Richard Ashcroft responds after Oasis fan goes viral for Shazaming ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ at Cardiff gig

An Oasis fan has gone viral after Shazaming ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ at a show in Cardiff, and Richard Ashcroft himself has responded.

• READ MORE: Oasis live in Cardiff: a supersonic reunion for a new generation

The now-viral moment took place during one of the Oasis shows in Cardiff last week, which saw Liam and Noel Gallagher kick off their first tour together in 16 years with two gigs at the Principality Stadium.

For the gigs, support was lined-up from Cast and from Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve). However, it seems like someone in the crowd wasn’t familiar with one of the latter’s biggest hits, as they were filmed using the Shazam app during ‘Bittersweet Symphony’.

The app is used to identify the name of the song and the artist by analysing a short sample of audio.

“Did they just Shazam the national anthem?” the person filming wrote over the top of the footage, while a page on X/Twitter re-shared it along with the caption: “Richard Ashcroft performs ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ ahead of the Oasis gig, and this melon is on Shazam trying to find out what it’s called”.

Richard Ashcroft performs Bittersweet Symphony ahead of the Oasis gig, and this melon is on Shazam trying to find out what it's called pic.twitter.com/frp9MvfrcT

— Joke Blog (@joke_blog) July 4, 2025

Unsurprisingly, some have responded in disbelief that the person hadn’t heard the hit 1997 Verve song before, while some others defended the person Shazaming from the criticism.

One person described not knowing the song as “very embarrassing”, while another quipped that they should have been “escorted off the premises” as a result.

“The biggest tosser is the person filming someone else’s phone when they know they could be watching ‘Bittersweet Symphony’,” someone else retaliated, while another added: “Just because somebody is Shazamming a track doesn’t mean they don’t know it, it is a quick way to add the song to your Spotify playlist without actually having to find it.”

“Maybe she didn’t grow up with it, mate. Not everyone’s obsessed with 90s Britpop,” another shared. “Could just be enjoying the night in her own way. No need to embarrass folk for not knowing a tune.”

Just because somebody is Shazamming a truck doesn’t mean they don’t know it, it is a quick way to add the song to your Spotify playlist without actually having to find it.

— Martin (@V8_Martin) July 4, 2025

She should have been escorted off the premises.

— Anthony Middleton (@manvsclock) July 4, 2025

Maybe she didn’t grow up with it mate. Not everyone’s obsessed with 90s Britpop.

Could just be enjoying the night in her own way. No need to embarrass folk for not knowing a tune.

— RFC (@SpursWinTrophys) July 4, 2025

The bigger tosser is the person filming someone else’s phone when they know they could be watching Bittersweet Symphony.

— Trve. Cvlt. Pop! Podcast (@TrveCvltPop) July 4, 2025

The clip has even made its way to Richard Ashcroft himself, who shared a post on Instagram making a nod to it and saying that “all new fans” are accepted at his live shows. “Day two. Thanks to everyone who came down and gave such beautiful support for my set,” he wrote.

“If you don’t know it Shazam it, all new fans welcome! Love to Liam Gallagher for ‘Cast No Shadow’, what a tune! We move on, Manchester. Are you ready? Music is power. RA.”

At his sets at the first two Oasis shows, Richard Ashcroft came on after Cast and played seven songs. Before closing with the classic Verve hit, he played ‘Sonnet’, ‘Space And Time’, ‘A Song For The Lovers’, ‘Break The Night With Colour’, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and ‘Lucky Man’.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richard Ashcroft (@richardashcroftofficial)

As for Oasis, their opening show last Friday saw NME give the historic night the full five stars and praise it as “a supersonic reunion for a new generation”.

“After a ‘90s heyday and an often maligned post-millennium era, this is Oasis redesigned for the 21st Century,” the review read. “Playing before a pop-art-meets-psychedelia visual spectacular that never distracts but will look sick on a phone, they seem the quintessential stadium band playing the greatest hits of greatest hits.”

The post Richard Ashcroft responds after Oasis fan goes viral for Shazaming ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ at Cardiff gig appeared first on NME.