Live Review: Noel Gallagher In T.O.

Toronto - There was definitely a feeling of occasion last night at the Danforth Music Hall as Oasis guitarist-songwriter-singer Noel Gallagher played a rare show on his own.

A sign of things to come for the Manchester rock band?

Not bloody likely, if Oasis frontman and Noel’s brother Liam Gallagher has anything to do with it.

The concert, which sold out quickly and saw scalpers getting at least $250 per ticket, was just one of a half-dozen or so shows that Gallagher is performing around the world to promote the upcoming Oasis best-of, Stop The Clocks, in stores Nov. 21.

It had been billed as an unplugged performance, but Gallagher was joined by Oasis rhythm guitarist Gem, who played both lead electric guitar and organ, and drummer-percussionist Terry Kirkbride for his hour-and-ten-minute set.

The material leaned towards b-sides, with a mix of crowd favourites like Talk Tonight, Half The World Away, The Importance Of Being Idle and Slide Away and full-out hits Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back InAnger — all of which are on Clocks.

Gallagher even trotted out the Beatles classic Strawberry Fields Forever for his encore.

Now if only he had been able to shut up the enthusiastic (drunk?) crowd, who were on their feet from the opening song and continually shouted out requests and words of admiration no matter how quiet it got on stage.

“There’s no reason to shout out song titles,” said Gallagher, in exasperation at one point. “I have prepared a set list which I’m not going to deviate from.”

The often hilarious, black-and-white rockumentary, Lord Don’t Slow Me Down, which was filmed during Oasis’ last tour, was also given its Canadian premiere at the Danforth before Gallagher took the stage. (He was in New York screening the film before he got to Toronto.)

“Did you enjoy the film?” he asked. “Is it any good? Do I look good?”

Truthfully, it’s a pretty funny document of Oasis behind-the-scenes, whether it’s a camera spying on Liam’s child-like dancing around a silent, empty room, or Noel spouting his usual bon mots at the expense of his brother.

“Liam is going to go bald,” he is heard saying towards the end of the movie. “When Liam goes bald, that’s when we’ll pack it in.”

Source : www.jam.canoe.ca

More Oasis Acoustic Shows

Oasis braintrust Noel Gallagher has never been one to mince words, God bless him.

So if the Manchester-born songwriter and guitarist had his way, Oasis wouldn't be releasing a greatest hits package, the two-disc Stop The Clocks, on Nov. 21.

"If it was up to me, it wouldn't be coming out until Oasis wasn't around anymore," said Gallagher in Toronto yesterday before his acoustic performance last night with rhythm guitiarist Gem at the Danforth Music Hall.

SONY OWNS RIGHTS

However, it was either cooperate with the band's former label, Sony-BMG, from which they've since parted, or not be involved in Stop The Clocks' track listing and art work at all.

"They own all the rights to everything, so we were informed that they were going to do a retrospective of some description by Christimas -- did we want to get involved?" explained Gallagher. "Well, if it is has to be now, it has to be now. Don't be surprised if there's a singles album following this. They're well within their rights to do it."

A BATCH OF NEW SONGS

Gallagher, who said he's currently got about 30 new songs in rough form for the next Oasis studio album, isn't sure who Oasis will sign with next on this side of the pond but they'll stick with their own indie label, Big Brother, in England.

"We won't be going back to Sony," he said. "They're all right for us in Canada, so we might stay with them in Canada. In America, I feel they kind of let us down a wee bit. I balance that by saying they didn't really dig our unprofessionalism. They found it very difficult to actually grasp the concept that we actually didn't give a f---. And they thought, 'Well, if they don't give a f---, we don't give a f---.' That's how I see it anyway. I don't bear any malice towards any of them. They've got a business to run."

Gallagher said Oasis fans shouldn't hold their breath for the next studio disc -- it definitely won't be out in 2007 -- but he did offer a hint at the sound.

"Some of it's great,"he said. "But for what it's worth, a lot of my songs will probably end up being acoustic. But not in the Cat Stevens sense. 'Cause a lot of (2005's) Don't Believe The Truth was kind of acoustic-driven. But when you get into a studio, it all goes out the f---in' window and you just go, 'Let's rock!'"

To promote Stop The Clocks then, Gallagher and Gem are on a mini-tour of acoustic performances that began last Thursday in London and after Toronto will be followed by stops in L.A., Tokyo, Manchester, Paris and Milan.

Noel said his younger brother and Oasis lead singer Liam wasn't part of the trek because he "doesn't do acoustic performances. He doesn't do promotion. What's the point of him being here?"

Meanwhile, the Oasis road movie, Lord Don't Slow Me Down, was to be screened in Toronto last night at the Danforth before the acoustic set, and is expected to be released as a DVD in Canada next year.

Gallagher said director Baillie Walsh was given carte blanche to shoot the band on the road during their tour for Don't Believe The Truth. Sadly none of their stops in Canada were filmed.

"There's no gringey-bits for me in it," said Gallagher of the film. "Liam wears some very questionable clothes in it. Shorts at one point. That's no good for being in a band. And some very questionable headware. But there's a lot of drinking involved and a lot of talking absolute nonsense. It's quite funny in places.

"The opening scene is very funny. When I'd seen it, I cried with laughter. It involves extremely large bottles of champagne which are called methusals, and there's a scene of a lot of people trying to open this bottle of champagne. It gets, very, very, very, stupid 'cause everyone's f---in' a--holed.'"

Source: www.torontosun.com

You Won't Believe This But Liam's Got Self-Esteem Issues"

Best get comfy - Noel Gallagher's of a mind to put the world, from his brother to the monkeys, to rights

A pink f**king pinstripe suit! With a white vest! F**king hell"

Noel Gallagher is rolling around with laughter on a sofa in Wheeler End Studios - the Buckinghamshire retreat where Beatles memrobilia covers the walls, Union Jacks line the toilet seats and Oasis have spent the past seven years calling a second home. "I was in our office doing something and it just jumped out at me across the room, like 'What the f**k is over there!? Only he could get away with the pink suit - colossal man, just f**king colossal!" Noel is of course, talking about his younger brother's choice of outfit on the cover of Hello! magazine this summer at Tazmin Outhwaite's wedding.

Over the course of our afternoon with him we'll hear many new things described as "colossal", the new favourite word in the Oasis leader's vocabulary. Kasabian are colossal, as is - perhaps more surprisingly, given that this is the supposed patron saint of lad-rock we're talking to - The Gossip's 'Standing In The Way Of Control'. All those times in the mid-90s, being in the biggest band on the planet, flying around the world "with a load of mates, drinking beer, taking drugs and eating KFC" were, obviously colossal. And perhaps most revealingly, text messaging, which allows him to fob people off when he's not in the mood to be sociable with a concise, "Not coming out. C U L8R", is also deemed a worthy recipient of this newest superlative.

See, 2006 was all set to be a quiet year for Oasis (and thus rock 'n' roll in general). One where Liam's sartorial adventures could well have ended up the highlight. There was the tail-end of the triumphant 'Don't Believe The Truth' tour that ended in March, but that looked like the end of the world's Oasis fix until 2007.

However, in early September, the whispers started about 'Stop The Clocks', the Best Of which Noel had previously claimed wouldn't be released until Oasis split, but which is seeing the light of day now, because of contractual obligations to the band's former record label, Sony. To cut a long story short, it would have come out anyway, so the band decided to get involved to ensure the tracks included, the artwork and, indeed, the title (taken from an as-yet-unreleased song that features the line, "stop the clocks/lock the box and leave it all behind") were to there taste, not their ex-marketing manager's.

"Every f**king person I've spoken to in the last few weeks has said, 'Why's they're no tracks from 'Be Here Now'?"' Noel groans, anticipating NME's next question as to whether the omission might be him finally admitting that, in the scheme of Oais albums, it actually wasn't very good. "No. I narrowed it down to about 30 tunes, which was too many - that's like a f**kin' prog rock record or something. 'D'You Know I Mean?' was on there for a bit, but it upset the flow on the album. And I was'nt gonna put a 'Be Here Now' track on there just for the sake of it. Perversely, i kind of like the fact that there's a whole album for people in the future, it's supposed to be a concise introduction to Oasis."

With tracklisting arguments now over 'Stop The Clocks' gives us all an excuse, once more, to immerse ourselves in the most vital, culturally significant British bands since the Sex Pistols; to remind ourselves of those still-unparalleled moments of rock 'n' roll brilliance that, as Noel puts it, "make you feel like you're 18, you've got a great new jacket on and you're going out to kiss the f**king sky". 'Rock 'N' Star', 'Live Forever', Champagne Bleedin' Bastard Super-F**king-Nova'...really, the strangest thing about an Oasis best Of being released in that there's no need to reminisce. These are songs that never went away, that are as important today as they were in the mid-90s. In short Oasis are still the band to beat and everyone, including Noel, knows it.

"If I see one more advert on the TV for an album that says, 'Best guitar album since 'definitely Maybe'... f**king hell- I'll shoot whoever writes those f**king things!" he blasts. You flick through a magazine and it's 'Razorlight, 9/10, the best guitar album since 'Definitely Maybe'!' And I'm just like, Really? Not to my ears it ain't. I mean, it's flattering that album is still considered the benchmark, and that The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight and all that said that was the album for them, but come on. I think a lot of these bands are... not fake, but just copying the blueprint.

You're always looking at Johnny Borrell or him out of The Kooks and going, 'I dunno if you mean it, man' When you see those bands, there's just something not quite right. It doesn't get you 110 per cent, like when the great bands - those bands come along. Do you not think Arctic Monkeys are one of those bands? "Well they're good, but their public persona is now of a bunch of grumpy old men, even though they're 19, d'you know what i mean?

I think they were a good kick up the arse, but I'm a bit worried about what's going to follow in their wake. If it's gonna be a load of c**ts with guitars up here (does air-Alex Turner guitar, adopts Sheffield twang) going, 'And me mum works down the f**king chip shop, she met a geezer...' and all that. Great pop music is not about real life, it's about how great life can be. Real life's f**king shit! But yeah, I suppose they're what Oasis were - like the elixir of life to a different generation, with different values. The MySpace generation."

Are you a MySpace user?
"My missus has got a computer, but I can't even switch it off, let alone on. Gem will sit downstairs and yak on about all this shit he's seen on YouTube, like old La's interviews or whatever. Or I'll phone him and tell him about an album I've heard, then about an hour later he's downloaded all the songs from f**kin MySpace. It's Mad." Do you think that's a good thing? "This generation of kids just rely on the technology - that's what they want. These days you can see f**king Johnny Borrell in his pants going through the bass parts, and that just strips awaythe magic for me. Everyone just wants more and more information.

All the fantasy's gone out of music, 'cos everything is too fu**ing real. Every album comes with a DVD with some c**t going, 'Yeah well, we tried the drums over there, but...' Give a shit, man! It makes people seem to human, whereas I was bought up on Marc Bolan and David Bowie, and it was like, 'Do they actually come from f**king Mars?'"

The modern world then, for Noel Gallagher, despite its seemingly unwavering love for his group, sometimes feels like it has changed, almost beyond recognition. He goes to Arctic Monkeys gigs and gets blown away by the fact that the fans know all the words to songs that aren't even released; he freaks out when hi daughter want to go on "my-f**king-pony-dot-com" and he can't show her how, and he won't be buying glowsticks and time soon.

"I saw Klaxons in Ibiza with Kasabian," he gasps "and it was like torture! Either all their instruments were broken, or they didn't have a clue what they were doing. That new rave stuff in the NME - fu**ing shocking!" And then there's politics. This remember, is a man who, at the Brit Awards in 1996 declared: "There are seven people in this room giving a little bit of hope to young people in this country - that's me, our kid, Bonehead, Guigsy, Alan White, Alan McGee and Tony Blair. And if you've got anything about you, get up there and shake Tony Blair's hand. He's the Man."

Fast forward 10 years, and Oasis are set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at next year's Brits. This time, you suspect, their leader won't be praising the man who once made thinly veiled references to cocaine with him at Number 10 Downing Street. "I tell you what New Labour have achieved," Noel says, thinking back to those heady days. "They've destroyed politics in this country. Because I don't know anyone who, next time around is gonna f***ing vote. It means nothing. "That's a bad thing though isn't it? "Well I guess all the anarchists and Thom Yorkes of this world, who are like, 'All politicians are baaas' - they recon they've been trying to destroy politics for years. And unwittingly, the Labour Party have done it for themselves, because everybody's so disillusioned with it now.

Left and right doesn't mean anything - it's all this middle ground that's just nothing. The bank of f***in' England are in charge. Life's still shit for most people who have to get up and go to work, but that's the other thing about all this technology - everyone can afford an ipod, so they think life's f***ing great; every c**t's got a plasma screen and a computer, and a mobile phone with a video camera in it, and they think it's great because you can shop online and get all this stuff delivered to your house. Everything's affordable, so everyone thinks things are ok. There's not alot of soul to British life anymore, I don't think."

We're about to ask what he thinks of The Horrors' hairdos, but Noel Gallagher is not finished yet. "And then you think about the extreme Islamists and the neo-conservatives in the west. That's it for them now - they're at war forever and ever. And it's worse for a place like Britain, which is so multicultural, and where some people don't need much encouragement to be f***ing racist. There's always a debate on Sky News, with somebody who's for these draconian measures to lock every f***er up and there's always somebody who's against it.

And they're all shouting! You're just like, 'Fu**ing hell, man - surely it's not that f**ing bad. People don't hate each other'. it's just these extremists in our community, in Whitehall, It's fu**ing bad darts, man. He's right, of course. But thankfully, with Noel, one thing that's never far away, even when he's discussing the state of the world, is a side-splittingly funny story.

"I'll tell you what, though," he begins by way of introduction, "it makes travelling around the world a pain in the arse. I had a problem with my visa in the States recently, where i got pulled in Texas and grilled for about two and a half hours. I'm there going 'just phone anyone in England! Email them a photo! Ask them and they'll go, 'Oh that's 'im out of Oasis'. Three months later I'm at the same airport on holiday with my missus and it happens again! Some guy looks at his screen and goes 'Follow me sir' This guy calls someone else over, they're both looking at the screen and after a few minutes he says to me, '(Adopts hilariousTexan accent) Can you answer a question for me, sir?' Now I'm getting annoyed at this point, so I'm like, 'What about?' and he goes (Comedic pause) What was it like when y'all met Pete Townshend?' He's holding this massive gun, going "Cos I seen y'all played 'Won't Get Fooled Again', and I'm just thinking, 'Fu**ing hell - ain't you got work to do?'''

As preposterous as this fu**ing sounds," laughs Noel, as we return to the subject of Oasis, "Liams got self-esteem issues. Whenever he plays you a tune he's written, he is expecting you to be in total awe. So when we're just like 'Yeah it's good, let's record it', he's expecting more and he can't understand. I'm always trying to say to him, 'The core of Oasis is about three fundamental things: the songs' me and you. Without one of those things, it all just falls down. Sometimes I wish he'd just accept that."

See, it's still the same things driving Oasis. Noel's right: it is about the songs, him and Liam, but it's also about the tension between them. Noel will never understand why Liam thinks it's cool to walk offstage, Liam will never understand why his brother is the only person he knows who isn't in awe of him. Noel will never wear a pink suit or be pictured in the tabloids fighting, liam will never see what's wrong with either of those things.

This is what puts Oasis in this unheard -of position: even on the eve of a Best Of, and while receiving awards that should signify something close to the end, they still matter. And 'Sto The Clocks' is just a pit-stop, before charging headlong into the future. The next 12 years of Oasis, you'd wager, are gonna be fu**ing colossal.

Source: NME Magazine

Noel Gallagher & Gem's Acoustic Show In Toronto Setlist

These are the songs Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer performed at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Canada earlier today.

(It's Good) To Be Free
Talk Tonight
Fade Away
Cast No Shadow
The Importance Of Being Idle
Listen Up
Half The World Away
Wonderwall
Whatever
Slide Away
Strawberry Fields
Forever
Don't Look Back In Anger
Married With Children

Oasis Stop the Clocks, Not The Band

Oasis' Noel Gallagher has embarked on a mini-world tour to promote his band's best-of CD, 'Stop the Clocks,' due out Nov. 21.

The axeman's next tour city will be Los Angeles, where he'll play Friday. So far Gallagher's solo sets have consisted of 14 songs, only half of which actually appear on the new CD/DVD package. Gallagher says the shows, including one in London, England, last week, have been, well, interesting.

"[It] was very boisterous. It was quite overwhelming, to be honest," he tells AOL Music. "I sat on a chair with a guitar, and I couldn't hear anything over the crowd singing. My sound engineer tried to rectify it and ended up blowing up the PA."
Known for their tumultuous history, which has seen walkouts by frontman Liam Gallagher and the departure of several members over the years, we wondered whether the album provides some kind of closure.

"I guess it's the end of something. I don't think it's the end of the band," Gallagher says. "Nobody's expressed any interest in doing anything else other than another album."

Source: www.aolmusicnewsblog.com

This Weeks NME

"New rave? Fuckin' shockin'" Oasis on bust-ups, Best Ofs, pink suits and just generally having a right good groan about everything...













Source: www.nme.com

Oasis To Hit Studio This Month

Liam Gallagher wants to get going on new album

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has revealed the band are likely to get started on their new studio album this month.

The rock giants release their Best Of compilation 'Stop The Clocks' on November 20, but Gallagher is keen to get started on the follow-up 'proper' to 2005's 'Don't Believe The Truth'.

He told NME's sister magazine Uncut: "I reckon we're going to start doing something this month, go to our studio. It's the bollocks. Fuckin' old Tudor ranch in High Wycombe, fucking stay there and get it done. Just got to wait for Noel to finish his tunes I suppose."

Speaking about 'Stop The Clocks', which marks the end of the band's deal with SonyBMG, Gallagher added: "I want to get this (album) out of the fucking way, it's doing my head in. To me, it's the last of however fucking long, the last 16 years of that label, that's done.

We can start again." Uncut is on sale now in all good newsagents, priced £4.20. See Uncut.co.uk for more information.

Source: www.nme.com

Copycats!

Oasis rant at the new wave of rock bands

Noel Gallagher has blasted the current crop of rock pups claiming they're not a patch on Oasis in their heyday. The Oasis axeman singles out The Kooks and Razorlight for a particular bashing. His extraordinary rant also sees the elder statesman of Britrock taking a swipe at Arctic Monkeys.

Stop The Clocks, Oasis's first greatest hits collection, hits shops in a fortnight and the senior Gallagher, 39, is despondent about the guitar-toting groups of today.
He Rages: "If I see one more advert on the TV for an album that says 'Best guitar album since Definitely Maybe' I'll shoot whoever writes those f***ing things!"

"It's flattering that it's still considered the benchmark, and that The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight and all said it was the album for them, but come on. I think a lot of these bands are just copying the blueprint . You're always looking at Johnny Borrell or him out of The Kooks and going: 'I dunno if you mean it man.' When you see those bands, there's something not quite right."

Alex Turner, 20, and his gang fare little better either. The guitarist reckons their dour image will really hamper their progress. In an interview with NME out today, he continues: "Their public persona is now of a bunch of grumpy old men." I'm worried about what's going to follow in their wake. If it's gonna be c***s with guitars going: 'And me mum works down the f***ing chip shop, she met a geezer' and all that." "Great pop music is not about real life, it's about how great real life can be. Real life's sh*t."

Now rave scene leaders Klaxons get the hair dryer treatment too. "I saw them in Ibiza with Kasabian," adds Noel. "It was like torture. "Either all their instruments were broken, or they didn't have a clue what they were doing!"

Who says that age mellows anybody?

Source: Daily Star

MTV Asia Interview With Noel

Unlike most "Best Of" albums of this nature, Oasis have sat down and undertaken the almost impossible job of picking what they consider to be their finest moments ever. So Stop The Clocks is imbued with the sort of wilfulness that has helped make Oasis the favorite band of millions of people worldwide and its running order will no doubt provoke equal parts adulation and bar discussions from the millions of Oasis fans worldwide. Could it ever be any other way?

Oasis have been at the helm of the world's music scene for over 10 years and, on November 20, 2006 the first ever Oasis retrospective will draw together the years of multi platinum albums, No. 1 singles and, unique to Oasis, instantly familiar B sides into one 18 track double album entitled Stop The Clocks. So here it is. The tracks as chosen by the band themselves -- the songs they believe encapsulate their remarkable career to date.

Stop the Clocks is released as Oasis take a well earned sabbatical prior to starting work on new material, destined for similar levels of success in the future. This is not a full stop, but merely a time out; a dream set list, and a chance for the world to review the immense contribution that Oasis have made and continue to make to rock 'n' roll.


Listen to the entire double-disc compilation album, Stop The Clocks, right here from now till November 20 and watch the MTV interview with Noel Gallagher! Click HERE to listen to the album.

Source: www.mtvasia.com

Launch For New Oasis Album

Fans of Manchester superband Oasis will get to hear an exclusive first play of their greatest hits album in its entirety at a special launch event next week.

City centre club Fifth Avenue will play the full, eighteen-track album from 10pm on Friday, November 17 - ahead of it going on sale the following Monday.

Revellers will be able to sway and swagger to the band's classic hits like Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger, while discussing the controversial omissions and inclusions on the Stop The Clocks hits compilation.

But don't expect to see Burnage-raised Noel and Liam Gallagher lads making an appearance at the Manchester launch. I'm told they won't be doing any regional promotion of the new album. Spoil sports.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Oasis Première Road Movie In New York

Noel Gallagher made a special appearance in New York City on Saturday (November 4) at the world première of new Oasis documentary 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down'.

Around 400 fans, some queuing up from 3am, attended the screening at the CMJ festival and took part in the following Q&A session with the Oasis leader.

Directed by Bailie Walsh, the man behind Oasis' 'Let There Be Love' video, the film captures follows the band's Don't Believe The Truth' world tour with a collection of backstage footage, on the road perfomances along with a series of band interviews.

Following the screening, Gallagher then answered questions from fans present, discussing The Beatles, his relationship with brother Liam Gallagher - he insisted it was "as good or bad as it ever was" - and the group's forthcoming best of 'Stop The Clocks'.

He also explained why the track of the same name does not feature on the collection.

"Despite various demos we never nailed what version we're all happy with," explained Gallagher of the us-yet-unreleased song, "but the title fits where we are now."

A fan also asked the guitarist why he claims Oasis' are "the greatest band in the world". "

I only go by what's on the charts," declared Gallagher in response. "I'm not interested in what's hip to music critics, what I was actually saying when I was saying I was the greatest thing since Elvis Presley was: 'I think I'm the best thing in the Top 40 and I think anybody whose from England would probably agree with that!'."

Oasis are set to release 'Stop The Clocks' on November 20, while 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down' will be screened in the UK later this month.

New York NME staff

Source: www.nme.com

Noel's Footie Wedding

Blue Bash For Lovely Sara

It's been one of the best weeks of Noel Gallagher's career. And it looks like things are only going to get better for thr Oasis star now he's planning to get wed.

The thrilling seven days included winning the title of Best Act In The World Today at the Q awards.

Now the beautiful Sara McDonald, 31, has said she'll marry the mono-browed icon next year. Our spies tell us that she's even agreed to a boozy party at the City of Manchester stadium so that the devoted Blue can show his true colours.

But the pair will say I do and enjoy their reception at the top of the city's Urbis museum, which boasts marvellous views of Manchester's skyline.

The couple will exchange their vows before heading to Manchester City's ground for a late night session, led by Noel, 39. Our source explained: "As everyone knows, Noel is a mad City fan and he likes to involve the club in all the big occasions in his life. He would've loved to have his reception at the old ground, Maine Road, because he has great memories of performing there - but the new stadium is impressive."

Let's hope brother Liam, 34, doesn't provide too many fireworks at the bash. He did last night when he showed up at his elder sibling's Bonfire Night party with £6,000 worth of Catherine wheels and rockets.

Those brothers eh? There are always sparks between them...

Source: Daily Star

Extra LA Tickets

A number of extra tickets to see Noel Gallagher & Gem s semi acoustic set at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday evening have been made available exclusively for oasisinet members and myspace friends. Tickets are free to fans arriving in person at the El Ray Box Office. The evening gets under way at 7.00pm with an advance screening of the new Oasis road movie Lord Dont Slow Me Down, followed by the special one hour semi acoustic performance by Noel Gallagher & Gem that delighted fans and critics alike at Londons KoKo Club last Thursday evening. To obtain a ticket you MUST go in person to the El Rey Theater box office, 5515 Wilshire Blvd, LA, CA.

The Noel Truth And Nothing But The Truth

Renewing acquaintances with Hotpress, a chipper Noel Gallagher reveals how he helped Italy bag the World Cup, explains why Oasis are better than U2-sort of- and, oh yes, tells us about the band's new best of collection. WORDS Stuart Clark

"Fucking hell, where's the rest of you? The last time I saw you, you were a fat cunt and now you're skinnier than Pete Doherty. You on drugs or summat"

Ah, no one delivers a backhanded compliment quite like Noel Gallagher! It's been a while since our paths last crossed, and I must say I've missed the old rascal. While I'm diplomatically ignoring the final part of his inquiry, I have indeed shed 26lbs. of blubber, whish is just as well because the rest of me is in rag order.

Noel, on the other hand, actually looks better than he did in 1994 when we first met backstage at Slane Castle. Oasis had just comprehensively blown REM off stage and he was, well, dilated to see me.

"If it was 1994 I probably didn't know what continent I was on, but now I'm the most boring man on the planet and loving every minute of it," he laughs.

Noel knocking hedonism on the head coincided with him meeting his girlfriend of the past six years, Sara MacDonald. Among the P.R. woman's many admirable qualities is a willingness to let her chap spend the summer in Germany watching the World Cup.

"I can honestly say it's one of the most magnificent summers I've ever fucking had,R" the Mancunian beams. "The story is a couple of years ago I was on Italian radio and personally offered Alessandro Del Piero (top Italian footie player) a hundred grand a week to join Man City (not so top English footie team). Everyone took it as a joke bar his agent who was on the phone wanting to talk contracts. Luckily, he was okay when I told him I wasn't going to give his client £5.6 million a year and Alessandro came to a couple of Oasis gigs in Europe and hung out with us afterwards"

In a manner that was entirely in keeping with his status as a professional footballer, of course.

"Of course!" Noel deadpans. "We actually sent him back to Juventus in better condition that when he'd arrived. Anyway, come the World Cup he invites me to be his guest at the Italy games, which I say I will be once our lot gets knocked out. England being shit, I fly in for the semi finals against Germany and get picked up by a mate of his who takes me to the Italian team hotel to get the tickets. We arrive and, of course, there's this huge scrum of media and fans who start cheering. Even more surreally, when I walk into where the players are having their lunch they start clapping. Talk about the wrong way round! Alessandro's pissed off because he's just heard he's on the bench so I flippantly say, 'Don't worry man, I've a feeling you're going to come on and score in extra-time,' which is precisely what happens. Afterwards, amazed by my psychic briliance, he goes, 'You have to come to the final, and in the same clothes' A week later I walk into the stadium and Mrs. Del Piero -who's as fit as in, fuck by the way- immediately unzips my jacket and goes 'We will win, we will win' because down to my pants I've the same clobber on. The Italian press has heard about me being his lucky mascot, so when they went one down I was sweating on the top line. Eventually it goes to penalties, Italy win and I feel this mixture of relief and exhileration. If England ever get their hands on the World Cup, I think my heart will explode!"

According to the tale that made it back to Blighty, Noel was guest of honour at the victory party and serenaded the players with Oasis and Beatles songs.

"Alessandro phoned and said it was mental at the hotel, so I ended up going on the piss instead with Adrian Chiles, Martin O'Neill, Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson, Ray Stubbs, Gary Lineker and -very weirdly- Spike Lee who was with Marcell Desailly. Ray Stubbs was doing this party trick where he got two pints of German beer and necked 'em before everyone else finished the them tune to Match of the Day. He did four or five of them and was as pissed as a cunt. Every time I see him now on Grandstand I'm like, 'See Ray Stubbs? He's a fucking legend!' Hansen's going to me, 'You picked the wrong fucking team supporting City', while Lineker was tearing into Sven Goran Erikkson. It was the best night I've had in years"

For the benefit of Hotpress' non-football obsessive readers, we'll turn our attentions to the upcoming Oasis 'Best Of', Stop the Clocks, which they're cheekily releasing on the same day as U2's.

"I only found out yesterday," Noel reveals. "Neither of us would probably want to release original albums on the same day, but I imagine that people of a certain age will be going to HMV on the Saturday and buying both."

Very nice and concilatory, but who's going to grind fucking who into the ground on November 20?

"U2 will beat us 1-0 in Ireland, but we'll stick two past 'em in the return leg in England to win 2-1 on aggregate," he says slipping back into footiespeak. "U2 are the best band of the past thirty years, but we're the best of the past 15. I think Bono himself would admit that. And by the way it's them being cheeky releasing on the same day as us!"

Talking of Bono, what type of third world campaigning does Noel engage in when he's not on Oasis duty.

"I'm not just saying this to reinforce the stereotype but, apart from watching telly, I don't really have that many interests," he confesses. "Unlike Liam who picks up the phone and freaks if room service isn't on the other end, I love getting back to the humdrum of life 'cause where I write my songs is in the queue of Waitrose. If I spend too much time in the tour/celebrity bubble, I turn into this perpetually hungover character who's not always fun to be around."

Forgive the amateur psychoanalysis, but I get the impression Noel Gallagher's in a good place at the moment.

"Personally, my life is better than it's ever, ever, ever been," he enthuses. "So much so in fact that I'm waiting for it all to go wrong! Professionally, I'm still searching for the next fucking great tune. Putting together this 'Best Of' -which we did ourselves rather than leave it to the record company- reminded me that I've written some belters in my time, but I can and will do better."

Is there also an element of wanting to remind young pretenders like The Killers and Arctic Monkeys who's King still?

"I'm loathe to say the words 'cause I'm more Machiavellian than that but, yes, and if we can't show 'em we'll fucking sabotage what they do! Bono's like Liam in that way -always aggressively pursuing his muse and bigging up U2. The Edge and me, on the other hand, are the Yoda figures at the back going, 'Alright it will be.' If Oasis have been out of the limelight for two years I never panic 'cause I know what's coming next."

While still a mere child of 39 -his fortieth is on May 29th 2007 if you want to send him a card- does Noel have an age in mind for eventually hanging up his plectrum.

"I used to think that 30 as over the hill, but I saw Paul McCartney recently and he's still fucking got it. His last album's no Sgt. Pepper's, but it's still ten times better than fucking Hard-Fi. Getting Nigel Godrich in was a good move, and I imagine it'll be Rick Rubin next. The Rolling Stones are still worth paying into as well but Mick, mate, ditch the leggings!" he continues. "Everyone loves Keith -and for good reason- but the real heart n' soul of that band is Ronnie Wood. What a fucking amazing bloke."

Having spent a very pleasant night guzzling wine in the Shelbourne with Ronnie, Jimmy White and a poker player who declined to give me his name because he wasn't meant to be in Ireland, I'd have to concur. Talking as we are of rock's OAPs, has Noel run into New Order recently?

"No, but ony the other day I was telling somebody how Peter Hook barred me from the Hacienda live on radio," he chuckles. "Before getting a record deal even, we did a session for some tinpot Manchester Radio station in their usual in Studio A. The presenter says, 'Hi Oasis, we've got Peter Hook here', and I'm like, 'That's exciting, innit? Still wearing your fucking leather trousers Pete?' He shouts, 'Don't bother coming down the Hacienda 'cause you won't get in!' and I go, 'Good, it's been shit for two years anyway!' No matter what he or anyone else tells you, the Hacienda ceased being the centre of the universe on New Year's Eve 1989 when the clock struck twelve and everybody stopped taking E and started taking coke and crack instead. There was a fight between two blokes over a bird, which would have been unthinkable when everybody was loved up. Some other facts about the Hacienda -the sound was shit, the layout terrible and the beer lousy. They did sell skins behind the bar though, and have fantastic music courtesy of Mike Pickering who deserves a knighthood for services to clubbing,"

Hooky got ten out of ten for honesty a few years back when, introducing 'Blue Monday' at Lansdowne Road, he said, "Here's one you all love and we all hate." Are there any songs that Noel's fed up with, and felt obliged to put on Stop the Clocks?

"If Sony had done it, you'd have 'Roll With It' and 'Stand by Me' on there, but they didn't and they're not," he states triumphantly. "Bar seven tunes that should be on it but aren't 'cause we still want people to check out the back catalogue, this is genuinely the Best of Oasis. Archaeologists will dig it up in five thousand years and go, 'Fuck me, that civilisation was advanced!"

So what was cynically left off?

"'Cast No Shadow', 'Married With Children' and 'Do You Know What I Mean' are three that immediately spring to mind. Bands ought by law be made to stick some of their best stuff on B-sides."

He's already expressed his disdain for Hard-Fi, but what does Noel make of the other bands young people are listening to nowadays?

"My mate Mr. Weller has an eldest son who's a goth," he confides. "You'd think being the ultimate mod he'd be against this, but no, his attitude is, 'Kids have got to be what kids have got to be.' What's great about this scene is it's almost a surrogate family. They all look after each other and share make-up bags, which is better than smoking crack."

How's his own daughter Anais?

"Six and very well, thank you," he beams. She came out with a classic the other morning, We were going to her school in a cab and she said, 'Dad can I read you some stuff from my book Its eight o clockish and im absoulety fucked so I went just read the billboards to me as we go along, the first set of traffic lights its 'na na nation wide. second its Gol gol golden wonder, Still Okay. Third set of lights, I have a heart attack as she reads out fluently this time 'Spearmints Rhinos Gentelmans club. Whats a gentlemans club Daddy? 'You'll find out soon enough!!!"

Is she ready for a full-blown birds and the bees conversation?

"She's be having that with her mother, not me! I'm not one of those people who have plans for their daughter. She'l make her own mistakes and learn from them like I did. If she asks me what i think of the blokes shes going out with, i'll have him round and tell her whether I think he's either a nice guy or a fuckin toe rag. Women like to think they can sum up men in one nifty sentence, but as complicated as they are, fuck me we're worse! It's not all about beer and the pizza and the football -especially not to us intelligentsia."

Stop the Clocks is the last record Oasis will release through Sony BMG, the label they've been with since 1998 and don't seem unduly upset to be leaving. Sony BMG could be down two major acts soon if rumours of them sacking George Michael prove to be true.

"At their peril will they get rid of George Michael," he ventures. "He's the last major act they've got in the UK since we walked. That said, I don't feel in the least bit sorry for him. If he'd fallen asleep at the wheel once, with a spliff in the ashtray once, fair enough, there for the grace of God go I, and all that stuff. But twic... I respect George Michael, I really fucking do, but that's just inviting trouble. As for Sony invoking some sort of 'morality clause', our behaviour was a hundred times worse than his and they never said a dickie-bird."

What about that other hard-living, drug hoovering son of Satan, Tom Chaplin?

"The rest of us if we ever have to go to rehab deny it to the hilt, but he issues a statement going, 'No, no, no, I'm doing drugs, really I am.' He takes drugs and his music's shit -that's some sort of fucking achievement in itself. Keane have squeezed into that tiny, tiny gap there was between Coldplay and Travis."

Two groups, whom to quote Noel's little brother, are "Dido's with willies"

"(laughs) He does come up with some good lines, I have to admit."

George Michael, Keane, Travis and Coldplay insulted, let's return to Oasis and the fact they've co-opted Sgt. Popper's man Sir Peter Blake into designing the Stop the Clocks sleeve.

"He's seventy-something and mad keen for drink still," Noel says approvingly. "I met him out one night and he told me he's working on a set of prints -'Elvis is in there, The Beatles, The Stones, all the greats' 'Aren't we forgetting somebody?' 'Oh my dear boy, we'll work together one day!' So it comes to doing our cover and I think, 'Right, let's take him up on that.' We went down to his studio, which is a real throwback to the sixties, and he starts talking about the Foo Fighters. He's a really clued up old fella who'd done us fucking proud."

Which of Noel's covers does Noel rate?

"I think Morning-Glory is truly appalling. Be Here Now is a mish mash of cocaine ideas, but Heathen Chemistry is pretty good. We're on the front, but in an abstract way, and it just generally represents the music really, really well. In general, I'd have to say our single sleeves are better than the albums. From memory, I'd go with 'Shakermaker' and 'Who Feels Love' as the best."

It's a question I'm almost frightened to ask, but how's the brother?

"Still fucking moaning! I'll give you an example. Last December we headlined the Cardiff Millennium Stadium. There were 60,000 people there, all of them with their lighters out singing along. We come off stage and he's like, 'They weren't really into it, were they?' Why does he have to be the one person in 60,005 not having it?"

The 30,000 Irish people who've purchased The Killers' Sam's Town mightn't be aware that it was Noel whom Brandon Flowers turned when he got a bad attack of second album jitters.

"Him deciding what kind of music he wanted to make after being at an Oasis gig is the same as me seeing the Stone Roses and going, 'Right, I'm off home to get me fucking guitar out.' The 'elder statesemen' tag is something I seem to have inherited from Weller who helped every waif and stray out in the '90s, yours truly included. It's not so much Oasis as Definitely Maybe that your Kasabians and Razorlights and Kings of Leons cite as an inspiration, which is cool 'cause afterwards they all went off and did their own things. What that makes me feel old isn't old, but fucking proud."

Any other young whippersnappers who's caught his eye recently

"I was in New York for a photo-shoot, and they had this bloke on in the studio called M. Ward. He's an album out, Post-War, which is along the same lines as Elliot Smith and fucking brilliant. You've three records to buy on Saturday now when you go into HMV!"

As is traditional when interviewing Noel Gallagher let's finish with a game of 'Confirm or Deny that Tabloid Rumour.' Okay, your starter for ten 'Him and Liam are planning to set up a chaing of Supernova Heights Hotels.

"(Cackles) Bollocks of a variety that has never been so utter.

The Arctic Monkeys beat him in a tequila-slamming contest.

"That one's true. I went drinking with the bass player who was fired/left, which was all very civilised at first 'cause we were on pints of Guinness. It stopped being civilised when he came back from the bar with a tray of shots that I shouldn't have gone near but, well, you try and keep up with the youngsters. I nearly hit the fucking deck on the way out."

Noel's gotten so thin his mum's started sending him food parcels
"Has she fuck! I met the guy responsible for that gem on holiday in Ibiza and he said, 'We have a source.
''Who?'
'A neighbour
''Is she an Irish lady, name of Mary?
''Er, yes''
She's winding you up, you fucking idiot!

Noel was in Charlestown, County Mayo last week.

"I wasn't, but Liam was and spent most of the time in bed with the 'flu. Our mam's as happy as a pig in shit 'cause we've just bought her a magnificent new place there. Talking of Ireland, I hear your Mr. Ahearn's been a very naughty boy. I'm sure he'll wriggle out of it though, same as our lot."

The recording of Oasis' next studio album will be put on hold while they tour Stop the Clocks."I've got a gig at Camden Palace on November 2 for the charity that got my good mate Russell Brand off crack -he's doing an hour of stand-up and I'm doing an hour of skiffle- and then I plan to sit on my arse for the rest of the year. There'll probably be an EP out in mid to late 2007, and a new studio album in 2008, which we can't postpone 'cause we havn't started it yet. We do have some rather excellent songs written though, so I think it'll be a good 'un."

Source: Hot Press Magazine

Beam Me Up, Liam

Kasabian guitarist Serge Pizzorno got so spaced out on LSD at Liam Gallagher's birthday party he thought he was in 'Star Trek'.

The rocker - whose band toured with Oasis - helped bad boy Liam celebrate his birthday in style but it turned into a scary trip.

In an interview with Britain's FHM magazine, Serge said: "For Liam's birthday we all went out to the desert in Denver. There was all this LSD flying about and I got totally freaked out.

"The landscape was full of these giant rock formations and I felt like William Shatner when he leaves the Enterprise in 'Star Trek'.

"The next day I kept getting confused flashbacks of these singing midgets I'd found in the wilderness. Eventually I told the others about them and they said they'd met them too. I've seen photos of that night since and you can see them dancing in the background, so they were definitely real."

Sorce: www.femalefirst.com

Email From The Edge

It's Bookie.Huge News... Don't worry about the Noel Gallagher & Gem from Oasis Live show being sold out, cuz we're bringing you the show live on the radio!!! 102.1 The Edge in association with Molson Canadian Rocks, The True Taste of Live Music presents Noel Gallagher & Gem from Oasis, LIVE AND UN-INTERRUPTED from the Danforth Music Hall. IT STARTS AT 9PM THIS TUESDAY!!! Just sit back and turn on the Edge and listen to it LIVE AND UN-INTERRUPTED!!!

Listen live at www.edge.ca on tuesday night...

Source: www.edge.ca

Oasis Bone Up On Their Hits

Bonehead is prepared to go to his local record shop to buy the new Oasis album when it's released... even though he plays on most of it. The group's greatest hits album Stop The Clocks is out in eight days.

But their original rhythm guitarist Bonehead - real name Paul Arthurs - told me: "If Liam and Noel don't get round to sending me a couple of copies, I'll have to pop down the shops and buy one. I'm on 13 of the 18 songs, which isn't bad at all. But then they were a much better band before I left."

Bonehead, who left Oasis in 1999 and now manages cult act Vinny Peculiar, added: "I miss being in the band sometimes... but I'm happy with what I'm doing."

Source: www.sundaymirror.co.uk

Artist Of The Month

A decade on from their greatest triumph, 1996's sold-out dates at Knebworth, Oasis proved they still had it by being voted Best Act In The World Today at this year's Q Awards.

Their marriage of Beatleseque melodies and punk attitude ignited the British music scene of the 1990s and their songs became that well-worn phrase, the soundtrack to a generation.

Their greatest hits album is released on November 20 and you can read the world's first review right here from the 7th.

Click Here to visit the page.

Source: www.msn.co.uk

Lord Don't Slow Me Down - TV Premiere

Channel 4 (UK) - 19th November 2006 - 11:50pm to 1:10am

Taken from preliminary schedules so date and timing are subject to change. Repeats of the 2005 Manchester concert, and the 2004 documentary 'There We Were... Now Here We Are: The Making Of Oasis are also scheduled on Channel 4 later that week.

Source Mr Monobrow @ oasispromo.blogspot.com

Caught Live: Noel Gallagher

Noel Gallagher isn’t just a top caner — he’s brilliant at his day job too.

The Oasis legend played a 45-minute set at Koko in North London on Thursday in Russel Brand’s fundraiser For Pities Sake.

The comedian coaxed his showbiz pal into performing after striking up a friendship on his BBC 6 show.

And when Noel bowled up on stage he tamed the lager-fuelled crowd at once.

He even received warm applause from brother Liam, watching from a balcony with Noel’s girlfriend and top lass Sara Macdonald.

The opening act The Holloways were drowned out by the raucous crowd screaming “Li-am, Li-am” and also chanting for Noel.

Kelly Osbourne didn’t help matters by showing up at the side of the stage in a revealing top and giving a single-finger salute to fans at the front.

Dirty Pretty Things star Carl Barat played an impressive acoustic set. The highlight was a cover of The Charlatans’ North Country Boy with Tim Burgess on guest vocals.

But Noel was the show-stopper, serving up the ultimate football terrace sing-along with backing vocals from every voice in the packed audience.

He played classics Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger and brilliant B-side Talk Tonight.
As if that wasn’t enough, Paul Weller joined him on stage too.

The tickets were £50. Another zero on the price would have been worth it.

MY video crew caught the celebs - including Russell, Noel, Paul and a very inebriated Rupert Hill - leaving the bash. You can watch the vid by clicking here.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk