Noel Gallagher has been criticized for “downplaying the experience of disabled music fans” after comments he made about his experience at Glastonbury Festival.
After the Oasis frontman played the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night of the festival (June 25), he stayed at Worthy Farm to watch a few sets, including Jamie T’s headline slot on the John Peel Stage on Sunday night.
In a new appearance on The Matt Morgan Podcast, Gallagher revealed that because he couldn’t get a vantage point for the show up front, he and his friends instead watched from the tent’s handicap platform, which he said he initially didn’t realize the purpose of.
He said: “[We] we couldn’t get to the stage part because we were bloody wasted’ so he showed his pass and said ‘those lots are with me and we went on this platform – not knowing it was the disabled platform’.
Noel then added: “I said, ‘You see that assistant? It gets me all over the damn place,” going on to joke that he would pull a disabled fan out of their wheelchair so his son could see better, and tap disabled fans on the forehead, telling them, “Get up , you can walk”.
“I have to say, these disabled cats have a great view of everything,” he added.
❌ Accessible event platforms are not for privileged rock stars and their cronies.
🎸 They exist so that people with disabilities can enjoy live music with fewer barriers.
— Scope (@scope) July 4, 2022
Noel can belittle the experience of disabled music fans.
But for many, the reality of attending live music and festivals can be stressful and upsetting.
— Scope (@scope) July 4, 2022
Following the quotes, disability equality charity Scope criticized Gallagher on Twitter, writing: “The reports of Noel Gallagher’s behavior at Glastonbury were disturbing enough. But to hear him brag about his actions and openly mock disabled people in the process is beyond insulting.”
They added: “Noel may be demeaning the experience of disabled music fans. But for many, the reality of attending live music and festivals can be stressful and upsetting.”
“Affordable event platforms are not for privileged rock stars and their cronies,” the tweets continued. “They exist so that people with disabilities can enjoy live music with fewer barriers.”
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