Chart Update

I'm Outta Time has left the The Official UK Singles Chart this week, after entering the charts last week at number 12.

Dig Out Your Soul is at number 27 on The Official UK Album Chart this week.

Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere

Taken from Noel's tour diary for oasisinet.com

Nothing doing here, kids. Went shopping yesterday. For guitars. Didn't buy any. I've already got all the good ones.

Went for a Chinese. They had a freshly boiled frog on the menu!! Boiled frog? YUMMY!!

We're in Chicago, by the way (but you knew that anyway).

In a bit.

GD.

Source: www.oasisinet.com

Deserted Palace No Place For Oasis

"Tonight," Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher sneered into the microphone at the Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday night, "I'm a rock and roll star."

That he certainly is. Gallagher was put on this planet for the express purpose of being a rock and roll star, and he remains a fascinating, antagonistic, combustible presence on stage. But within the confines of a more-than-half-empty arena -- the reported attendance for Saturday's concert was 6,200, but it looked to be even less than that -- do we need to shift the definition of what constitutes a rock and roll star?

The economy has certainly taken a toll on local rock and roll shows; the black curtains that section off the upper deck have become a fixture at shows at the Palace. But even at the height of its popularity in the mid-90s, Oasis couldn't sell out the Palace, so why was it playing the venue now?

The empty seats dampened the mood in the room, and Oasis didn't go out of its way to heighten the crowd's spirits. The band members tend to be rather aloof on stage -- guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell pretty much just stand there, as does Noel Gallagher, the band's songwriter and leader -- so eyes tend to fix on Liam, who seems ready to storm off the stage at any given moment. He creates an odd dynamic with the audience, whether blankly staring down members of the crowd or proudly standing with his back to them, but damn if he doesn't do it with iconic style. To paraphrase M.I.A., no one on the corner's got swagger like Liam.

Even that tends to wear thin, however, and it wasn't enough to carry the show through the laborious sections of Oasis' one hour, 45-minute set. While new song "Shock of the Lightning" fits in with the band's most explosive material -- it will likely remain a fixture long after touring behind the band's current album "Dig Out Your Soul" is finished -- other new offerings dragged, including "I'm Outta Time" and "Waiting for the Rapture."

The opening suite of "Rock & Roll Star," "Lyla," "Shock of the Lightning" and "Cigarettes and Alcohol" kicked off the evening on a high, but the band droned its way through sluggish renditions of "Morning Glory," "Supersonic" and the crowd favorite "Wonderwall." Luckily, "Champagne Supernova" cut through the clutter, soaring to the great highs it does on record, while closer "I Am the Walrus" -- an Oasis standby for years and years -- delivered in typical fashion.

The brothers Gallagher were in amiable spirits, with Noel lightly chiding a fan for throwing a shoe on stage and Liam pantomiming sexual acts to several crowd members. But you couldn't shake the feeling the show would have played better in a smaller setting, as Oasis' arena days seem to have long since expired.

Openers Ryan Adams and the Cardinals were, too, dwarfed by the size of the Palace, though the band's electrifying one-hour set hit all the right notes. Half the material came from the band's recent "Cardinology," and the set shifted comfortably from bluesy country ("Two") to swirling rock (a ramped-up "Off Broadway").

Adams, who is as famously testy on stage as the evening's headliners, joked around with guitarist Neal Casal, with the free-flowing conversation ranging from Journey's Steve Perry to a 1989 Cinderella show at the Palace to the days when the Detroit Pistons were known as the Bad Boys.

Source: www.detnews.com

Oasis In Detroit Setlist

Last nights setlist from the Palace Of Auburn Hills, Detroit, USA.

Fuckin' In The Bushes
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes & Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don't Look Back In Anger
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus

Did you go to last nights gig or future gigs or even past gigs?

Send in your pictures to scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will add them to tour archive.

Next stop London, CANADA...

Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere

Taken from Noel's tour diary for oasisinet.com

Nothing to say today. Nothing happened. We're in Chicago. It's equally as cold as Minneapolis.

We did catch up with some old friends yesterday though. Them being The Black Crowes. We toured with them in 2002 (I think). They were playing across the street. Good to see Chris. He's a lord.

That's it. Fuck all y'all. I'm going back to bed.

GD.

Source: www.oasisinet.com

Oasis A Bit Too British

Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne doesn’t understand the appeal of British bands like Oasis and Arctic Monkeys.

The American rocker, 47, who is in the UK to promote his band’s sci-fi film Christmas On Mars, doesn’t feel his countrymen can relate to the northern lads.

He told me: “I’ve never got Arctic Monkeys – they seem too much like a British thing to me.

“They’re like Oasis whereby Americans can’t really relate to them.

“Lots of British people like it but not for me, and I don’t like Razorlight or Duffy much either.

“I prefer Radiohead – they deserve to win a Grammy.

“And I’m still a fan of Amy Winehouse but hope she doesn’t become too much of a drug addict.”

Christmas On Mars premieres at the Barbican in London tomorrow.

Source: www.dailystar.co.uk

Versus Cancer: Massive Christmas Party

Christmas Party! 18th December 2008

Moho Live, Tib Street, Manchester, next to Afflecks Palace

Room 1

Starsailor

The Vortex (feat Bonehead)
Working For a Nuclear Free City
the 66

DJ's
Radio Republic with Martin Coogan and Phil Beckett
Dermo Northside, Terry Christian, Elliot Eastwick, Natalie-Eve, Michelle Hussey, Gareth Brooks & Little Red

Room 2

SA Promotions presents:

Karima Francis
The Jesse Rose Trip
Jersey Budd

DJ's
Hed Kandi with David Dunne and Andy Daniels
K Klass
Jason Herd
2 Kinky with Nick Hussey

Comedians
Vince Atta, Steve Edge, Dave Bishop

8 till very late indeed.

Tickets: £5, door £7

For more details go to www.versuscancer.org

Oasis In Chicago Setlist

Last nights setlist from The Allstate Arena, Chicago, USA.

Fuckin' In The Bushes
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes & Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don't Look Back In Anger
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus

Did you go to last nights gig or future gigs or even past gigs?

Send in your pictures to scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will add them to tour archive.

Next stop Detroit...

Dig Out Your Soul Songbook - And The Winner's Are...

Back in September Big Brother Recordings and NME ran a competition for fans to submit their versions of 'The Shock Of The Lightning', 'Bag It Up', 'The Turning' and '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady'.

The competition had a great array of entries which can be viewed here!

After going through all the entries, Oasis picked The Outs' version of 'Bag It Up' as their favourite. Noel said, "The Outs are our winners, they did a top job on 'Bag It Up'. Their version really got to the heart of the track. Nice one." Big Brother Recordings will now be flying The Outs to the gig of their choice which they have decided will be at Wembley Stadium next year.

The Outs proved to be a very popular band with NME Editor Conor McNicholas also choosing their version of 'Bag It Up' as his favourite. The band will be receiving a copy of the 'Dig Out Your Soul' Box Set.

The runner up is João Ribeiro from Portugal whose version of 'Bag It Up' clocked up over 12,000 views by the end of the competition. João has won tickets to see Oasis play in Lisbon on their largest-ever European tour at the start of next year. He has also won an X-Box, Plasma TV Screen and copy of the Guitar Hero 4 World Tour.

Oasis, Big Brother Recordings and NME would like to thank all the fans for their entries and urge them all to keep picking up those instruments and learning your favourite songs - that's how all the best bands start!

Source: www.oasisinet.com

Vote For Oasis At The Shockwaves NME Awards 2009

The Shockwaves NME Awards are back and only your votes can decide the winners.

Vote now to decide the nomination shortlists to be unveiled in January.

You'll also be entered to win tickets to the Awards ceremony in London and the NME Big Gig, headlined by The Cure.

Click here to cast your vote for Oasis.

Oasis Tour Fan Archive Update

I have recieved even more pictures from visitors to the site, from all over the world.

Are you planning on going to future Oasis gigs or even been to past gigs?Send in your pictures to scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will add them to tour archive.

We still have a few gigs missing, so any photos you have please send them in...

Visit the album and check out all the photos by clicking here.

Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere

Taken from Noel's tour diary for oasisinet.com

So..Minneapolis? An arctic wasteland more like. Fuck living here!! Have these people not heard of California? You think it's cold in England?! It's colder than Thatcher's soul (if that's at all possible).

Stayed in last night. Endlessly flickin' round on the telly. I found THE most ludicrous programme I think I've ever seen. It was on a channel called Spike TV. And the programme was called "Manswers". Which - if I'm not very much mistaken - is a show that answers the questions American men are asking. "Manswers". Get it? Ok.

What follows is TRUE. It's what I saw and I hadn't been drinking.

1. What's the most powerful handgun available on the market? (There was a few to choose from and their power was demonstrated by birds with big tits in bikinis firing them in slow motion!! It looked and sounded like a spoof trailer for a Quentin Tarantino movie. Fuckin' mental yet, strangely compelling!)

2. How can you survive being hit by a car? (Apparently there IS a technique which was demonstrated by a trained stuntman (not in a bikini) and I was told NOT to try it at home!! What? Not even a little practice?)

3. How would big boobs bounce on the moon?!!! (An "expert" actually explained that they (the boobs) would react in the same way as they would if they were underwater! FUCKIN' LUDICROUS!!)

4. What's faster - a man or his sperm? (To demonstrate this they had a midget in a white all-in-one Lycra body suit on a running machine. He signified the sperm, I think?)

5. What's the horniest animal in the jungle? (You simply HAVE to know, don't you? Thinking on...maybe I'd been spiked with acid).

Fuckin' ludicrous the lot of it. Gimme Seinfeld any day.

In a bit.

GD.

PS. The Bonobo Chimpanzee is the horniest animal in the jungle (just in case you were wondering).

Source: www.oasisinet.com

Concert Review: Oasis Cool To A Fault At Target Center

Wonderwall



Don't Look Back In Anger



Champagne Supernova

The Brits had some mean words and not enough mean rockers, while Ryan Adams didn't say a word (gasp!)

Here's the ice-cold reception mouthy British guitarist Noel Gallagher expressed for our fine state, in a diary report posted on his band Oasis's website before Wednesday night's Target Center concert:

"Tales from the Middle of Nowhere (10 December 2008): Think we're in Minnesota. Bob Dylan country. It's cold, flat, grey and bleak. No wonder he [headed] to NYC. Even the cattle look miserable."

Fortunately for the band, Minnesota gave Oasis a warmer if still not overheated welcoming for its first Minneapolis show since 2001.

The crowd was only about 5,000 in number, but the meager turnout was probably more a product of the sluggish U.S. economy than the sluggishly paced English rockers and their dwindling but still cultish fame. And anyway, the fans who were there stood and cheered throughout much of the 100-minute performance -- which was more adulation than Gallagher and Co. actually deserved.

Always wooden figures on stage, Gallagher and his singer brother, Liam, did not break from their norm on Wednesday -- even when their band was firing on all cylinders musically at the start of the show. They tore through the anthemic opener "Rock 'n' Roll Star" with gusto and kept it up with the truly electric follow-ups, "Lyla" and "The Shock of Lightning."

Deeper into the set, though, things started to lag, and the band's holes opened up. Liam essentially just shouted and muttered his way through lesser tunes such as the new dud "To Be Where There's Life" and the old one "Cigarettes and Alcohol." He even slept-walk his way through the finale of "I Am the Walrus." The guy's a consummate rock singer on record, but he certainly wasn't on stage Wednesday.

Noel, on the other hand, ate up the limelight a little better as he sang through "The Rapture" and, during the encore, "Don't Look Back in Anger," which became the show's second-biggest crowd singalong ("Wonderwall" took top prize right before the encore).

Noel was also a little more light-hearted toward the show's setting during some comments he midway through the show.

"Is it cold enough for you? Why do you live here?" he asked. "You are aware that there's a place called California?"

Met with a chorus of boos, Gallagher replied, "Yeah, but they're wearing shorts right now."

That's a new one -- lessons in happiness from a dour British rock star.

At least Gallagher was more chatty than opener Ryan Adams, who typically talks up a storm at his shows -- to the point where, at a drunken First Avenue show four years ago, some fans stormed out of the venue.

No problem this time, though. The North Carolina rocker said nary a word to the crowd and showed even less personality than the Brits. Infamously inconsistent onstage, Adams' problem on Wednesday was actually too much consistency.

He and his solid band of the past three years, the Cardinals, picked heavily from their lackluster new album, "Cardinology." Even beyond that, they played too many mid-tempo, downer rock tunes, from the poetic but pouty opener "Cobwebs" to the languid "Let It Ride" to the lifeless "Two." A few of his softer acoustic numbers would have been nice, as would have any of his swinging country-ish tunes, as would more blustery rockers like the Stonesy closer "Magick."

Source: www.startribune.com & YouTube

Oasis In Minneapolis Setlist

Last nights setlist from Target Center, Minneapolis, USA.

Fuckin' In The Bushes
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes & Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don't Look Back In Anger
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus

Did you go to last nights gig or future gigs or even past gigs?

Send in your pictures to scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will add them to tour archive.

Next stop Chicago...

Click here to listen a Noel Gallagher interview from a couple weeks ago, previewing the show in Minneapolis. (thanks to skinny)

Oasis Never Went Away, Noel Gallagher Says

Memo to the rock press: Noel Gallagher would like you to stop declaring that Oasis keeps making comebacks.

It has been a routine for at least a decade: Oasis releases album, record gets solid reviews, media raves about the band's unexpected grand return. Singer-songwriter Gallagher, who remains the band's foundation with younger brother Liam, just endured it again with the band's latest album, "Dig Out Your Soul."

"It gets kind of annoying that we're always 'coming back,' because we never go away," he says, noting that his band's release schedule is no different from those of fellow European rockers U2 and Coldplay.

"It's one of these dumb things that's always said about Oasis, just like mentioning the Beatles every 20 minutes, or talking about me and Liam getting along like a house on fire."

One thing that hasn't been so dependable is the band's personnel, particularly its Spinal Tap-esque series of drummers. The group's Saturday show at the Palace of Auburn Hills is to feature the services of drummer Chris Sharrock. He's at least the sixth person to man the Oasis skins, and replaces Zak Starkey, who managed a four-year stint before splitting in the spring because of feuds with Noel Gallagher.

That says it all. At root, Oasis is all about the Gallaghers, and after all these years, Noel remains the band's heart and soul. This is still his band, the one he formed 18 years ago in Manchester and took to multiplatinum heights with Liam as front man.

Oasis isn't the commercial juggernaut it was in the mid-'90s, when it was selling out stadiums and topping singles and album charts. But it has continued to draw critical accolades and maintains a devoted fan base.

"Dig Out Your Soul," released in October, is standard-issue Oasis: melodic, simple, soaring and satisfying. Fourteen years after the band exploded onto the global scene, Gallagher says, there's no need to seek musical transformation.

"There are bands that are constantly changing their sound, constantly searching for something. I don't perceive it like that, where I have to sit down and reinvent myself or reinvent the band," he says. "We've got a strong identity. We found what we were looking for. There's no point to go on searching anymore -- we arrived at the place where every band in the world wants to be, where you're comfortable with who you are and what you sound like and the number of fans and the clothes you wear. There's no need to be (screwing) about endlessly searching for something that's not there."

Of course, it wouldn't be an Oasis tour without a bout of melodrama. Detroit fans, for instance, can recall the will-he-won't-he soap opera of '96, when Liam Gallagher briefly quit the band only to rejoin just in time for a Palace show.

But this year's episode came with more real-life ramifications than normal, when Noel Gallagher was attacked during a September concert in Toronto by a fan who rushed the stage. Several shows were postponed as the guitarist nursed three broken ribs, though he heads into this week's Palace concert fully fit.

Gallagher, 41, is now a bona fide family man, but the downtime proved frustrating for a musician who says he enjoys the ritual of touring. Let other acts complain about the grind of the road, says Gallagher -- he's out to "find the good in every day."

"I never understood the moaning rock star. I find it a really strange attitude," he says. "Like, we've got two years on the road coming up. These are the memories I'll take to the grave with me. I've been able to see the changes in the world, for better and for worse. I love playing live, and the farther away from home the better.

"I love being in limbo, constantly moving, not settling down. It's brilliant. The hours are long, and what gets tiring is the drinking, but even that's not so bad."

Gallagher still gives good quote, as they say in the news business. He's never short on testy words about his younger brother, and of his homeland's rock scene he takes no quarter: "This generation of young kids are useless. They've got nothing. No attitude. They look good and that's it. Can you think of one great song that's come out of England the last five years?"

Still, by his confession, Gallagher has mellowed a bit over the years. He says he keeps his head on straight by continuously writing -- he has already got five songs ready for when the next record beckons.

"The thing that's most challenging for me is the writing. I could always find a million reasons not to do it, like sitting in front of the television or sitting in the garden to smoke a cigarette," he says. "But when the call comes, I've always got three-quarters completed already. When we're in the studio, it's like being in the best private members club of all time, all day, every day."

Source: www.freep.com

Oasis Leader Shares Views On Playing Detroit, Being Attacked And Manners

"Are you drinking while you're speaking to me?"

The question was abrupt and was delivered in an accusatory tone from the famously candid, infinitely quotable and almost always profane Noel Gallagher, songwriter and leader of Britpop bad boys Oasis. The group plays The Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday with special guests Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. For the record, I was not drinking, but he insisted I had taken a sip of something.

"You know, my (bleeping) girlfriend does that, and it's really (bleeping) annoying," said Gallagher, half-joking, half-not. I explained I had not taken a drink, and after some back and forth, he acquiesced, but accused me of swallowing "really (bleeping) loudly." For that, I was guilty.

"Right, then, so don't swallow loudly on the phone ... for crying out loud. If I don't swallow loudly, you shouldn't. Carry on."

We carried on, about his daughter's taste in music, his feelings on Detroit and a recent incident where he was attacked onstage by a crazed fan in Toronto.

What happened at the Toronto show?

Well really, I don't know. I was playing away there, and he attacked me from behind. So I have no recollection of it whatsoever. I was playing, and then I was on the floor, and then I was in the hospital, and then I was back in England, and then I was (bleeping) in bed for five weeks.

Have you watched the incident on YouTube?

No. I don't own a computer.

Nobody's played it for you ?

I don't know what the point would be of watching it. I've seen pictures, I've seen stills.

So you're playing, and a guy just comes up and shoves you. Have you made any changes in your security team?

No, not really. We haven't got any more security. We're just making sure their eyes are open. It was at a festival, you know what I mean? And there were a lot of people on the side of the stage watching, and I'm not sure what happened to be honest. It's irrelevant. What's relevant is the physical act, never mind the why and who was responsible and all that. He was responsible for it, whatever his name is.

So what was recovery like? Did you have bruised ribs?

Three broken, and I had five bruised ribs. I was just laid up in the house for five weeks.

Boring.

Well, you should see my house, it's hardly boring. It's (bleeping) awesome.

Did you stay in bed, or tool around the house?

I've got a 1-year-old son who requires a lot of attention, and it was kind of a bit weird not being able to play with him. I kind of sat, laying on the couch, watching TV, eatin' foods that was bad for me and not getting any exercise.

What'd you watch on TV, anything good?

Constant football. Football and, you know, the Discovery Channel...stuff like that.

When "Dig Out Your Soul," was released, it was called -- as a lot of Oasis records tend to be when they are released -- a return to classic Oasis.

Yeah, but who says that? I don't say it.

Why do you think that always gets said?

I don't know. I could (bleeping) give a (bleep) what reviewers say. You know what I mean? "Return to form." I don't really know what... that's like, you know, sportsmen return to form. Race horses. That kinda (bleep). Records are pieces of art, right? It's kind of, somebody's created them. It's not about form. I don't know why that is. It annoys me as much as it obviously annoys you.

It seems like there's this constant thing with you guys where the new work is always compared to the old work, specifically, the first two records.

Yeah, well...I don't live in the past with Oasis, d'ya know what I mean? It's kind of what's gone on before is irrelevant to me. Is it as good as "Definitely Maybe?" Is it as good as "Morning Glory"? I don't care. I don't listen to either of them, d'ya know what I mean? And after I finish this tour, I won't listen to this one either. So, fans can get on all the forums and they can debate it 'til they're (bleeping) blue in the face. I've got better things to do, like the next record.

When will you start focusing on the next record?

It's already done. It's already written. It's already demo'd.

When can we expect it?

Oh, I don't know. I'm gonna take a bit of time off after this. I think I might do something for myself, maybe.

Will the next one be kind of a return...

A return to form? (Laughs) The next one will be our most recent album since this one. I can't promise any more than that. I mean, I don't (bleeping) know. I don't know what it will be like. The songs I've written could go... I really don't know, to be honest. It depends what kind of producer we use, what studio, and blah blah blah, where were at the day when we walk into the studio and all that. I don't know.

"Dig out your Soul," how would you classify it?

Well, I love it. I've gotta say it's up there with my favorites, and my favorites are "Defintely Maybe," "Don't Believe the Truth," this one and various bits and bobs of the others. But that's just my opinion. I'm not about to say it's better than any of the others, because everybody has their own opinion, don't they?

How's it feel to play live?

Well, it was initially very difficult, because this is the one album we've ever made that we never played live in the studio.

How'd you make it? What was the process?

It was all done on drum loops and computers and stuff like that, you know. Because the songs aren't very songy, they're all kind of monotonous, so it's more of a production job. D'ya know what I mean? And my songs, I wrote in the studio, so it's kind of, I was kind of making it up as we were going along, really. So when we came to rehearse these songs live, it was like, what the (bleepin) hell's all this about? You know. It was initially quite difficult. But I think they're going across well.

How much of the new record are you playing live?

Six songs.

Are the set lists pretty regimented?

Very regimented.

Are they the same every night?

Yeah, almost to the point of the fascism.

Same order, everything?

There must be discipline.

What is the set list, what's it like?

It's an 8-by-4 piece of paper, and it has Oasis song titles on it.

Mm-hmm?

Yep. And we start at the top, finish at the bottom.

And the ones in the middle you play in the middle?

The ones on the middle, yep, they get played in the middle. It's got six songs from the new album, eight from the two famous albums, and about another six, odds and bits and bobs and B-sides and album tracks and that kind of thing from all the rest.

Anything from "Be Here Now" in there?

There was, initially.

What?

"My Big Mouth" was there, initially, but we got rid of that because we felt the set was one song too long.

And that's the one that had to go?

It didn't have to go, it was just kind of, well, if we're gonna drop one song, you can't... I'm looking at the list and I'm going, can't drop "Supersonic," d'ya know what I mean? It's obvious. If you take a straw poll of the people in the room and say would you rather hear "My Big Mouth" or XYZ, and I don't mean the (bleeping) Coldplay album, what would you rather hear? So I'm just assuming people would rather hear "Cigarettes and Alcohol." I don't know, I could be wrong.

You guys have been playing here for years. Do you have any good Detroit memories?

We played there a few years ago with Soundtrack to Our Lives at some really famous theater.

The Fox Theatre.

Yeah, that was a really great night. We always have a great night in Detroit -- after the gigs, d'ya know what I mean. There's always weird and wonderful and clever and interesting people in the dressing room. It's a nice place to play, we feel at home there. It's not too dissimilar from Manchester.

You say that to everybody.

(Pause.)

Or don't you?

Well, I don't say that to people in Tokyo, do I? That's not a (bleep) at all like Manchester, is it? (Detroit) is a working-class town, d'ya know what I mean; and it's seen better days, that kind of thing. And all of the music that comes out of Detroit, from the Stooges to MC5, to the electronic stuff in the '80s, the house music, up to Jack White and the White Stripes, it's always cool as (bleep). Always. It's uncanny. Like Manchester.

Was Motown ever an influence on you? Was there ever a penetration there?

Did I have sex to them, is that what you mean?

Yes, absolutely.

I've only recently got into Motown through reading about the Beatles. My parents weren't Motown fans. We might have had "20 Golden Greats" in the record collection. But it's not strictly guitar music, is it, and that's what I was into. But then you kinda start learning about the Beatles, and they were checking for Motown stuff and Stax stuff and you're like, oh, all right! And you go back and listen to it. But I (bleeping) love it now.

Any groups in particular?

From Motown, it's all about the songs, it's not about the acts. There's so many great songs. I couldn't tell you Dionne Warwick from Diana Ross, d'ya know what I mean? It's all just, you listen to the songs, and it's about the tunes I think.

Any tunes stick out to you?

From Motown? (Laughs). Yeah, one or two. I mean, they're either blatantly obvious, like "You Can't Hurry Love," or really obscure. I'm not an expert on it. I know the tunes, I don't know the titles.

Sing some of them.

If you want to hear me sing, do you know how much it's going to cost you?

How much?

How much are tickets for the gig?

I think they're $75.

Right, it will cost you $75. Next time you hear me sing, I'll be looking like Jesus.

"Chinese Democracy" just came out.

Yes.

Any thoughts?

No. I've not heard it. I've read the reviews, and judging from the reviews I know I'm gonna (bleeping) love it.

Are you being serious?

I love preposterous records, and anything that took 17 years is obviously (bleeping) ludicrous. I'm dying to hear it. I already know I'm going to like it.

What would an Oasis record sound like if you spent 17 years making it?

Brilliant.

Have you ever thought about that?

What, spending 17 years on a record? I haven't got that much time left, have I? I'd be what, 57 by the time that came out? Eh.

How old is your daughter, and what music is she into?

My daughter is 8 years of age, and she is into that (bleep) on the Disney Channel, the Jonas Brothers and all of that (bleeping) nonsense. "High School Musical."

Do you find anything to enjoy in the Jonas Brothers?

Not in the slightest. No. Is there anything?

"Lovebug" is the catchy single on the record, and it's not bad...

No, it's not. I'm not going there.

Touring with Ryan Adams, how did that come about? Mutual appreciation?

Mutual agents talking to each other, saying we could make some money on this, let's get the boys together.

How are you guys getting along?

Oh it's great, it's a mutual appreciation society. We're fans of each other's work, man. I've gotta go, I'm afraid. I've got a flight I've gotta catch to Mexico.

Do you have any final thoughts ?

Any final thoughts? (Pauses.) Stop (bleeping) buying Nickelback records. Have you heard that tune "Rock Star?"

Yes.

They can do better than that, surely.

They probably can.

I bet you could. I've gotta go, I've got to go see my drug dealer in Mexico. Bye-bye.

Source: www.detnews.com

Without Blur There Would Be No Oasis

Britpop legends Blur have announced they are getting back together to play Glastonbury and a huge gig in London’s Hyde Park next summer.

Old rivals Oasis are part-way through a mammoth world tour and also take to the stage, at Wembley Stadium, just a week after Damon Albarn and Co.

The head-to-head blockbuster concerts bring back memories of 1995 when the feuding bands famously dominated the airwaves as they waged all-out war.

Here, Alan McGee – the man who signed Oasis to Creation Records – remembers one of pop’s most bitter spats.

IT was the biggest rivalry in music since The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

The race for the No1 spot between Oasis and Blur back in 1995 was all over the national TV news and the newspapers.

It was an incredible career move for Oasis — our next album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, sold 23million copies.

But I can’t take any credit for it — it was a fluke.

It happened like this: Oasis had a No1 with Some Might Say and as the boss of Creation I threw a party for them.

There was bad blood between Oasis and Blur but I invited Blur singer Damon Albarn to the party — after all, I was paying for it.

Damon and I used to watch Chelsea together.

I was always friends with him throughout that whole thing of everyone supposedly hating each other.

Damon came in peace to the party, I’m sure.

But when Liam Gallagher saw him coming in, he shouted: “We’re number one, you’re not, you’re not. We’re number one, you’re not, you’re not.”

Afterwards Damon, in his madness, changed the release date of Blur’s next single Country House to coincide with Oasis’s single Roll With It.

Genius

It was on the national news every night. It was incredible.

I don’t think Blur disliked Oasis — but Oasis genuinely disliked Blur.

At the time, they were three times bigger than us and they won that battle for No1.

But it was an incredible career move for us.

Without Blur, Oasis probably would not have got the airplay. It made us, in people’s perceptions, as big as them. Suddenly we were elevated to the mainstream.

Blur are a really, really great band.

I love Beetlebum, Song 2 and The Universal. They are all beautiful songs.

But they had one bad album — The Great Escape — which was released that year. All the others are good.

So Oasis kind of won the war. Out of it all came the 23million-selling (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?.

As much as the music is always more important than the hype, the whole thing in 1995 helped make them both really iconic bands.

It made them stand out and defined a decade.

Oasis and Blur, along with Pulp, were Britpop — they were the soundtrack for an era.

Both bands are incredible talents. I would go as far as saying Damon Albarn is a genius.

I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a musician — he jumped from Blur to doing hip-hop and pop with Gorillaz better than the Americans.

He’s an incredible talent, a musical genius.

And I love Noel Gallagher, both as a talent and a person.

I think Noel Gallagher is Neil Young.

Both bands have survived because people want to go to see them. It’s as simple as that.

Oasis’s shows next summer have already sold out.

I think it’s great for music that both Oasis and Blur are playing gigs next year.

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere

Taken from Noel's tour diary for oasisinet.com

Denver was cold, man! Fuckin' freezing. Minus something or other. Left and went to bed in a snowstorm. Woke up somewhere else. 12 hours away.

Think we're in Minnesota. Bob Dylan country. It's cold, flat, grey and bleak. No wonder he fucked off to NYC. Even the cattle look miserable.

Just had breakfast at Trumps' Truck Stop. It was full of fat men in baseball caps in sleeveless t-shirts!! Sleeveless!? It's fuckin' freezing!!!

We're on the way to Minneapolis. I'm expecting endless boredom. It's a long way from California.

In a bit.

GD.

Source: www.oasisinet.com

You've Been Googled: From Palin To Cupcakes, The Most Popular Web Searches In 2008

A year ago she was unheard of, and after the U.S. election result, may return to obscurity.

In between however, Sarah Palin has achieved the ultimate recognition of the internet age. Along with cupcakes.

The Republican candidate for vice president and the confection topped Google's annual 'zeitgeist' list, which reveals the events, music and individuals that shaped 2008.

From iPlayer and The Jonas Brothers to beer batter and Nicolas Sarkozy, the list offers a unique insight into the most asked-for terms on the search engine.

Unsurprisingly given its popularity among students and office workers, Facebook came top of the 'most looked for subjects' in the UK, while job searches finished in tenth place.

Mrs Palin saw off competition from the Beijing Olympics and the actor Heath Ledger to finish top of the list of 'fastest rising global queries'.

And with the credit crunch beginning to bite, traditional cooking appears to be making a comeback as foods including crumble topping, Eton mess and rhubarb fool jostled for position alongside cupcakes in the 'fastest rising recipe searches'.

An online scramble for music tickets saw British rockers Oasis beat Leonard Cohen to the top of the chart for the 'hottest tickets of the year'.

Cricket fans also appeared desperate to get their hands on passes for next year's Ashes, while the stage musical Oliver! proved a hit in seventh place.

In addition, millions turned to the internet to watch their favourite television shows online, with the BBC's iPlayer facility seeing off the everpopular YouTube to head the list of 'fastest rising searches'.

Gordon Brown was the most searched for politician of the year, beating his younger rival David Cameron into second place.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Oasis Enjoy An American Resurgence

Although famous as much for their Mancunian bluster as for redefining British pop back in the mid-1990s, even the Gallagher brothers themselves must be more than mildly surprised at how well Oasis's following in America has endured and grown in the decade since they became global superstars.

After its first two albums were released in 1994 and 1995 respectively, the band's stateside popularity faded considerably. Given the fact that Oasis's massive early success hinged on a combustible cocktail of drug abuse and, at times, violent sibling rivalry, the downturn didn't seem all that unlikely.

Yet somehow, despite the aborted tours, lineup changes and declining record sales, the Gallaghers have held themselves together long enough for their career to experience an American resurgence. This is even more surprising considering that the band's new album, "Dig Out Your Soul" -- while somewhat more palatable than its clunky predecessor -- isn't anywhere near as compelling as its early material.

Regardless, the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles last Thursday was full of fans, new and old, anxious to get a glimpse Oasis Mach IV. Things looked pretty familiar. Apart from some extra heft courtesy of new drummer Chris Sharrock, it was business as usual for Oasis, who roared through a familiar 105-minute set heavy on the hits ("Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova," "Supersonic") and light on everything else.

Standard rock psychedelic imagery filled the video screens behind the band as they stuffed the arena with thick open chords and Kinks-esque harmonies.

If there was any doubt before, Liam Gallagher has pretty much officially given up on actually singing, now content to snort his vocals without any need to even finish his phrases. The band's new material is melodic but not memorable ("Ain't Got Nothin'," "Waiting for the Rapture"), and actually makes mediocre mid-period songs like "Lyla," "Songbird" and "The Importance of Being Idle" seem like welcomed additions to the set.

Acoustic renditions of "The Masterplan" and "Don't Look Back in Anger" were well received, the latter offering perhaps the one moment where Noel Gallagher seemed genuinely touched by the overwhelming audience response.

Such a rabid reaction proves that Oasis have indeed weathered a crucial career-threatening storm. And they have done it not by changing with the times but remaining steadfastly true to their meat-and-potato rock roots. And while this approach might not afford them any creative breakthroughs in the near future, it has at least provided a future of some kind.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals opened the show with an hour of often stunning rock songs culled mostly from their new album, "Cardinology." Crisp guitars tones and glacial pedal steel licks punctuated the emotionally searing standouts "Cobwebs" and "Crossed Out Name."

Guitarist Neil Casal seems like he was genetically designed to be Adams' ideal vocal and instrumental foil, as the pair locked into gorgeous pools of harmony on song after song. "Sink Ships," "Natural Ghost" and "Go Easy" sounded even fuller than their album counterparts, and worked well alongside the chiming contemplativeness of "Two" and "Everybody Knows" from last year's underrated "Easy Tigher."

Source: Reuters/Billboard