Gene Gallagher reveals nerves before supporting dad on major tour
Gene Gallagher has admitted on Radio X he couldn’t sleep before supporting his dad on one of the year’s biggest rock tours.
The Villanelle guitarist appeared on The Evening Show with Dan O’Connell on the station last night alongside bandmate Ben Taylor, reflecting on their experience opening for Liam Gallagher during the Definitely Maybe 13th anniversary tour in 2024.
Gene said the scale of the shows came before he properly understood touring life, describing the opportunity as overwhelming despite its prestige.
“I was more locked in for Miles than Definitely Maybe,” he explained. “Definitely Maybe, I didn’t even know what I was doing. I didn’t even know what a tour was, or how to do it.”
Ben agreed that the band was learning in real time, saying the experience felt like being thrown into the deep end at the highest possible level.
“I’d say even now we wouldn’t be ready for a tour that big,” he said, adding that no artist ever truly feels prepared for arenas of that size.
The pair compared those early shows with their later run supporting Miles Kane, which followed the completion of Villanelle’s EP and gave the group greater clarity about their sound and identity.
Ben said the band approached those performances with far more conviction and purpose, having developed confidence both musically and professionally since the earlier tour dates.
Despite their nerves, Dan told Gene that audiences would never have noticed any uncertainty from the stage.
Gene then revealed just how intense the pressure felt behind the scenes.
“I couldn’t sleep the night before,” he said. “It was so unknown to me. I put on a brave face.”
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Tune into The Evening Show with Dan O’Connell on Radio X weekdays from 7:00pm – 10:00pm and on Global Player.