Liam Gallagher On Brother Noel, Ray Davies, Roger Daltrey, Paul McCartney And More

Liam Gallagher interview excerpt from NME magazine

NME: One thing that doesn't make the papers so much now Is the rift with Noel - he doesn't seem to be fueling it any more. He told NME that he likes your new stuff…
 
Liam: "Good, It's good music. But he'll say anything to you. Deep down he probably hates it, but he's never gonna tell you the truth. He just walks around in wolf's clothes, man. I wear my heart on my sleeve. Or maybe he's mellow and it's just me."

 He won an Ivor last week.

 "Bet he's happy with that, isn't he?"

 And you?

"I don't give a fuck what awards he gets. Ivor Novello Award? What is it?"
 
Oasis won two of them. It's the industry award.

 "I Don't want anything to do with that shit"

He got it for his song collection. What would that mean to you, to be recognised as a songwriter?

"I've got a lot to learn about song writing, but I'm learning fucking fast man, believe you me. I just want people to dig my songs, I don't need an award for it."
 
Noel seems to have been welcomed into rock's elder statesmen club, that sort of Ray Davies, Roger Daltrey and Paul McCartney world, where you haven't.

"Yeah, poor bastard. He wears it well, all that gear. He's a civilised kind of chap. He doesn't want to know about that rock'n'roll stuff any more "

Source: NME Magazine

Paul McCartney Claims Oasis' Comparisons With The Beatles Was 'Kiss Of Death'

Paul McCartney has spoken out about Oasis comparing themselves to The Beatles, saying that he does not think any band can live up to the comparison.

Speaking about his influence on the Britpop era of music in the mid-1990s, McCartney told Q that he was happy to be referenced by a new generation of bands but he felt they were raising expectations to a point that could not be matched when comparing themselves to The Beatles. "I'm actually kind of honoured," he said. "They could be copying anyone – even when things happen like Oasis saying, 'We are then next Beatles'. But I also think, Listen lads you can't say that. And don't say that, because it's probably the kiss of death!"

Going on to cover the Gallagher's legendary bravado, McCartney added: "In Oasis' cases, I think it was coming from them. In others it's the record label or management and that's never a good idea: The poor band! Now go and do better than The Beatles did. Not an easy task."

It was revealed earlier this week that Paul McCartney has admitted Yoko Ono's presence in the studio during The Beatles' recording sessions infuriated the Fab Four.

Source: www.nme.com

Oasis, Coldplay, Muse, Gorrillaz And More Feature In New 'War Child' Album

War Child have revealed plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing a compilation album featuring a collection of the tracks recorded for their charity albums over the past two decades.

The charity will celebrate its 20th anniversary next week and the occasion is being marked with a major exhibition, an intimate Muse show and a new compilation album, 'The Best Of War Child'. The charity are also set to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at this years' BRIT Awards.

"The compilation documents the way War Child has had this integral, credible and proud relationship with the great and good of British music," says War Child’s musical director Ben Knowles. "It's one of the most amazing stories of British music history, the incredible support that came together around War Child back in 1994 and 1995 and has continuedever since."

Released on February 18, 'The Best Of War Child' will feature tracks by Radiohead, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Coldplay. A live version of Muse's 'Time Is Running Out' can be downloaded for free via the War Child website now.

'The Best Of War Child' tracklisting is as follows:

Smokin' Mojo Filters (McCartney, Weller, Gallagher) - 'Come Together'
Radiohead - 'Lucky'
Oasis - 'Fade Away'
Portishead - 'Mourning Air'
Massive Attack - 'Fake The Aroma'
Manic Street Preachers - 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'
Suede - 'Shipbuilding'
Passengers (U2 and Pavarotti) - 'Miss Sarajevo'
Muse - 'House Of The Rising Sun'
The Prodigy - 'Ghost Town'
Paul McCartney - 'Calico Skies'
David Bowie - 'Everyone Says Hi (Metro Mix)'
New Order - 'Vietnam'
Coldplay - 'How You See The World No.2'
Gorillaz - 'Hong Kong'
Keane - 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'
Hot Chip - 'Transmission'
Beck - 'Leopard-Skin-Pill-Box-Hat'
Lily Allen (ft. Mick Jones) - 'Straight To Hell'
Elbow - 'Running To Stand Still'

Source: www.nme.com

The Justice Collective - 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' Is The Christmas Number One Single

Beady Eye's drummer Chris Sharrock is a member of the all-star line-up for the Hillsborough tribute single, ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ that has been today announced as the Christmas number one single in the UK.

Released under the name The Justice Collective, it features names such as Robbie Williams and Sir Paul McCartney. It is raising money for the families of 96 Liverpool fans who died in a crush at Hillsborough stadium in 1989. A cover of The Hollies' 1969 hit, it sold 269,000 copies, 45,000 more than X Factor winner James Arthur's single Impossible which dropped to number two.

Arthur, who had been ahead in the race earlier in the week according to the Official Charts Company, now has total sales of 749,000, making him the most successful X Factor winner since Alexandra Burke in 2008.

Sales had been 'absolutely huge' in Liverpool, HMV said Liverpool Walton Labour MP Steve Rotheram, who backed the Hillsborough campaign, said: "We have done in nine weeks what it normally takes nine months or more to achieve, working with a phenomenally dedicated team all of whom have worked for free."

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, said it was "brilliant news". She added: "The families will be delighted. We haven't had very good Christmases for a long time so this is an extra gift. "It's obvious that it's got a lot of support and they've got the message across to everybody. It's truly amazing."

Music giant HMV said demand for the record had been "absolutely huge" in Liverpool. Its Liverpool branch initially ordered 12,000 copies of the CD but had to restock in the middle of the week after selling out.

Many customers bought multiple copies, including one man in his 20s, who bought 96 copies - one for each of the supporters who died in the tragedy. "We haven't seen anything like that since Band Aid," said HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo.



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New Beady Eye Record 'Will Shock Everyone'

The manager of Beady Eye, Quest's Scott Rodger, has told Music Week that Liam Gallagher's new album could be the the best LP that the ex-Oasis man has ever recorded.

Rodger, who also manages the likes of Arcade Fire, Paul McCartney and Noah & the Whale, features in a four-page Big Interview in the new Music Week magazine.

Of all the albums on Quest’s roster, Rodger said he may be most enthused about the second record from Beady Eye – Liam Gallagher’s post-Oasis band, which also features Andy Bell and Gem Archer.

The group started recording the record in London last month with TV On The Radio guitarist and producer Dave Sitek, who has also worked behind the desk on albums from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, CSS and Foals.

The currently unnamed album, the follow-up to 2011's Different Gear, Still Speeding, is due for release in the first half of 2013.

Explained Rodger: “It’s probably the most exciting record I’ve worked on for as long as I can remember. Everyone thinks they know exactly what record Beady Eye are going to deliver, but they’ve completely turned it on its head.

“I think Liam Gallagher is making the best album of his entire career. That’s a big statement because he’s made some classic records - usually with his brother’s songs. But Beady Eye are very talented players and writers and are technically fantastic.

“Gem Archer is an amazing engineer and producer. Both he and Andy Bell will produce records for other people at some point, I’m sure. They pretty much made the record this year in Gem’s studio in his basement. They were writing all year and did what a lot of bands do: they wrote about nine or 10 songs and then said, ‘We’re ready to go with the album.’

“We encouraged them to keep writing until August or September and lo and behold, they wrote 21 songs – and some of the later songs were the best ones. Then we had to find a producer. We wanted to get someone in who’d take [the album] from a 7/10 to a 9/10.

“I was on a plane to New York for a best friend’s wedding thinking, ‘Who can I call?’. Then I thought of [TV On The Radio producer] Dave Sitek – who I associate with New York and great records. I sent him the demos and a link to the studio after being told he’d never leave his LA home. He gets straight back to me to say, ‘I’m there.’

“Now they’ve tracked 21 songs in nine days [in London]. Sitek called at 6pm the other night to say, ‘I need a brass section. Get me a brass section now.’ Everyone in the [Quest] building was calling to sort it for him, and we did – within two hours it was recorded. It was a track that was never going to make the album, but Sitek completely changed the vibe and now it’s an amazing song.

“They have a couple of songs that are just unbelievable, mind-blowing. Everyone’s going to be shocked when they hear this record. It’s not like anything Liam’s ever recorded before."

Pick up the new Music Week today to read the full interview with Rodger, whose Quest company recently acquired the management contract for The X Factor.

 Source: www.musicweek.com

Beady Eye's 'Chris Sharrock' Plays Drums For The Justice Collective

Beady Eye's drummer Chris Sharrock has joined the all-star line-up for the Hillsborough tribute single, ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ that is released on December 17th.

The track is now the bookies favourite for the coveted Christmas Number One spot, ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ features a stellar line-up of artists including Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Paloma Faith, Eliza Doolittle, Beverley Knight, Melanie C, Andy Brown (Lawson), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood), Mick Jones (The Clash), Peter Hooton (The Farm), (The Justice Tonight band), Chris Sharrock (Beady Eye), Glen Tilbrook (Squeeze), Ren Harvieu, Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Paul Heaton (Beautiful South), Hollie Cook, Jon McClure (Reverend & The Makers), John Power (Cast) and Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers), all giving their time for free to record the single and aiming to top the Christmas charts.

‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ is produced by the Award-winning Guy Chambers, with all proceeds from single sales going towards the Hillsborough Families legal costs in their fight for justice.



As soon as the full video is available I will post it.

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The single is released on December 17th 2012.

Noel Gallagher To Curate 2013 Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts

The Who's Roger Daltrey has told NME that Noel Gallagher is set to curate next year's Concerts For Teenage Cancer Trust.

The gigs, which Daltrey founded in 2000, have been staged every year by the charity's patron at London's Royal Albert Hall. But the frontman said he will now pass the baton on to the ex-Oasis chief in 2013. Gallagher has performed a series of solo gigs at the venue for the charity over the years. His brother Liam's band Beady Eye also played in 2011.

Daltrey told NME: I'm not doing it next year because I'm on tour and Noel Gallagher has kindly offered to step in. So he's putting the bill together. Obviously I'm in the background and I'm not going away. I'll put feelers out but he kindly offered and I accepted. Daltrey added: "I'm on the road all the way through to the beginning of March. So it really helped me out. Instead of being on the beach on my vacation in January on the bloody cellphone for eight hours a day, I can actually get some sleep."

The frontman also said that he's started the charity up in the US. He explained: "I've made a rod for my back because I've just started Teen Cancer America so we're basically shipping our model for how teenagers should be cared for in hospitals when they have cancer to the USA, we're trying to educate them in the same manner."

"I've just launched that and I think it's going to catch fire. because there's a huge lack of care there, they're not even recognised as a group."

The line-up for next year's shows is yet to be unveiled. Pulp, Paul McCartney and Florence And The Machine were among the acts that performed at the 2012 event.

Source: www.nme.com

Liam Gallagher 'Made Up' At Being Voted The Ultimate Singer By NME.COM Users

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher says he's "made up" after being picked as the ultimate singer by NME.COM users.

Liam was voted as the ultimate frontman in NME's poll of the greatest musicians ever, as part of the Ultimate Band issue, which is on newsstands from today or available digitally.

Pick up a copy to see who the likes of Johnny Marr, Foals, The Maccabees, Jake Bugg, The Libertines, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Frank Turner, The Mighty Boosh and tons more picked as the line-up for their ultimate band.

The ultimate band, as picked by NME.com users is:

Singer – Liam Gallager (Oasis)
Bassist – Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Guitarist – Johhny Marr (The Smiths)
Drummer – Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters)
The 'other guy' – Bez (Happy Mondays)

"I'm made up people voted for me as the ultimate singer. But no Keith Moon, Reni, Macca or Mani – are you sure?" Liam says in this week's NME.

Others included in the line-up of NME.COM users' ultimate band are Morrissey, Alex Turner, David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Kim Deal, Jimi Hendrix, Matt Helders and Keith Moon. Pick up a copy of this week's NME on newsstands now or available digitally to find out the full line-up.

Source: www.nme.com

No Means No: Noel Gallagher Will Never, Ever Revisit Oasis

My first post-Oasis earful came last year from Liam Gallagher as he toured Beady Eye, a band comprised of three-fourths of Oasis minus singer Liam’s guitarist brother Noel.

After 18 years together in Oasis, the Gallagher brothers had topped the charts (“Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova”) and altered the course of rock and roll. But they were 18 contentious years. The Gallaghers fought constantly, and at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 another backstage dust-up turned out to be their last. Noel stormed out. Oasis was over.

Inevitable solo projects followed. Liam and the others came and went as Beady Eye. “We’re not lacking anything,” he assured me. (Except a hit.)

Noel, now 45, stalled a while, then produced a solo album and now a lengthy tour under the moniker Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The latter debut went platinum in England but hasn’t fared as well in the States.

Which may explain why Gallagher — once one of the biggest rock stars in the world — this weekend not only shares a double bill with the middling band Snow Patrol, but shares it at a casino in Chicago’s hinterlands.

The second earful — much funnier, by the way — came from Noel a few weeks ago. Adding to our conversation, a curious headline had appeared days earlier in the British music mag NME: “Liam Gallagher ‘would reform Oasis tomorrow.’ ” The article claimed everybody wanted the reunion and only Noel stood in its way.

Judging by Noel’s quip-tastic banter, fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Question: You were the guitarist in Oasis, not often up front at the mike. What have you learned about becoming a front man?

Noel Gallagher: You know the [Maroon 5] song “Moves Like Jagger”? I don’t have them. I have moves like Wyman. I didn’t know what to expect when I first stepped up front. I thought, well, this’ll be weird for people. I haven’t really learned anything, but it’s reinforced my belief that what I always thought is true: It’s all about the songs. The songs are the show. Groups are about the razzmatazz, but when you go see a solo artist like Neil Young or Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney or Bowie or me, you know, you’re there to hear the songs. If you do that, that’s it. Unless, you know, you’re Madonna or Lady Gaga, but who gives a f--- about that? You don’t go to see Neil Young dance.

Q. I’ve heard you talk about Oasis naturally falling into what you call “the trap of stadium rock.” Why is that inevitable at a certain level?

NG: You get to the point of selling out stadiums, and that’s how your success is measured, subconsciously by you and everybody else. So you want to stay there, you know what I mean? People come to see you in stadiums, they want stadium rock. There’s nowhere left for you to go. So you’re expected to try and keep that going. It’s f-----g amazing, amazing, but don’t tell me the next Green Day album sounds different than the last three, not that anybody gives a f---. It was the same with Oasis. You start a rock band and the goal is to play stadiums. You get there, and you’re stuck there. Any movement from that point is considered a failure. You don’t get to say, “We need to f--- this off and go back to playing clubs,” because you just can’t. It’s a trap — an enjoyable one, but it puts an unnecessary ceiling on creativity.

Q. I interviewed Liam last year, and I asked him what the backstage fight in 2009 was about. He said, “You’d have to ask Noel.” So I’m asking: What was it about?

NG: Let’s see if I can recall. He’d not turned up for the previous gig, [the V Festival] in England. He caught a lot of flak in the press over it — we all did, but he got most of it. He’s a little bit like Hitler, Liam. Hitler thought there was a world conspiracy against the Germans, and Liam thinks there’s a world conspiracy against him, perpetrated by me through the press.

Q. But you and Liam fought all the time. What made that fight the clincher for the band?

NG: It was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. What makes an alcoholic give up drink after years of drinking? Going to the festival site that day, I had no intention of leaving the group. I was thinking about the next Oasis record. But after that, you know, I said f--- this. I didn’t particularly want to go solo. But I just said f--- it. That’s it, f--- it. A healthy dose of f--- it every now and then is good. It forces you into things you maybe should have done in the first place. Was it that bad? No. Had there been worse fights? Yeah.

Q. Have there been any moments of regret?

NG: No, and I don’t mean that in a callous way. But, no. There was a huge fracas in the dressing room, sh-- was smashed up. I went and sat in my car outside. The driver had the engine running. A big scene was going on inside. I sat there for what must have been a minute or two, but it felt like a lifetime. In that space of time, everything that had happened and was going to happen was flashing before my eyes. I made the decision. If I told the driver to drive, then it was finished. All the people in the field will go on. It’ll cost us millions. Or I could sit here, calm down, and do the gig. It’ll be f-----g awful. Again, I thought, f--- it, and I said, “Drive.”

Q. You may not think about it, but Liam might. You saw the recent NME story?

NG: Yeah, well, unfortunately in the two years after I left the band, everyone else’s tune was very different. They were quite bullish about it. All the people in Beady Eye were saying, “Oasis ran its course, we’re glad we’re out of it, we’re more creative now.” OK, fine, if that’s the way they feel. But don’t come to me in three years when your sh-- has well and truly gone down the toilet. I’ve seen Liam, Gem [Archer] and Chris [Shamrock] since then, and when I’ve seen them [the idea of a reunion] has never been mentioned.

Q. Is anyone besides journalists like me asking you about this?

NG: Nobody gives a sh--. I do realize that the only way to get people to stop asking me about it is to do it. But I’m stubborn. If it’s the last thing I do, I won’t do it. To re-form it, how could it be as good? People say they want it to happen because they’re younger and they missed us. Tough sh--. I’ve never seen the Sex Pistols or the Beatles. I still haven’t seen Bob Dylan, thank God.

Q. So what’s your future look like then?

NG: I’m going to try and fake my own retirement and see how it goes. I’ve tried disappearing, but I’ve got too big a nose to disappear, really. I always get recognized, even if I dress like an Eskimo. I’m not going to do anything. Watch a lot of TV. What I might do is hope against hope that that guy beats Obama in the election.

Q. Beg pardon?

NG: We don’t get enough laughs out of Obama. We liked George Bush. He was funny as f---. The comedy value would be great with Romney. Not for you guys, though.

Source: www.suntimes.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds have released International Magic Live At The O2 DVD through Sour Mash Records.

They are currently playing the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg.

For details on the above and more click here.

Bid For A Signed Guitar By Former Members Of Oasis And More

A guitar signed by some legendary figures from the Manchester music scene is to be auctioned for charity.

Pop fans will get the chance to bid for the instrument - signed by everyone from The Stone Roses and Noel and Liam Gallager to Elbow and Peter Hook - on e-Bay.

The man behind the project is Altrincham resident Adam Masters who hopes the piece will fetch “at least four figures” for the three respective good causes it’s being auctioned for.

Adam said the money raised will be spent at Francis House Children’s Hospice in Didsbury and Claire House Children’s Hospice in Liverpool - via the organisation Children’s Hospice Arts (Chart UK).

Adam said the auction will run for 10 days from November 1 and he said the item is a “must have” for all music fans.

He said: “I’d seen an article in a guitar magazine - Bryan Adams of all people had done a similar thing with artists like Led Zeppelin and Sir Paul McCartney and The Who. It went for some obscene amount of money. i just thought what’d be really good would be if someone did one for the Manchester bands. We’re the musical hub of the UK.”

The third good cause will be chosen by a mutual friend of Adam and Suzanne whose daughter Lucy died - the guitar is dedicated to her.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the auction should visit here.

Source: www.messengernewspapers.co.uk

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds have released International Magic Live At The O2 DVD through Sour Mash Records.

They are currently playing the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg.

For details on the above and more click here.

Noel Gallagher On Becoming A Frontman: 'People F**king Love Me'

After walking away from Oasis in 2009, Noel Gallagher, the band's chief songwriter, took a few years off before resurfacing in Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. The band's self-titled debut was a hit in the UK, going platinum and becoming one of the best-selling records of 2011. Though the record hasn't fared quite as well stateside, the band is currently on a co-headlining tour with fellow Brits Snow Patrol, which plays the WaMu Theater on Oct. 24th. For the latest edition of Tell Me About That Album, we caught up with Gallagher, who phoned us from Nottingham, England, "a place where Robin Hood is alleged to be from," he said. "And Shakespeare." We spoke about his solo debut, the perils of running your own label and why Bjork's music doesn't interest him.

The band's name is taken from a Jefferson Airplane song? Is there something about that particular song that speaks to you or was a just a cool-sounding name? It's not originally a song by Jefferson Airplane, it's a song by a lady called Judy Henske, and I believe she might be an American. It was recorded in 1964 and it's called "High Flying Birds." But there is a version of it on Jefferson Airplane's first album, which I was flipping through one night and I just thought it was a really cool name. When I got my management people to do a search on it I was flabbergasted that it had never been used in the history of all rock. And I patted myself on the back for being a genius and here we are.

So that was your first choice? I could have gone out under my name. One day I was loading the dishwasher and listening to the radio and it was either "Man of the World" or "Things Are Not So Bad" by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and I remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be cool if I was called Noel Gallagher's something?" Then a few months later, the Jefferson Airplane thing, and I, like a genius, put them together. I looked it at and thought, "Fucking hell, that might be the coolest name in the history of rock."

Speaking of geniuses, you won this year's Godlike Genius award from NME. For us Yanks, what does that mean? You don't win it, you've got to have been going for about 20 years. It's like a lifetime achievement award in the eyes of the NME. For instance, other Godlike Genii happen to be Paul McCartney, U2, Paul Weller.

Do they do a tear-inducing montage or something when they present it to you? They do a film, which is quite nerve-racking, because you don't get to see it before they do it. And they do it in a theater full of people. Luckily for me, I was really blown away. The people talking about me were Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, they had quotes from Sir George Martin. I was like, "Fuck, that's like my life in music right there!"

I thought they reserved those honors for musicians in their twilight years. Me too. I might be the youngest person ever to receive it.

The songs on your debut feel well edited, in that they're short, catchy and nothing carries on for too long. What's the secret to that? Is being a good editor a skill you've always had or something you've had to learn? I don't think it's anything that I've learned. The more drugs I took, the longer the songs got. They reached their crescendo on Be Here Now, where every song is seven and a half minutes long. I'd lost the knack of editing. I'm always one for trying to make songs shorter anyway. I'll be the first to say, "We don't need to say that bit twice." Most of the best songs are under three and half minutes long. If you can get a song in under three and a half minutes, you're doing pretty well. It really depends on the song itself. Some songs benefit from a bit of length. Like the first track, "Everybody's on the Run" benefits from a bit in the middle where it all goes quiet. But a song like "What a Life" for instance, there's no fat on that song. I guess it's a skill and craft as well.

You've said that you felt musically stunted by Oasis at points. Are there things on the High Flying Birds album that you'd never have been able to get away with? For the record, I never felt stunted musically. We were always allowed to do whatever we wanted to but you fall into a trap of stadium rock.

The thing I'm referring to is a quote from you about a time that you suggested to your brother that you add and horn part to a song or something, which caused him to throw a tantrum. I was surmising a hypothetical situation about a brass section that he would have gone fucking ballistic. I remember him saying to me once about a song we were finishing up in the studio, "It's a bit quirky, isn't it?" And I went, "What's wrong with that?" And he went, "I fucking hate quirky."

Some bands seem to decide that they want to challenge their audience and push themselves forward each time out. Was there ever the thought of having your first solo record be drastically different-sounding from Oasis? I think maybe other bands are self-indulgent and scared of not having success. It's almost like the guy who can never pull a woman because he thinks they're too beautiful so he insults them and gets it out of the way straight up. I think people that make challenging music are given too much credibility. Write a fucking song that means something to someone, never mind leaving yourself chewing a carrot at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Is that to say that there aren't any bands that you enjoy that challenge themselves by pushing their sound forward? Do you know what the enemy of music is? Interesting. Elvis wasn't interesting. The Sex Pistols weren't interesting. The Beatles weren't interesting. They had something that was fucking real and dealt with emotion. Do you know who's interesting? Bjork. Interesting is fucking ridiculous. It annoys me.

I know it was a bit of an adjustment moving from guitar player to frontman but are you feeling more comfortable with it at this point? I'd rehearsed enough that when I did the first gig I knew I could be cool with it. I knew I could carry it, not in a Mick Jagger sense, but I knew I could sing all those songs in a row and it not freak me out. The only last question was what is the audience going to think of it?

Was it just your performance that made you nervous, not all the banter or having to keep the show moving? Yeah, yeah, of course, because they'd only ever seen me at these huge stadium gigs singing two songs here or three songs there. It was more like, what are they going to think when I'm up there for nearly two hours? "Oh right, well fucking hell, actually he's better off being a side man." It wasn't a chosen path for me. I left the band I was in and thought I didn't want to be in another band. I'd already been in a band, what do I want to be in another fucking band for? Lucky for me, people fucking love me.

I read that the album cover photo was snapped with a Polaroid at a Beverly Hills gas station and you liked it because you thought it looked like you were standing beneath some kind of high-flying bird. Was that just a happy accident? Were there other ideas for the cover? I toyed with not being on the cover and everyone was like, "Yeah, you might want to be on the cover." And I was like, "Really, why do I have to be on the cover? My name's on the fucking cover?" And they were like, "That's what you do when you're not a band, you be on the fucking cover." I'm kind of resigned to doing photo shoots like that now. I love the cover, I think it's fucking great.

Have you earned the ability to have the final say in what the product looks and sounds like? I don't have a record company. I front all this myself. I'm an independent artist so I license my records to the music industry now. When I left Oasis I was out of a record deal - and a publishing deal as a matter of fact - so I don't do any of that shit anymore. I'm just me. It was a bit of a gamble trying to fund it all because it cost me a few million to get it off the ground, but I'd been on a major label for 20 years and I thought, "Fuck it, I don't want people taking me to dinner in restaurants telling me what I should be fucking doing." Fuck that. What you see from this day forward, I'm in charge of everything. Every single thing is paid for by me and it stands and falls by all my decisions.

I was talking to a band recently who said they'd stopped putting out their own records because they were spending too much time deciding on the cardstock for the CD inserts, for example. Have you found a way to not get mired in the minutiae of it all? I don't think it works for bands because bands end up having band meetings that last for seven hours talking about the weight of cardboard. This is me so I know what I want. I'm very fucking decisive. I know how long I want to spend in the studio, I know who I want to do it with, I know who I want to play with. I'm not an idiot. I go in there and I don't fuck around. I don't worry about how round the CD is going to be.

Do you remember the first time you played Seattle? Yes, it was our very first U.S. gig I believe. I've always liked Seattle. They've got good guitar shops. It's where Jimi Hendrix is from, what's not to like? We went there when the grunge thing was quite big. You know, scruffy people with holes in their clothes.

What is the setlist like on this tour? Will you play solo stuff and the Oasis hits too? I play all of the new record but one track and I play like four of five B-sides and I play some Oasis songs.

You turn down a lot of opportunities, from the Olympics to X Factor judging, which has to be admired given most artists' penchant for publicity above all else. Do you simply go with your gut when making those kinds of decisions? It literally just depends on what I feel like at the time but it's a gut reaction. It's just one of those things. The Olympics was a great thing for our country. It was a truly special two weeks and it was fantastic but in the end, they wanted me to mime and I didn't want to mime. I thought, "Fuck that, I'm not miming." And then X Factor, I don't want to be a television personality. I don't want that. I don't need that in my life. I'd rather have Saturday nights off to be honest.

Source: www.seattleweekly.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds release International Magic Live At The O2 DVD through Sour Mash Records on October 15.

They will embark on a number European dates before they tour the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg.

 For details on the above and more click here.

Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller And Paul McCartney Attend Magical Mystery Tour Premiere

Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and Paul McCartney last night attended the premiere of a restored version of Magical Mystery Tour at The BFI in London.

Gallagher was accompanied by his son, Gene and his Beady Eye and former Oasis bandmate Gem Archer.

Also in attendance was Beatles producer George Martin's son Giles, who tweeted: "First screening of magical mystery tour, I sat next to Paul. It sounded fantastic- well I didn't get prodded so I think we got away with it!"

A project spearheaded by Paul McCartney, Magical Mystery Tour was a TV movie that largely baffled audiences on its first screening in December 1967. The newly restored film, alongside a new documentary, titled Arena: The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour Revisited, featuring previously unseen footage of the band, will show on BBC2 this weekend (October 6).

As a teaser to the documentary, The Space, a digital arts service from the Arts Council in conjunction with the BBC, have put some extra footage of the 1967 film shoot online. In one piece, The Beatles visit a fish and chip shop in Taunton

Source: www.nme.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds release International Magic Live At The O2 DVD through Sour Mash Records on October 15.

They will embark on a number European dates before they tour the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg.

 For details on the above and more click here.

Liam Gallagher: 'I Like John Lennon More Than Paul McCartney'

Beady Eye mainman Liam Gallagher has spoken about his love of John Lennon and has revealed that he likes Lennon more than his bandmate Paul McCartney.

The singer, who was speaking in this week's issue of NME which names Lennon as the Ultimate Musical Icon of the last 60 years, said that The Beatles' co-frontman "means everything to me".

Speaking about Lennon, Gallagher said: "John Lennon means everything to me. I wouldn't say he's a better songwriter than McCartney, I'd say they're both different but great. But I like Lennon's stuff more because it's a bit more beautiful, and it's more mad."

He then spoke about Paul McCartney and compared him to his brother Noel, saying that they were both too nice.

He added: "McCartney's like Noel - he's too nice. Lennon was twisted and I like that kinda shit. His voice is the main thing I love. I like his speaking voice! That's pretty fucking mega. But his voice when he sings is the one. Political voice? Don't give a shit, couldn't care less about politics. But everything else - his singing voice, his songs, and his words – means the world to me."

Gallagher then said that he doesn't believe anyone can touch John Lennon as a songwriter, but that he reckons The La's' Lee Mavers has come closest.

He said of this: "As a songwriter, I don't think anyone's touched Lennon and I don't know if they ever will. Lee Mavers could have got near but he went down another road. Our kid's good but he lacks that fucking madness that Lennon had. He's a normal chap who writes decent songs, and Mavers was too mad."

He continued: "But Lennon had all that and more, and then he went somewhere else with it too. It's a constant thing with him, and I don't think I could ever get bored. You get bored of Lennon and you get bored of yourself, don't you? And I ain't getting bored of me."

To read a full feature about John Lennon, with the likes of The Maccabees, Alex Turner and Miles Kane paying tribute to him, pick up this week's issue of NME, which is on newsstands now or available digitally. 

Source: www.nme.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds embark on a UK tour in September and will tour the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg later this year.

More details on the above dates and more can be found by clicking here.

Noel Gallagher Features On Recreated Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album Sleeve

British artist Sir Peter Blake has recreated the iconic album sleeve for The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on his 80th birthday.

"It's a cross I bear, it's an albatross I have to deal with," he says.

It is a fairly stark, somewhat surprising admission from Sir Peter Blake, sleeve designer of The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.























"What vaguely depresses me still is that I'm known pretty much as 'Peter Blake - who did the cover of Sgt Pepper' when I've done so much else," he says.

"Every so often I manage to forget it but it comes back all the time."

What makes the revelation even more surprising is that Sir Peter has set aside any misgivings he has about his most famous work on the sleeve of arguably the Fab Four's greatest album, to create a new poster reimagining the image to mark both his 80th birthday and designer Wayne Hemingway's Vintage Festival.

Gone are cutouts of actress Marilyn Monroe, comedians Lenny Bruce and WC Fields to be replaced by Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss, artists Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst and musicians Eric Clapton and Noel Gallagher.

Sadly, gone too are The Beatles themselves.

"I don't own the copyright," he explains. "Part of everything that went wrong at the time was that my agent signed away any kind of royalties and the copyright so we had to ask Apple Corps - The Beatles' management - for permission and they didn't want it to be associated with advertising."

Apple Corps have yet to comment on Sir Peter's claims.

Instead, Sir Peter has used what he called "family, friends and icons" on the latest poster. Though he has craftily managed to get round the Beatle-ban by including not one but three McCartneys.

Longtime friend Sir Paul is in there, alongside designer daughter Stella and her sister, photographer Mary.

Alongside the McCartneys are an array of faces - from food, represented by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King and chefs Delia Smith and Rick Stein, to Kate Moss and Paul Smith from fashion and Noel Gallagher, John Peel and Paul Weller for music.

Late singer Amy Winehouse also gets a nod, Sir Peter fondly recalls his first memorable meeting with her.

"It was after a South Bank Show lunch at the Savoy and we went into the American Bar after the lunch," he says.

"We were thrown out because Jamie Cullum was playing the piano, Amy was singing and we were singing along around the piano and we got chucked out. I really liked her very much and admired her and was very sad at what happened.

"It was memorable to be staggering out with Jamie and Amy," he adds.

From the art world, sculptor Grayson Perry makes an appearance in full drag and contemporaries Emin and Hirst are present.

Sir Peter is quick to defend Hirst from recent criticism, notably by the critic Julian Spalding who questioned the artist's credentials.

"I admire Damien enormously, I think he added a great deal to the excitement of the art world and I think that he is a very interesting artist," he says.

"I think the mistake people make is that they think it's about him making money and it's not that. Money and wealth are often his subject and I think people mistake that for greed which again it isn't.

"I honestly feel that if he suddenly didn't have any money, he'd be perfectly happy to stay in Devon and paint."

Musician Noel Gallagher, who worked with Sir Peter on the Oasis greatest hits album, said he was "very chuffed" to be included in the new work.

"I was lucky enough to go down to his studio," he told the BBC. "We were fans and all the props were still there from the Sgt Pepper photo shoot".

Gallagher added that he had his photo taken with a waxwork of boxer Sonny Liston and "was as starstruck meeting the doll in the jumper that said, 'Welcome the Rolling Stones', as I was when I met Ringo."

"If, for me, The Beatles and the Who and The Kinks and the Stones were the sound of the 60s then Sir Peter's work is the visual representation of that.

"When I look at his pop art stuff, I hear the Beatles. He's as important as the music."

The Vintage Festival which brings together fashion, music and art from the 1920s to the 80s is being held at the Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire on 13-15 July.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Noel Gallagher's Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere (Vol.2) Part Fourteen

So… the gig in Madrid?

Bar some fuckin' annoying technical difficulties it was great. Really great. Couldn't have been anyone in the crowd over 25!! Sang their blimmin' hearts out, they did.

So we're on the way to Milan today. Got a mega day off lined up. Man City play Liverpool this evening. My people in Milan have sorted out somewhere to watch it live. Should be a laugh. Got a few Liverpool supporters on the firm so it's given it a bit more spice than usual. Been a bit of bravado from the Scousers. So much so that my bass player (a Scouser) has bet my security guard (a righteous super blue) that Liverpool win. And the bet? A coffee and a biscuit!!!!! Coffee and a biscuit??? Fuck me…

Now, the gig then? Well as luck would have it none other than Paul McCartney is playing in Milan tonight!! What a result.

This has the makings of a great, great day. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow...

In a bit.

GD.

Source: www.noelgallagher.com

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Stars Share Their Memories Of George Harrison

People from the world of music and film arriving at the London premiere of Martin Scorsese's documentary about George Harrison gave their memories of the man.

The film was made in collaboration with Harrison's widow Olivia and follows his life from his upbringing in Liverpool.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Terry Gilliam and Noel Gallagher spoke to the BBC.

The documentary will be an Arena feature to be shown on BBC Two in mid-November.

Click here to watch the video (UK Only).

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Video: Noel Gallagher Talks Oasis Reunion And Being Better Than Paul McCartney

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, former Oasis lead guitarist Noel Gallagher may be one of the most divisive figures in modern rock music. He and brother Liam's outspoken opinions and consistent feuds -- Oasis break up! They're back together! They're broken up! -- have made as many headlines over the years as their record-breaking albums.

The turmoil between the brothers culminated in a recent lawsuit, with Liam suing his brother for claiming that he was "too hungover" to play at a 2009 Oasis show. Turned out, Liam had merely come down with a bout of laryngitis.

In August, Noel publicly apologized to his brother and the lawsuit was dropped.

While Liam has continued on with the remaining members of Oasis and his band, Beady Eye, Noel is now set to venture out on his own, recording a new LP, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, set for release on October 17. The first single off that album, "The Death of You and Me," debuted in July.

Below, the Brit-pop icon sits down for the new HuffPost Culture show, "Scale of 1 to 10," where he discusses, among other things: his struggles as a front man, the likelihood of an Oasis reunion, and the comparisons to Paul McCartney. He's also, it turns out, kind of a nice guy. But don't tell anyone that.

Click here to watch the interview (scroll down page).

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Noel Gallagher's Mum Compares Puts Him On The Same Level As Bowie, McCartney And Elvis Costello

Noel Gallagher mother Peggy has said her sons music is on the same level as David Bowie, Paul McCartney And Elvis Costello , in an interview on Absolute Radio by Christian O’Connell on the Breakfast Show earlier today.

Christian O’Connell: Have you played anybody else, any other fellow musicians, your new stuff?

Noel Gallagher: Not famous ones, I’ve got friends who are kind of scrambling round the bottom of the musical ladder, I’ve played it to them, you know, yeah, but everybody seems to like it. But let me leave you with these words, I played it to a person, they said ‘Good God, that’s so good, that’s probably the best stuff you’ve ever done, this easily puts you in the same bracket at Bowie, McCartney and Elvis Costello’. And do you know who said that? My mom.

Christian O’Connell: And that’s all the validation you need.

Noel Gallagher: And she would know because she’s heard all my stuff.

Listen to the interview on www.absoluteradio.co.uk

Liam Gallagher Interview In This Month's Q Magazine

Q magazine is celebrating its 300th issue with a big Adele interview and photos of the songstress taken by that Rankin bloke, a celebration of the photography that has appeared in the music monthly over the years, and a foreword from the mag’s first ever cover star Paul McCartney. Keith Richards, Liam Gallagher, John Lydon and Dolly Parton also appear within the anniversary issue’s pages.

Noel Gallagher Set To Take Paul McCartney's Crown

The man who signed Oasis rates Noel Gallagher almost as highly as he rates himself.

Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records, has had a listen to Mr Big's new solo material and thinks it will rank him alongside the likes of Lennon and McCartney.

No pressure, then.

Alan said: "I've heard the Noel demos. They're f***ing genius. For me, the guy's a McCartney, a Lennon, a Neil Young - he's one of the greats.

"When McCartney goes, it's Noel's crown really, isn't it?"

McGee even feels there are tracks worthy of mention alongside Oasis's biggest hits.

He said: "There's three songs on the demos - I won't go naming them cos I'm not his manager - but they're up there with Don't Look Back In Anger and Live Forever.

"He's f***ing done it again."

Meanwhile, Noel's nipper Sonny wasn't the only Oasis-related baby born last Friday.

James Cropley, who plays Noel in tribute band Noasis, had a boy too - Samuel Benjamin - on the same day. "It's a weird coincidence," he said.

I doubt Cropley's new material will place him alongside Lennon and McCartney though, just Cannon And Ball.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk