Friday High Five – the news this week

Clearly nobody told the Gallagher Brothers that you never launch anything in August.

The news that Oasis are to reform not only led most of the national news this week, but has remained our most popular story on TheBusinessDesk.com too.

It gave us an opportunity to tell something of the most remarkable business success story in the region that you’ve probably never heard of, SJM.

Named after concert promoter Simon J Moran, who started the business in the 90s putting on student gigs, he now runs one of the most powerful businesses in the global entertainment industry out of a small office in Manchester city centre.

It was good of Manchester cultural chronicler Andy Spinoza to note our story on Tuesday that “followed the money” behind the Oasis reunion and the role that SJM were playing in the live music event of 2025.

The first hint that this was real was a visual display at the Wythenshawe Park concert of Stockport icons Blossoms on Sunday night, also an SJM production.

Since then we’ve also been inundated with press releases from rent-a-quote experts about what this might mean for the economy – supersonic, evening glory, you name it, they didn’t hold back on letting the cliches roll (with it).

SJM has stayed true to its roots in Manchester, as the business has gone global, and Moran has bought Warrington Wolves Rugby League club. In that same spirit, the modest success of Blossoms has also reinvested into businesses and property in a resurgent Stockport.

But unless Noel Gallagher’s private office is an investor in a northern private equity fund, one run by a fellow Manchester City fan maybe, to the best of my knowledge all the wealth and money generated by the Oasis machine has never returned to the North West.

Anyway, enjoy the weekend.