to honour Meighan in light of his actions of domestic abuse in 2020.
In July 2020, Meighan announced on his Instagram page that he was leaving Kasabian with immediate effect, citing “personal issues”. Less than 24 hours later, the singer appeared in court pleading guilty to assaulting Vikki Ager, his partner of four years.
Meighan’s guilty plea was the first step in a long, challenging attempt to secure redemption, both personally and in the public eye. In 2021, he shared a contrite public statement on Medium titled ‘Check Your Soul: Why it’s never too late’. Meighan cited a struggle with mental health amid drug and alcohol addiction as the key driver behind his “unacceptable” behaviour.
“Last year, in April 2020, I did something I will never forgive myself for: I physically assaulted my now wife Vikki in a row fuelled [sic] by alcohol,” he wrote. “It was totally unacceptable. In fact, it makes me feel sick every time I think about it”.
“I didn’t recognise myself anymore,” Meighan continued. “I had hurt the woman I love. There are no excuses for what happened. I’m deeply ashamed of what I did. Anyone who knows me knows that it’s not in my nature to be violent, and it had never happened before. But my failure to address the issues within myself led me to breaking point”.
“It was the wake-up call I needed to get help,” the former Kasabian frontman added. “Having to watch the video revealing the reality of what I’d done repulsed me. I pleaded guilty straight away to everything. The shock set in. I was shaken to the core… I could not bear the thought that Viks was frightened or that she had been hurt. To this day, even now, I struggle with how I made her feel that night”.
In a humble bid for clemency, Meighan admitted that his career was rightfully damaged but hopes he can help stop any would-be abusers before they reach their “breaking point”.
“If the consequence of what I did is that I lose my career, I accept that,” Meighan added. “My career is superficial, and it has a shelf life. Breaking the stigma of domestic abuse will not happen if it continues to be treated lightly. But if anything I have to say helps someone before they reach their breaking point, I think that has to be a good thing”.
As Covid-19 restrictions eased up in 2022, Kasabian returned to the road without their lead vocalist, leaving Meighan to pick up the pieces as a solo act. His new ventures spawned a collection of singles leading up to a debut album, The Reckoning. Released in May 2023, the album was littered with titles relevant to his fall from grace, including ‘Movin’ On’ and ‘Everyone’s Addicted To Something’.
Amid his arrest and guilty plea, Meighan was diagnosed with ADHD. Admitting that the disorder by no means excused his behaviour, Meighan heeded his “wake-up call”, promising to remain sober following a brief stint in rehab.
Gallagher’s decision to welcome Meighan on tour with him wouldn’t have been made lightly. The controversy could be anticipated, but ostensibly, the former Oasis songwriter spots genuine remorse in a close friend.
Indeed, it’s difficult for the public to see the full picture from Gallagher’s perspective; we don’t know Meighan and Ager personally. All we can do is pick the bones from public information. “Vikki and I are still very much in love, and we are looking forward to rebuilding our life together with the support of those close to us,” Meighan stated in a tweet in July 2020.
Ager duly forgave her partner and married him on July 13th, 2021, bolstering Meighan’s above assertion and attesting to his devotion to sobriety and redemption. Gallagher would have undoubtedly weighed such information in his scales, but for many, a question still begs.
Despite Meighan’s best intentions, his legacy is still clouded by his actions of 2020. Hence, Gallagher’s decision to welcome him on tour has been construed by some as immoral or lacking judgement. Gallagher is well within his right to support a friend on the road to recovery, but perhaps the elephant in the room should be addressed for the sake of legacy and inquisitive fans.
Whether Gallagher overlooked marginalised or young, aspiring artists to help restore Meighan’s good name or boost ticket sales is a pertinent discussion point. Additionally, given how quickly Meighan has risen to prominence and the supposed benevolent mantra of his redemptive latest work, perhaps a percentage of the profits should be spared for Refuge or Women’s Aid? At the very least, a statement regarding Gallagher’s stance on Meighan’s recovery and remorse should be issued to set the record straight, answer the concerns of many fans, and avoid reputational damage.
As ever, this matter raises the ‘cancel culture’ question. Deplorable actions demand a public response, but perhaps ‘consequence culture’ is a more beneficial path. As Meighan continues to repent his wrongdoings, many will argue that he deserves a chance to combat cancellation, especially if he uses his experience to raise awareness and discourage domestic violence. Others will maintain that once you have done wrong, you can no longer contribute to society, even in a beneficial and redemptive capacity.
However, due diligence must be done by the victims of domestic abuse, who may have had just a few things to say when Gallagher made his announcement on Monday. When viewed from the victim’s perspective, what message is conveyed when a convicted abuser is so quickly granted a promotional platform ahead of thousands of other artists who could have benefited? Coupled with silence over the issues voiced by victims, does this create a condemnable culture of moral apathy surrounding the concerts?
This moral ambiguity demands answers and clarification. Far Out has contacted Noel Gallagher’s representatives for a comment on the matter, but we are yet to receive an answer.
For anybody who may be a victim of domestic abuse, please find relevant help below.
- UK: Please contact the Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
- USA: Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
