West Country accent 'would not have worked for Oasis'

Oasis would not have worked if the band had "a West Country accent", Noel Gallagher has said.

He made the claim in a new documentary, 'Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger', which tells the story of the band's reunion and comeback tour after 15 years apart.

Talking about the importance of the band's Manchester roots, Gallagher said: "Imagine if I had a West Country accent saying 'we are going to be the biggest band in the world'. It's not gonna work."

Despite his comment, Oasis does reportedly have a West Country connection. A long-held rumour suggests their name was inspired by Swindon's Oasis Leisure Centre, which hosted a gig which Gallagher worked on as a guitar technician.

The documentary, which is currently in cinemas, was produced by Gloucestershire-based Steven Knight who created Peaky Blinders and co-created Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Recent polling found that 15% of respondents with a West Country accent reported having their way of speaking mocked or criticised in the workplace.

Despite this, Bristol and the wider West Country has produced a host of high-profile media figures like Simon Pegg, Stephen Merchant and Maisie Williams, as well as musicians such as Massive Attack, Idles and two thirds of Bananarama.

But arguably none have embraced their West Country accent as fervently as the Wurzels, who topped the charts in 1976 with Somerset anthem, 'The Combine Harvester'.

"I think if we'd done [our music] in a Mancuinian accent it wouldn't have worked for us!" said Wurzels front man, Pete Budd.

"We're proud of our West Country accent and I'm sure that Noel Gallagher is proud of his Mancunian accent."

"Noel Gallagher is probably right in what he says - Oasis are Oasis and are one of the biggest bands in the world," he added.

"He knows what he's talking about but I would think it's a little bit tongue in cheek as well."

Despite staunchly defending the West Country accent, Budd said that what really matters for bands is the music they release.

"If people like a particular song, I don't think its the accent, it's the music and the way you do it," he said.

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