John Smallbones is obsessed with the Manchester rock band, but his fiancée isn’t a fan.
An Oasis superfan has spent thousands decking out his home with band memorabilia – even though his fiancée isn’t a fan.
John Smallbones, 45, fell in love with the Burnage lads back in the 1990s. He was devastated when the Gallagher brothers went their separate ways.
Over the past decade, John has accumulated around £12,000-worth of Oasis merchandise – including vinyls, clothing and life-size cutouts.
The window surveyor has even named his business ‘Wall of Glass’ after the popular 2017 Liam hit. His van is plastered with stickers dedicated to the boys.
John listens to their albums all day – every day – and has Oasis-themed tattoos.
“I’ve got canvases all over the house, cabinets full of stuff from concerts, a bathroom full of memorabilia and its all over the walls too, everywhere really,” John said.
“My kids know all the music – they have to because they hear me singing along in the shower where I’ve got a stereo and speakers wired up.
“Whenever I’m driving in the van, I’ve got Oasis blasting – I don’t listen to the radio, I just have their albums on all day and on the weekend, I listen to their music on vinyl.
“You walk into the dining room, there’s two cabinets full of Oasis stuff, and then as you turn to walk back out, there’s Liam Gallagher stood there and Noel on the other side.
“I’ve actually had to take Noel down because the kids kept putting drawing pins in him.
“My family think I’m mad, actually, to be honest! My other half doesn’t like my collection.
“My other half has said that when I die, she’s going to chuck that cardboard cut out of Liam in there with me!”
John first started listening to the band as a way of relaxing after heavy weekends clubbing with his mates.
He then started going to Oasis concerts twice a year, having seen them 30 times before they eventually split in 2009.
John believes Oasis are ‘far better than the Beatles because of their meaningful lyrics’.
When it comes to picking his favourite Oasis tune, he says he can’t… but that his least favourite is Wonderwall ‘because it’s been overplayed’.
John added: “It’s the music that made me like them so much, initially. I heard them before I saw them and the music was so different from anything else.
“Obviously, everyone was gutted when they split up. You thought that was the end of it, that there was going to be no more music from them.”
Devastated by the split, John took to the internet and started buying Oasis canvases to decorate the house and found himself lost in a world of band memorabilia.
John has done his bit to support Liam’s solo career, attending gigs and splurging around £7,000 the younger brother’s clothing brand Pretty Green.
John said: “Liam is my favourite. It’s his attitude and the way he is on stage. I think a lot of blokes like Liam and would want to walk on the stage like he does.
“I’ve spent thousands on the Pretty Green clothing. I’ve got a double wardrobe with two rails on it and all of that is Pretty Green – I haven’t even worn some of it.
“Over the past four months, I’ve spent about £400 on Pretty Green shoes. I don’t tell my other half when I’ve got new pairs – if she points out she hasn’t seen a pair before and I just say yeah you have, I’ve just not worn them!”
John shares his home in Andover, Hampshire, with his extremely patient fiancée, Elaine, 46, who has had just about enough of the collection taking over their house.
She attends every Liam Gallagher concert with John, but doesn’t consider herself a fan of the band her husband loves so dearly.
Elaine prefers Michael Jackson, Fugees, En Vogue, Mark Morrison, Boyzone and New Kids on the Block.
She said: “I don’t mind their songs and I enjoy going to see Liam in concert but I wouldn’t go as far as saying I am an Oasis fan.
“I’m not fussed if I listen to them or not. I enjoy some of their songs but that’s it.”
“I only have one rule and that’s no Oasis or Liam Gallagher stuff in the bedroom!
“I was not a fan of the life size cut outs to start with and neither were the kids as they frightened the life out of us every time we walked into the room! I don’t really notice them being there any more though.
“When he had pictures of them in the downstairs toilet, that was quite off putting!
“John has so many albums so there’s always a mixture of music playing. I do have to say something when a new song comes out though as that gets repeated about 10 times on the day it is released!
“Anyone who knows John knows how much he loves Oasis and Liam. I have to admit I have never known anyone to be so committed as a fan as John.
“He follows all the updates on Liam Gallagher and constantly talks about Oasis.”
John added: “I would love to meet them. Out of both, I’d want to meet Liam the most.
“People who have met him always say how down to earth he is. If you met him though, I doubt you’d want it to end.
“It would be nice to just sit in a pub with him, that would be quite cool.”
Source: Manchester Evenings