Gem Archer And Zak Starkey Team Up For Charity Album

The drummers and bassists behind many classic bands' rhythm sections have reunited for a charity album.

Zak Starkey, who drummed with Oasis on their final two albums ‘Don’t Belive The Truth’ and ‘Dig Out Your Soul’, has formed the band Sshh with singer Sshh Liguz.

Their album ‘Issues’ sees the rhythm sections of many musicians play together to back the duo as they cover a host of classic songs.

These include Amy Winehouse’s bassist Dale Davis and drummer Nathan Allen play on a cover of ‘Back To Black’, while Starkey’s former Oasis bandmate Gem Archer plays guitar on a cover of The Small Faces’ 1966 song ‘Tin Soldier’, alongside their drummer Kenny Jones and The Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.

The album's first single 'Problems' is a cover of The Sex Pistols featuring Matlock and Pistols drummer Paul Cook.

‘Issues’, out later this year, also features members of Primal Scream, Marilyn Manson, Blondie, The Pretenders, Mott The Hoople and The Ruts.

Starkey, who now plays with The Who, said he learnt more about playing drums from Jones than anyone else in his career – including his father, The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Starkey told NME: “Of all the people who’ve taught me drums – Keith Moon, my dad, all of them – Kenney showed me the most. It was just great to play with him. Two Who drummers, past and present, playing at the same time: just one more unprecedented connection in the making of this album.”

Sshh made their live debut at London club The Box this week, watched on by Starr, Klaxons guitarist Jamie Reynolds, Ride guitarist Andy Bell, Adam And The Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni, The Lightning Seeds singer Ian Broudie and producer Youth.

Profits from ‘Issues’ go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Source; www.nme.com

New Oasis Documentary Will Feature Infamous Newcastle Gig

An upcoming documentary on Oasis will feature a 'riot' that broke out at their Newcastle show in 1994. Were you there?

They were the biggest band of the 1990s, fronted by two Mancunian brothers who were as opinionated as they were talented.

Now, a major new documentary on Oasis, the rock’n’roll band that defined a generation, is under production and the makers want your help in recalling a notorious Newcastle gig in 1994.

Hannah Green, who is working on the documentary, said: “It will cover their beginnings in the basement of the Boardwalk to their landmark concerts at Knebworth in 1996. We have the full support of Noel and Liam Gallagher.

“We’re currently after footage or photographs from the band’s infamous gig on August 9 at the Riverside, where supposedly a member of the audience threw a punch at Noel and a massive riot ended up breaking out.

“We are able to pay for any material used”.

Oasis were at the forefront of the Britpop movement, which heavily evoked music from three decades earlier by groups like The Beatles, The Who and The Small Faces.

During 1995-96, the group were at the peak of their powers, scoring classic hit singles like Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger, while their album Definitely Maybe was one of the finest of the decade.

The Gallagher brothers were, though, fond of the odd feud – falling out with each other, Brtipop rivals Blur, and Take That’s Robbie Williams, among others, all of which was meat and drink to the daily tabloids.

Back on August 9, 1994, Oasis were a relatively unknown, up-and-coming indie band when a brawl at a low-key Newcastle gig made headlines in the Chronicle.

The band were making their third appearance at the city’s Riverside club, and the football-related banter between the Manchester City-supporting Liam and Noel Gallagher and Newcastle United fans in the audience was ramping up the tension.

All hell broke loose when an audience member tried to climb on stage, then stumbled on to Noel, causing the guitarist to accidentally hit himself with his instrument, causing a nasty gash on his face.

(It was later suggested Noel was more concerned his guitar might be damaged - an instrument that had once belonged to The Who’s Pete Townshend and was on loan from Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr).

The band stormed off stage with singer Liam returning, brandishing a microphone stand, and snarling “no-one hits our kid” as the crowd chanted “soft as *****”.

The Daily Mail reported the show had descended into an ‘orgy of violence’, while the Chronicle also covered the incident.

We reported: “A band tipped for stardom were caught up in a brawl with their audience as they kicked off their national tour in Newcastle.

“Noel Gallagher, from the pop group Oasis, needed stitches after being attacked on stage at the Riverside.

“Others from the five-strong band, which includes his brother Liam, piled on top of the man and allegedly hit him, before the audience joined in.”

Our report went on to say the band had refused to return after getting only five numbers into the show and fans had swarmed the stage. The group managed to escape to their waiting van, but were besieged by chanting fans. Oasis later issued a statement, apologising for ending the show early, but said that Gallagher had been bleeding heavily.

“The actions of one lunatic have ruined it for the rest,” the statement read.

In the years after the brawl, Oasis returned successfully to the region on several occasions and they remain hugely popular.

They split in 2009 after increasing acrimony between the Gallagher brothers and formed separate bands, but you wouldn’t rule out the pair sharing a stage together again one day.

Did you see Oasis at Newcastle Riverside on August 9, 1994? Do you have any footage or pictures from the gig? Or do you have any interesting Oasis or Riverside memorabilia from this time?

The producers of the upcoming documentary will pay for content used.

Email your material to hannah.oasisfilm@gmail.com

Source: www.chroniclelive.co.uk