I Got 99 Problems, But The Pitch Ain't One

Jay-Z has finally broken his silence over the controversy surrounding his Glastonbury Festival headline slot.

Oasis legend Noel Gallagher kicked off a massive debate about whether a hip-hop act should top the bill on the Saturday night.

But in an exclusive interview with Bizarre, the Grammy-winner hit back at Noel for being narrow-minded.

He declared: “We don’t play guitars, Noel, but hip-hop has put in its work like any other form of music.”

Jay — who had a 2003 hit with 99 Problems — sees his slot at the famous festival as rap’s next logical step.

Respect

He went on: “This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving.

"From Afrika Bambaataa DJ-ing in the Bronx and RUN DMC going platinum, to Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh prince winning the first rap Grammy, I’m just next in the line.

“We have to respect each other’s genre of music and move forward.”

Gallagher senior raised a chunky eyebrow to Jay’s inclusion in the line-up because he believes the West Country festival should stick to its roots.

He said: “Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night, you go: ‘KYLIE MINOGUE?’ I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.”

But Jay reckons the punters who have objected to his inclusion on the bill are stuck in the past — and he’s relishing the controversy he’s causing.

He went on: “I’ve never ever had a show that’s caused this much of a stir so I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve never been involved in anything this controversial. What’s the big deal about doing a show?

“I guess it’s heritage and people hold that dear to their heart and see it one way but that’s how the world is.”

With global urban music sales outstripping those of any other genre, I reckon the former New York drug dealer has a strong point.

He continued: “The world has to change. It just can’t be one thing — and that’s the beautiful thing.

“That’s why people feel so passionate about an event.

“People have that passion and have an opinion about who should perform there. But the world changes and we have to embrace the change.

“The artists of yesterday paved the way for the artists of tomorrow and that’s just how music is. For us rappers to arrive at this point has taken years.”

Wise words.

Here’s the conclusion I have drawn from the debacle: One throwaway remark from Noel at a film premiere and the world goes completely mad.

It shows how so few people have anything remotely interesting or controversial to say these days.

Along with Glastonbury, Jay-Z is also headlining the O2 Wireless Festival — and doing an arena tour in July. As I revealed last week, producer Mark Ronson will support him. The tour includes Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Oasis 100% Bearbricks Box Set

Price: £28.99: Just arrived from Japan, these Bearbricks come in sets of three: they all feature the ‘Oasis’ logo on the chest, one with a red, one with a blue Union Jack all-over body design, and one in sky blue. The Oasis Bearbricks are strictly limited and highly collectible, so order now while stocks last!

- Japanese Import
- Collector's item
- Strictly limited edition
- Officially licensed product
- Height of bearbrick is approx 7cm
- Set of three in a window giftbox
- Moveable legs, arms and head

Please note bearbricks are adult collectibles, not toys. They are not suitable for children under 3 years.

Also still available is a small number of the Oasis WaterRats posters, and the limited edition 'Lord Don't Slow Me Down' prints.

Check out the special limited edition print by Sheffield artist Pete McKee, inspired by Oasis' 1994 show at the Brighton Conference Centre, also available as poster.

Visit the Official Oasis Online Store for the full range of merchandise.

Source: Email from Oaisisinet

Paul Weller's 'Echoes Round The Sun' Promo Video

Echoes Round The Sun, was the result of a boozy recording session between Paul Wellers and Oasis legends Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer and Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock.

It will be out as a double Aside with Paul’s Have You Made Up Your Mind on May 26 and will be the first release from Paul’s forthcoming double album 22 Dreams.

Has Zak Left Oasis?

NME and various other sites have reported the same story as The Sun today. No announcement as yet on the bands official site about Zak's future with the band.

Oasis drummer Zak Starkey is unlikely to perform with the band again after falling out with singer/guitarist Noel Gallagher.

According to The Sun today (May 12), Starkey is highly unlikely to play with the band on any forthcoming live dates, and his involvement in their forthcoming new album, recently completed, will be his last with Oasis.

The newspaper quotes a source close to the band as saying: "There have been arguments with Noel Gallagher and general disagreements."

No official announcement about a possible departure or replacement have been made by the band.

The band are due to embark on a US tour in August, and are rumoured to be announcing further live plans soon.

Source: www.nme.com

Cardiff City's Cup Song Enters The UK Charts

James Fox & Cardiff City Football Club FA Cup Final song Bluebirds Flying High has entered the UK Official charts at number 15 in this weeks chart.

Portsmouth fans fear not a video can be found by clicking here

Stark Future For Oasis Drummer

The curse of the Oasis drummer has struck again.

Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey will not record on any additional tracks on singles from their forthcoming album.

Word from inside the camp is that Zak might never play the pots and pans for the Manc lads again. A source said: “There have been arguments with Noel Gallagher and general disagreements. It looks like the album will be his last involvement with the band.”

Bizarre Lord Noel has a reputation for going through drummers like dirty socks.

He binned both Tony McCarroll and Alan White when he felt their time had come.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Liam Gallagher Relegated To The Subs Bench

Liam Gallagher has been relegated to the subs bench in favour of Pete Doherty at a footie fest next Sunday. We kid you not.

The Oasis frontman was bought in to replace Pete for the Celebrity Soccer Sixes tournament at Millwall when he was banged up.

But since his early release, Liam has been shown the red card.

Pete is determined to defend the title he won last year after scoring the winning goal.

He's even got his mum to wash his vintage QPR kit.

Source: Daily Star Sunday

McGee Wants Rangers To Win So He Can Wind Up Noel And Liam

Millionare music mogul Alan McGee is hoping his Rangers idols triumph on Wednesday -so he can wind up his Oasis pals.

Noel and Liam Gallagher are Celtic supporters - like McGee's Scots rock mates in Primal Scream and Mogwai.

And McGee, who will watch the game on TV in Los Angeles, said: "In the back of my mind, I'll know they'll all be wishing me the worst of luck.

"So I hope we stuff it right up them. If we win, I'll be dedicating it all to them - especially Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai."

McGee, who signed Oasis after seeing them at King Tut's in Glasgow, will head down to Caffe Primo in Sunset Boulevard for the kick-off at 11.45am local time.

He said: "I can't believe Walter Smith has got us there. I'd say to the team go out and get Walter a knighthood.

"He's a genius - the best manager since Jock Stein."

Source: www.sundaymail.co.uk

Alan White To Join Trio Valore On Stage Next Month

Former Oasis drummer Alan White is playing with Trio Valore at the Jazz Cafe in Camden London on the 15th June.

For more information and tickets visit www.triovalore.com

Vote For Oasis' Top 20 Songs On Phoenix FM

Anna Patching and Tom Earle will be playing listeners' top 20 OASIS songs on Saturday 7 June, 10pm UK time - only here on Phoenix FM.

During the show they will be mentioning listeners' favourite charts and other Oasis facts and figures.

How can I vote?

Easy - click here and scroll down the page and you'll see the voting form.

We need you to choose your TOP TEN songs in order. The votes will then be added up (1st=10pts, 2nd=9pts etc) and a full chart will be shown on the page after the show - on which we'll be playing the top 20 as voted by YOU.

Where can I hear it?

If you're in Brentwood and Billericay - tune your wireless to 98.0FM.

If you live outside the area (or even if you don't) you can listen on the Internet by clicking here.

That's enough questions ... now vote!

Noel Gallagher On Russell Brand's Show Again

Noel Gallagher yet again joined Russell Brand on his weekly BBC Radio 2 show by phone for the usual shenanigans.

Noel spoke to Russell for around twenty five minutes from his holiday with Sarah and son Donovan in the Caribbean.

They talk about a number of diverse subjects that include Morriesy, Cilla Black, Keith Chegwin, Rice Krispies, Geordie's, Traditions and the paparazzi.

Noel also said he is not going to the recording studios in Los Angeles to work on the track, that he spoke to Russell about a few weeks ago.

You can listen to the show again by clicking here, you can also download the podcast from Tuesday.

Paul Weller Interview From Mojo

A few bit's from the brilliant interview with Paul Weller in this months Copy of Mojo, that covers Weller's career to date

From the sounds of The Jam, via the iconoclastic '80s soul of The Style Council and the highs and lows of a sixteen year solo career

There's a lot of psychedelia on the new album. On A Dream Reprise sounds like you've dropped acid...

A friend told me the album sounded like a record made by someone who's never made a record before - but in a good way, obviously. Another of the really psychedelic tracks, Echos Round The Sun, is Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer. They did the backing track and I put the vocal on top.

You and Noel, two Mod beacons. Do you hang out all the time?

We're both usually working, one or the other of us is out on your or in the studio. So we don't see each other that often, maybe five times a year. I don't think he likes hanging out with me that much - he's always giving it the large one about drinking and rock 'n' roll, but I think I go a bit too far for him some-times (laughs). But he's one of my best friends, I love him to bits. He's always supportive, and been there for me. Hopefully I've done the same with him.

Is there an intuitive bond between you, because you've both experienced the huge fame trip...

Yeah. We're very different people but we both say the same thing: there are certain things this job entails and you have to get on with it. It's no good just making one good album - unless you're Lee Mavers - you have to do it again and again. It's a pressure, but isn't that great? That's what we got into it for. You get these people moaning, "I'm under so much pressure", but I can remember the time you had to make an album every f**king year, not one every four years.

You said Noel sometimes thinks you go too far. There's a story he told in the Britpop years about him waking in the night to see you, bare-chested, circling a bonfire in his back garden chanting your name...

Well, Noel does like his stories, doesn't he? I don't know what he was talking about. I'm pretty sure I wasn't there. He's had a few mad nights out himself.

After being feted by artists like Noel and Graham Coxon in the 90's you're now a icon for another generation of bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Rifles and The Enemy. How does that feel?

It's one of the greatest compliments you can have - that bands are influenced or inspired by what you do. I know how much it means to me meeting someone like Macca. Even know I think "F**king hell, it's Macca!" It's brilliant.

Read the full interview with Paul Weller in this months copy of Mojo.

Source: Mojo Magazine

Matchbox Twenty Cover Oasis

Matchbox Twenty Cover Live Forever live at the Manchester Apollo on 6th May 2008, last day of the Exile tour.

Liam Gallagher's Proud Of His Cheesy Sauce

Famed for his bad boy looks and swaggering aggression, Liam Gallagher could lay claim to the sexiest snarl on this fair isle for more than a decade.

But he’s been gradually softening and these days he’s more of a roux-d boy, than a rude one – as the Oasis frontman, 35, is a dab hand at cheese sauce.

Our sauce (tee-hee!) tells us: “Liam is a great cook – and he’s specially proud of his cheese sauce.”

Source: www.dailystar.co.uk

Happy Birthday Paul McGuigan (Guigsy)

Paul McGuigan (born 9 May 1971 in Manchester), better known by his nickname, Guigsy (pronounced "Gwigzee"), was one of the four founding members of British rock band Oasis. He was the bass player for Oasis from 1991 to 1999 and is 37 today.

A staunch football fan and a life-long supporter of Manchester City F.C., Guigsy had originally shown great promise as a footballer. He would regularly play football at Ewood Park, which was also frequented by future band mates Noel Gallagher and Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs. However, a torn knee ligament at 16 years of age put this dream out of the question. Whilst still with Oasis, he and journalist Paolo Hewitt wrote a book about football player Robin Friday, entitled The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw (ISBN 1-85158-909-0). Guigsy was renowned for his encyclopaedic knowledge of football and cricket. In an interview for a BBC Radio 1 documentary in 1995, Guigsy described his favourite magazine as being FourFourTwo.

The Rain and Oasis (1991–1999)

In the late 1980s, Guigsy started a band with his friends, Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Tony McCarroll (drums) and Chris Hutton (lead vocals). They called themselves "The Rain", after the Beatles B-side. When Hutton quit, Guigsy invited his school friend, Liam Gallagher, to join. Gallagher suggested changing the band’s name to Oasis. Liam's brother Noel joined shortly thereafter.

Even in the mid-1990s, with the band's popularity at its zenith, he remained characteristically reserved. Acknowledged as the "Quiet One", there are very few recorded interviews with him at all. Noel Gallagher said of his bass player "I think he's spoken to me, and this is no word of a lie, since I was 17—thirteen years—for a total of about an hour. All he says is sweet as and alright. That's all." Though a competent bassist, Guigsy was often replaced by Noel Gallagher on the bands early recordings. However, there is no sign that the two were on edge as was the case with McCarroll, whom Gallagher would also often replace.

Guigsy, unlike the rest of the band, has only a handful of notable instances of unruly behaviour (including being locked in a cell with Liam on a ferry to the Netherlands, and subsequently being denied access to the country). Paolo Hewitt has suggested he "had a much more valuable role to play as a calming influence." There certainly is evidence to merit this claim. During the recording of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, it was Guigsy who, after a dispute with Bonehead, took Noel to the pub, filled him with booze and then accompanied him back to the studio where the band then recorded "Slide Away". Additionally, when Liam had to attend a court trial for unruly behaviour in Australia in 1998, it was Guigsy who, amid the chaos and mayhem that descended on the tour, gathered the entire party for a game of football in the local park.

He met Ruth Tolhurst on a plane whilst the band were on their way to Japan for a series of gigs on September 1994. They entered a long-term relationship. Guigsy left Oasis for a short time in 1995 due to nervous exhaustion. Ian Robertson, who was Oasis' tour manager at the time, puts this down—in part—to Liam Gallagher's vitriolic attacks, stating "more than anybody, Liam's venom poison surrounds him." He was replaced by Scott McLeod (who can be seen in the "Wonderwall" video). However, after McLeod's disappearance in the middle of an American tour, Guigsy agreed to return (it later emerged that McLeod had become homesick and left without telling anybody). His first gig back in the band was a legendary show Blackpool on 2 October 1995 — the same day that (What's the Story) Morning Glory? was released.

Post-Oasis (1999–present)

When, in 1999, Bonehead quit the band after a drunken row with Noel, it seemed probable that, due to his nervous disposition, it was only a matter of time before Guigsy would follow him; indeed, a few weeks later, he left Oasis for the second and last time. He claimed he wished to spend more time with his family and that he had been toying with the idea of quitting anyway, a proposition he began considering as far back as the Be Here Now tour, during which Ruth (whom he married 4th April 1997 on the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean) gave birth to his first son, Patrick. Though he was present at the birth, within a week he was forced to leave them for the tour. In an interview on August 2001, Guigsy stated: "At the time, I thought, I'll make one more album, play one more world tour and then that will be it. But when Bonehead left, I thought, 'Now's the time.' One original member has gone. They are going to have to get a replacement so the best thing would be to get another at the same time. I always said when it stopped being fun I would quit. And that's what happened." Noel Gallagher claims Guigsy quit by fax, and would avoid phone calls from the Gallaghers in the following weeks. Though he eventually gave up trying to contact him by phone Noel claims to bare no malice towards Guigsy.

Guigsy presently lives outside London with his wife and son. He occasionally performs as a DJ. He declined to appear in the 2004 Definitely Maybe DVD, though a polite letter explaining his reasons for doing so appears as a hidden extra, along with a short segment with pundits giving their views on him.

Source: Wikipedia

More On Liam Gallagher's New Hairstyle

A few stories about Liam Gallagher's new hairstyle in the tabloids today.

Liam's a rock and bowl star

Liam Gallagher sports a new pudding bowl hairstyle as he shops for cheap plonk.

The Oasis frontman looked like Beatles idol Ringo Star at the London store.

Hardened rocker Liam, 35, once said: “You’ve got to have good hair.”

Some Might Say he isn’t leading by example.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Girly Liam just rollers with it

Rock badboy Liam Gallagher steps out in the sunshine sporting a bizarre curled-under bob haircut.

The usually scruffy singer, 35, looked more sissy than Oasis as he wandered around North London wearing a blouse - like top and the new Wonderbowl haircut.

Liam nipped out to stock up on booze. But the sulky singer's girly look sparked giggling fans to ask: "What's the story, morning Gloria?"

An onlooker joked: "He certainly looked back in anger when he realised people were laughing and taking photographs of his weird bonce."

Source: Daily Star

Oasis "Relaxed" Over Leak

Oasis are taking a "relaxed" attitude after three demos leaked online.

The Liam Gallagher-sung Nothing On Me and Noel-sung Stop The Clocks and I Want To Live In A Dream In My Record Machine circulated online on Tuesday.

A source told PS: "The band are being laidback about it, they're not going to sue anyone. As long as people realise these are early demos, not finished songs, they're relaxed."

Source: Channel 4 Teletext - Planet Sound Via Mr Monobrow

Noel Gallagher "Paul Weller's Out There On His Own!"

Noel Gallagher salutes the British Neil Young's drive and individuality.

"When my musical thing took off, it was The Smiths and Stone Roses but they wouldn't have been anything without The Jam, so The Jam's influence on me has come through them. " I officially first met Paul at Glastonbury in '94, I'd actually met him once before, when I was a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets, going into immigration in Japan. Clint Boon introduced himself, and Paul said, 'I like the organ'. Those were his only words.

At Glastonbury this journalist did this interview with me and said 'Paul Weller's just been going on about Oasis in the beer tent' and I thought I better go and shake his hand. "At the time of meeting, Oasis were similar in stature to The Jam: he wrote all the songs, I wrote all the songs, we both loved The Beatles and the '60's, we had scooters on our first album sleeve, but also we had the same background. My mam was a cleaner, my dad was a builder, his mam was a cleaner, his dad was a builder, and we have the same reference points of going to shitty schools where they couldn't teach you anything and you always knew there was something else waiting for you somewhere.

"I first saw The Jam on the Old Grey Whistle Test doing Eton Rifles, and that's the song I'd put on a Saturday night, to get in the mood. He's such an underrated songwriter. He's a moody f***er too. "With the solo stuff, I hadn't heard anything from him for years, and then he was playing Manchester Academy in 1990...I lived five minutes walk from it, knew the promoters so I went up. He played into Tomorrow and I was like, Wow, f***ing hell!

"I can't think of anybody else, apart from Neil Young, who's doing anything even approaching contemporary music, all the greats were super long-gone after their thirties. He'd say he keeps going because he has always got something to prove, but I don't believe that. He just f***ing loves music. "Whereas most people of his generation dismiss the new generation, for him they re-energise him. The first time I heard The Coral and The Libertines was off him. He's always, 'Have you heard these Kings Of Leon? What are the Arctic Monkeys like? New music refreshes him.

He's forever breaking down what he does and starting again. Like with 22 Dreams In the age of downloads and piracy and doing as little as possible, he goes, 'I'm making a double'. It will be the last double LP ever made. F***ing kids have the attention span of small ants these days so respect to him.

"As a pianist and guitarist he is on the verge of the virtuoso. The things he plays are beyond me. When he did Champagne Supernova with us, I was like, "F**king hell!" He can do anything soul, jazz, blues, rock. He's got it.

"He's not in it for the money, fame, or adulation; he needs to do it. He's never known anything other than being in a band and people respect him for the fact when he gets on-stage he means it. It's in his life blood... but the amount of times he's retired round my house... We were going to start a supergroup with Primal Scream. We'd clubbed together for a van and we were going to play social clubs... and then the sun came up.

"He'll moan about touring but he's always on the road. He'll phone me up at any given time and I'll be watching the telly. He's fidgety and he brings that to his professional life, he can't sit or stand still. If he's not in the studio he's in rehearsals, if he's not in rehearsals he's looking through photos for a book that's coming out, or compiling a box set, or looking for a new drummer...

"Our two daughters are the same age [and] sit together at school, so me and Paul, we got to school plays and Christmas dos and parents' nights together, so it's gone from being the big cheese from up north and him being the king of the south to him being my mate. I'm proud to say that.

"Fashion wise, he's out there on his own! He'll call me up, 'I'm on South Molton Street, do you want a hat? They've got some good uns.' He came around last Thursday, it was pissing down with rain. He's got a full-length leather trench coat over his head, a green leather jacket on, yellow trousers and suede shoes. We're sat upstairs, outside the front window there's commotion like you've never heard, horns blaring,he's got my lad on his lap, going, 'How can you put up with this noise?' It's not usually like this so I open the window and see some c**t's parked his car in the middle of the road. 'Oh yeah,' he says 'Is it a mini? It's his car.

The traffic warden appears, there's a dustbin wagon , two black cabs, he comes to the window going to the traffic warden 'I'll be down in two minutes you f**king c**t.' As he pulls off, he just goes, 'See you later mate.

Source: Mojo Magazine

Portsmouth FA Cup Song

For the Porstmouth Oasis fans who emailed in asking for a video, I could not find a official one so I have used this one.

Portsmouth have reached the FA Cup final for the first time in 69 years.

And they will face Championship side Cardiff City on May 17th, at Wembley Stadium in London.

\o/ /o\ \o/ /o\\o/ /o\ \o/ /o\\o/ /o\ \o/ /o\

Oasis 'Leek'

A number of old Oasis songs have appeared on the internet amidst claims that the band's new album has leaked.

The songs are actually all old demos from previous sessions and well informed fans will have known that these tracks have been in circulation for some time. In fact, most are versions of songs that have already been released.

None of the songs are from sessions for the band's new studio album.

Source: www.oasisinet.com