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'The most rock and roll thing to happen in Burnage since the bins went on fire'A Liam Gallagher lookalike has been spotted causing trouble in south ManchesterWhat's OnAdam Maidment What's On

and LGBTQ+ Writer16:48, 03 Jun 2025There's been some bizarre Oasis-themed going's-on in Burnage this week(Image: Aaron Parfitt/Be Here Now) When Oasis first sang about ‘Mister Sifter’, it

was about the Burnage shop owner shaking along at traffic lights with a 16-year-old Gallagher brother.

But 31 years later, the Sifter’s record shop on Fog Lane is still going strong and has long become established as a spot of pilgrimage for fans of the local band. This week it also became

the location for a bizarre stunt featuring a double of Liam because, well, of course it did.

‌ Described by one passer-by as ‘the most rock and roll thing to happen in Burnage since the bins went on fire', fans in the south Manchester area were caught by surprise by a Liam Gallagher

lookalike swaggering about outside the now-iconic music shop.

‌ Not content with raising attention by swanning about in a dark green parka and sunglasses, the lookalike also took part in a mock ‘bust-up’ with author Paul Carroll, who has just released

a satirical novel about a chaotic Oasis reunion. It’s safe to say that Oasismania has well and truly taken over Manchester.

The unruly bust-up was all cleverly done to coincide with the one month countdown until Oasis kick off their huge 2025 reunion shows. The first date on the tour, at Cardiff’s Principality

Stadium, will kick off on July 4.

Be Here Now author Paul Carroll with the Liam Gallagher lookalike inside Sifters(Image: Aaron Parfitt/Be Here Now)Article continues below The boys will then bring the shows to this side of

the country with five huge dates at Manchester’s Heaton Park between July 11 and 20. The band will be supported by fellow music legends Cast and Richard Ashcroft.

Speaking about his satirical novel Be Here Now, which imagines the Oasis brothers reuniting in 2029 on a greenwashed eco-island, author Paul Carroll insisted it isn’t really about the band

themselves, but more about the fans and the ‘nature of modern nostalgia’.

Joking about the Sifter’s stunt, he said: “If anyone was going to kick off about it, it was going to be a bloke in a parka. The novel is about hype, fame, greenwashing, and what happens when

you try to bring the past back with hashtags.”

‌Liam's double rocked up outside the famous Sifter's record shop on Fog Lane in Burnage(Image: Aaron Parfitt/Be Here Now) Paul, who lives in Altrincham, added: “If you grew up in the

nineties and ever queued overnight for tickets, wore Adidas poppers, or got into a blazing row about whether Heathen Chemistry was genius or garbage, this book might feel uncomfortably

familiar.”

However, whilst the book is not about the boys, Paul can't help but speculate about what might be going on behind the scenes of the world’s biggest reunion as the pair prepare for their huge

summer of shows.

‌ “People are already arguing about setlists and whether Noel will smile,” he laughs. “We just wanted to ask, what if the reunion wasn’t what anyone expected? And what if someone tried to

spin it into the world’s biggest marketing opportunity?”

Liam Gallagher's lookalike, with record shop owner Mr Sifter and Be Here Now author Paul Carroll(Image: Aaron Parfitt/Be Here Now) It was recently announced that Oasis fans heading to their

gigs at Heaton Park will be able to use a dedicated shuttle bus and coach service that will get them nicely into the concert site and back to town after the show - but people have been urged

to act quick if they want a spot.

Article continues below Those still trying everything they can to see the boys on tour have also been given a glimmer of hope after it was announced that there is still a chance to get

tickets at face value. However, people have been advised to be vigilant over a number of scams which have resulted in some fans losing money.

Be Here Now by Paul Carroll is out now in paperback and ebook, and is published by DreamEngine.