Noel Gallagher faces backlash as disgraced Kasabian star to support him on tour
Noel Gallagher has been slammed for inviting disgraced former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan to be his High Flying Birds tour support act.
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Noel Gallagher is facing backlash for inviting the disgraced former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan to be his support act on tour.
The 42-year-old was convicted of attacking his partner Vikki Ager in 2020, which resulted in him being sacked from the band.
Now High Flying Birds frontman Noel, 56, has come under fire from some fans for including him in his arena gigs, which kick off later this year, with many declaring they will be boycotting them.
One person tweeted: "Put my ticket up for sale! Tom Meighan is absolutely despicable & disappointed Noel would have someone like him as his support."
Another fan wrote: "Is Noel insane? There'd be a million and one acts that would jump at the chance to support. Why Tom Meighan?"
A third commented: "Tom Meighan? Surely a support act is meant to help bring in the crowds and not keep them away. Noel Gallagher needs his head checked. Count me out!"
A fourth stated: "Noel Gallagher loves picking problematic supports. Primal Scream and now Tom Meighan," while another added: "That scumbag Tom Meighan being able to just walk straight back into being a pretty successful musician after what he did is f****ng sick."
This will be the first big break for the Kasabian star, who has had six number-one albums and four top-10 singles with his former band, since the conviction.
He pleaded guilty to assault after being arrested and CCTV showed him hitting his then-fiancée before dragging her by the ankles into the back garden of their home.
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Tom was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work.
The rocker said he was remorseful and the arrest was a turning point in his life. He later put out a statement apologising for his behaviour.
Vicki stood by him and the pair married in July 2021 at Market Harborough Registry Office, Leicester.
A source told The Sun: "Noel taking on Tom is a big deal and it has got a lot of people talking.
"Liam is incredibly close pals with [Kasabian member] Serge, who openly dismissed his relationship with Tom after he assaulted Vikki...
"It's not gone down well with a lot of fans but there are people out there who have forgiven Tom and want to move on.
"Noel would have known there would be a backlash but he's clearly standing his ground."
Prior to Tom's court appearance, Kasabian put out a statement on Facebook saying he would be leaving due to "personal issues".
They later said they had "no choice" but to ask him to go as what happened was "totally unacceptable".
Former Oasis star, Noel has previously spoken out against domestic violence and revealed he was abused by his violent, alcoholic father Thomas as a child and he doesn't want to repeat the mistakes that formed his "horrific" childhood.
