Dean Ryan, from Chester, has made a name for himself with his uncanny Liam Gallagher tribute show in Benidorm
Dean Ryan has made a name for himself with his Liam Gallagher tribute act
When Oasis take to the stage at Heaton Park on July 11, there will be another Liam Gallagher some 1,447.4 miles away performing some of the very same songs to another packed-out crowd.
For the last couple of years, Dean Ryan, from Chester, has earned himself the reputation of being “the next best to the real Oasis” with his Liam Gallagher Tribute Show in Benidorm.
The 58-year-old has been living in the Spanish resort for more than 25 years now and started developing his Liam tribute act shortly before the pandemic. Having led his own rock and roll show for decades, which features his renditions of Shakin’ Stevens, Adam and the Ants, and Elvis Presley, Dean wanted to give Liam a go to keep things fresh.
“I don’t want to be left behind – you have to be current,” Dean explains to the Manchester Evening News. “You can’t be any more current than what I’m doing right now. That’s why I didn’t want to just stick to doing Shakin’ Stevens.
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Dean said he ‘feels very lucky’ to be able to do something he enjoys
“I was getting a bit complacent, I needed something to give me that little adrenaline rush again. When I first did it, I knew it was going to be something special. I really love it.”
But, initially, Dean said that bar owners struggled to get behind his Oasis vision – not understanding if there would be as much of a draw for it as other performers. But, a case of the right place and the right time proved to be a success.
He explained: “One night, one of the bars had a performer who was unable to do their usual show and they needed someone quick, and I said I could do the Liam show. The last thing they wanted was my show, they thought it would be a flop but it was a last resort. That’s it really, it was complete by chance – and it’s snowballed since then.”
Crowds at the Liam Gallagher Tribute Show at The Western Saloon(Image: The Western Saloon)
Now, only a few years after debuting the act, Dean is known both in Benidorm and over in the UK for his performances. He’s achieved more than 50 million views across social media and constantly receives rave reviews for his shows – which are held at The Western Saloon and Morgan Tavern bars.
“I’m two years now in, I’m getting into my stride,” he explains. “It takes me a bit to get into character. The trick over here is that I didn’t put my name on it purposely. All the acts, the locals, didn’t know it was me for weeks – they thought I was a new kid on the block stealing all their jobs.
“I can stand outside the venue ten minutes before I come on and people still don’t realise it’s me. I’ve had people come up to me and ask what time the show is on and I’m like ‘when I’ve finished this pint’, and they can’t believe it. But I like that people don’t recognise me.”
Dean described Oasis as the ‘last British supergroup’
For his Liam show, Dean completes his look with a wig, a tambourine and a trademark parka coat. He’s also masterfully worked out the exact Liam stance – although he ensures there is a line between imitating and doing something unique.
“The stance is iconic – I’ve studied the exact degrees of it,” he explains. “But I didn’t want to make it a caricature, I wanted to put my own stamp on it and I think I’ve done that. I’m not taking the mick, it’s accurate but it’s tongue-in-cheek. It’s my version of Liam.
“My trademark is the two-finger salute. The grannies want me to do that and they get upset when I don’t do it now. I’ve essentially got my own groupies.”
Despite the attention and glowing reviews, Dean said he has received some criticism from people online. But being years into the game, he knows better than to take it to heart.
Dean joked that he’s ‘on stand-by’ should the Gallagher brothers fall out during the Oasis reunion tours(Image: Getty Images)
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“I’m not bothered by what anybody says about me,” he explains. “I’m getting paid to do something I love and something that other people are enjoying – I feel very lucky. Those who are criticising it have never seen it live.”
Dean first moved to Benidorm in 1999 after a stint in Ibiza where he met the mother of his daughter whilst performing his rock and roll show.
“We got a dog and realised we couldn’t take it back to England,” he explained. “I had a contact in Benidorm that I knew through the entertainment industry, and we just turned up here with no work, nowhere to live and a dog.
“Again, by complete chance, somebody was ill and I got a last-minute phone call to cover. I did my rock and roll show at Morgan’s Tavern and it’s been continuing ever since.”
The Western Saloon in Benidorm is one of the venues where Dean performs his Liam Gallagher Tribute Show
Dean now lives with his girlfriend Gaynor Williams, who is also a singer in Benidorm with her own show. The pair knew each other as teenagers before losing contact until Gaynor visited the resort in early 2020. The pair have also regularly appeared on Channel 5’s Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun.
“She visited during the pandemic when everything just closed down,” Dean explains. “We’ve been together ever since then. She helped me put together the Liam show by doing the posters and the track edits. It’s a team effort.”
And with it being just days now until the band kick off their reunion tour with two shows in Cardiff on July 4 and 5, it seems like Oasismania is now in full swing – with their music just as popular as ever.
Dean, in full Liam gear, with his partner Gaynor
“For me, they are the last British supergroup,” he explains of why the band has stood the test of time. “Oasis have such classic anthems that are timeless. It’s more than 30 years since their debut and they still sound fresh and current today.”
Whilst Dean hasn’t got tickets to the reunion tour, he says he will be hanging by the phone if any on-stage spats or behind-the-scenes drama does kick off.
“It’ll be interesting to see how many shows they will complete,” he laughs. “For the record, I am on stand-by if they need me. We can’t let the fans down.”
You can follow the Liam Gallagher Tribute Show on Facebook here.