Liam Gallagher dedicates song to Carl Bevan at European festival

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dedicated a song to Carl Bevan at a festival in Europe it has emerged.

Headlining at Hungary’s biggest music festival Sziget on August 9th, the day it was announced that talented artist and musician Carl had died suddenly, aged 51, the singer took a moment to speak to the crowd.

He then dedicated Oasis classic Live Forever to the drummer with 60ft Dolls, who supported the Manchester legends on tour in their early days.

It’s fitting that Liam is now on a 30th anniversary tour of Definitely Maybe, the album that rocketed the band to stardom.

Carl and the Dolls witnessed at first hand the heady ascent of Oasis on a 1994 tour including a particularly memorable gig at Newport’s legendary TJs.

Liam has evidently never forgotten to early shows and it was a lovely touch to dedicate one of the standout moments from Definitely Maybe to the Welsh musician and artist.

Below is a recording of Liam’s full set at Sziget. 49 minutes 20 seconds in you can hear Liam say, “have you guys heard of the 60 foot….” sadly the recording is then cut before Live Forever begins. (If anyone has a full recording with the tribute to Carl please let us know)

Prior to his death Carl made headlines after selling off items donated by Cerys Matthews, Manic Street Preachers, Skindred and more to raise money for charity.

The 60ft Dolls were a key part of the Welsh music scene during the Cool Cymru era – a time when the band’s hometown, Newport, was dubbed “the new Seattle” by the New York Times in the 1990s.

The band toured extensively in the UK, Japan and Europe, and opened for The Sex Pistols at their 1996 Finsbury Park reunion gig.

Initially influenced by touring American hardcore bands that played in Newport (and in particular TJs), the Dolls played noisy yet melodic rock, described by the NME as “grunge mod…proto-pub metal blues of the first order”.

Celebrated artist

Carl went on to become a renowned landscape artist, with exhibitions selling out within minutes of opening.

He found a worldwide market for his celebrated art – much of which depicted scenes in around his adopted home of Cardiff and his much loved Newport.

Carl shared at the time: “It was much to my relief that I quickly found out that the same creative drive I had for music has been easily re-routed directly into art. It’s exactly the same currency.

“This is very good news for me as I think I would have driven everybody I know insane (not least myself ) without it. I always knew I would go back to it at some point in my life, I just thought I would be a lot older and a lot more eccentric.

“So the plan for the B-side of my life is this: “let’s see what I’m capable of?” I’m very much looking forward to developing as an artist and painter. To me, I feel like a caveman who has just discovered fire or something.

“So, thanks for being interested in my work enough to read this far. Maybe some of it is coming to a cave wall near you soon , and I really like that idea.”

READ MORE:
Tributes pour in for Cool Cymru era drummer and renowned artist

The unseen photographs of Oasis at TJs in Newport

‘We’re not scared of you – we’re Welsh!’ The day 60ft Dolls took on The Sex Pistols

From Britpop to brushstrokes with 60ft Dolls’ Carl Bevan