Oasis: Who's Telling the Truth?

Oasis couldn’t stop fighting when they were together, and apparently they can’t stop even when they’re apart. Andy Bell, formerly of Oasis and now guitarist in Beady Eye, has weighed in to the spat between the Gallagher Brothers, claiming Noel Gallagher “lied about a lot of things.” Bell was apparently annoyed by Noel’s comments about the backstage fight that brought an end to Oasis, in which Noel disparaged Bell for not intervening, or, as he put it, “sitting counting his shoes.” Bell depicted Gallagher senior’s description of events as (not to put too fine a point on it) “Bollocks.”

Liam Gallagher, of course, has already let it be known how he feels about Noel’s opinions. “I just know he lies. Noel wasn’t bullied out of the band. I have (my bad days) but Noel Gallagher can be a little bastard when he wants to be.” Noel’s not holding back either. “Well, Liam talks a lot, doesn’t he?” he told the NME. “Unfortunately for Liam, he’s a born liar.”

So who is telling the truth, and whose pants are on fire?

Will it ever be possible to work out what really happened in the room the day Oasis broke up? And does anyone actually really care?

Truth is subjective, particularly when it comes to memory and perception. This is becoming like a rock and roll version of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, in which every witness to a crime recollects events in contradictory ways. Only in this case, there wasn’t even a crime, just a broken guitar and some bruised egos. Short of instigating a public enquiry, or sending for Hercule Poirot, I think we may have to just draw a veil over proceedings and move on.

Oasis broke up because there were two brothers in the band, who had been at loggerheads since before they were even in a band together, and tied together by fame and fortune they were forced to act out their particular variation on the Cane and Abel psychodrama in the public eye. For a while this provided much public amusement, since their tiffs were conducted in a ludicrous and quite comedic language, yet the pair were so obviously bound together by ties both familial and musical. They were, in a way, an illustration of the real power of family, because the animosity they directed towards each other was counter-balanced by the unity with which they faced the outside world, performing to mass audiences anthems of loyalty and togetherness, like crowd favourite Acquiesce, where the brothers traded lines and the chorus declared “Because we need each other, we believe in one another.” But now that the group has actually split up, the continued trading of insults is becoming an increasingly embarrassing and even tawdry spectacle, with each tit for tat remark further tarnishing any idealised notions their fans may cling on to. It’s like hearing the Beatles snipe at each other after the band broke up. No one wants to know. They are grown men, with kids of their own, and it would surely behove them to rise above the pettiness, if only to keep down the potential for fisticuffs at the next family wedding, christening or funeral. Of course, that might not attract so many headlines, or sell so many records, and with two separate careers to support, the Gallagher brothers will probably have to keep fighting for the rest of their days in the public eye.

Noel’s debut solo single comes out next week, The Death Of You And Me (which, he insists, is not about Liam, and since it’s a love song, we’ll have to take his word for it). And guess what, it sounds a lot like Oasis, albeit without the big power chords (and with a horn section where Oasis would have stuck a lead solo). It even includes the words “soul” and “sunshine” in the lyrics, which have been something of a feature of Oasis songs. Indeed, I may not be able to shed any light on what really happened in the dressing room the night Oasis broke up, but (courtesy of the Live Forever fan site) I can definitely answer another burning question: How many times has Noel Gallagher used at least one of the words sun, shine, shining, sunshine and soul in a song? The answer is 46, almost half the hundred or so songs he has published in a 17-year recording career (for a complete list, see below). And it doesn’t appear that he is about to change his vocabulary for his forthcoming solo album, which features the titles Dream On (“dream” being another big Oasis word), (I Wanna Live in a Dream in my) Record Machine and Stop The Clocks (which was also the title of an Oasis compilation).

Oh, it’s just like Oasis never broke up, isn’t it?

Are you calling me a liar?

Use of the words sun, shine, shinging, sunshine and soul in Oasis songs, 1994-2008

“Bring It on Down” Definitely Maybe 1994
“Cigarettes & Alcohol” Definitely Maybe 1994
“Cloudburst” “Live Forever”[E] 1994
“Half the World Away” “Whatever”[A] 1994
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” Definitely Maybe 1994
“Sad Song” Definitely Maybe[J] 1994
“Slide Away” Definitely Maybe 1994
“Take Me Away” “Supersonic” 1994
“Up in the Sky” Definitely Maybe 1994
“Acquiesce” “Some Might Say”[A] 1995
“Bonehead’s Bank Holiday” Morning Glory[B] 1995
“Cast No Shadow” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 1995
“Don’t Look Back in Anger” Morning Glory 1995
“Hello” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 1995
“Hey Now!” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 1995
“Morning Glory” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 1995
“Round Are Way” “Wonderwall” 1995
“Some Might Say” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 1995
“Step Out” “Don’t Look Back in Anger” 1996
“All Around the World” Be Here Now 1997
“Be Here Now” Be Here Now 1997
“D’You Know What I Mean?” Be Here Now 1997
“Fade In-Out” Be Here Now 1997
“Magic Pie” Be Here Now 1997
“My Sister Lover” “Stand by Me” 1997
“Stay Young” “D’You Know What I Mean?”[A] 1997
“The Girl in the Dirty Shirt” Be Here Now 1997
“Flashbax” “All Around the World” 1998
“Gas Panic!” Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 2000
“I Can See a Liar” Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 2000 “One Way Road” “Who Feels Love?” 2000
“Roll It Over” Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 2000
“Who Feels Love?” Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 2000

“Force of Nature” Heathen Chemistry 2002
“She Is Love” Heathen Chemistry 2002
“Shout It Out Loud” “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” 2002
“Stop Crying Your Heart Out” Heathen Chemistry 2002
“The Hindu Times” Heathen Chemistry 2002
“Lyla” Don’t Believe the Truth 2005
“Part of the Queue” Don’t Believe the Truth 2005
“The Importance of Being Idle” Don’t Believe the Truth 2005
“Bag It Up” Dig Out Your Soul 2008
“Falling Down” Dig Out Your Soul 2008
“The Turning” Dig Out Your Soul 2008
“(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” Dig Out Your Soul 2008

And, of course, there’s Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: “The Death of You and Me” 2011

Noel Gallagher's Greatest Picks

In this month's issue of MOJO, Noel Gallagher talks them through the music, movies, gigs and books that have shaped his life.

Click here to listen and see Noel's choices, from Elvis to Morricone, Bacharach to the Haçienda, Donovan to the Pistols and beyond...

Questions For Noel Gallagher

Noel Gallagher will be answering Bizarre readers' questions later this week. If you have anything (non-Liam related) you would like to challenge the sharp-tongued singer/songwriter with, please email biz@the-sun.co.uk.

Liam Gallagher Latest Tweet

HEY HO AGUERO followed by GOD

Follow Liam on Twitter by clicking here.

Isaac Hanson Compares Kings Of Leon's Situation To That Of Oasis

Isaac Hanson of all-brother band Hanson, has had a pop at Kings of Leon over their decision to cancel their US tour earlier this month. KoL pulled out of the remaining dates citing lead singer Caleb Followill's "exhaustion". It followed Followill storming off stage at a Dallas gig.
But Isaac, eldest member of Hanson who had a hit with MMMbop, says that the Kings of Leon should think about how their behaviour is affecting their fans.
"I have a hard time with musicians who act like pr*cks because it just makes me mad," he told World Entertainment News Network.
"If you're actually making a living doing it [making music], pinch yourself every day, because it goes if you don't love it and people will eventually get p*ssed off.
"I'm going to call somebody out on it - the Kings of Leon are running some risks. They're irritating people and you can't do that too much. Eventually the bad boy image affects fans' willingness to show up.
"Their fans will get bummed out. Everybody has their demons, everyone has their challenges. I'm a bit of a hothead in certain circumstances, but you've got to temper it because your fans are there and they've paid good money to see a show, and you gotta bring it."
He compared Kings Of Leon's situation to that of Oasis, who split in 2009. "It made it hard for people to have a lot of fun at their shows - because they were worried that Noel [Gallagher] was going to get p*ssed off and walk off."
Followill's bandmates have apparently urged him to go to rehab, as reports have suggested that he suffers from alcoholism and severe anxiety
Source: www.rte.ie

Oasis, The Beatles, Radiohead Re-Worked As Abbey Road Celebrates 80th Birthday

Tracks from the likes of Oasis, The Beatles and Radiohead will be re-worked into orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus at a weekend-long concert to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Abbey Road studios.
To be held over two days at West London’s Chiswick House and Gardens, The Symphony In The Park’s first night, on August 20th, will host the symphonic versions of a selection of rock and pop classics, while the second night, August 21st, will see various film scores recorded at Abbey Road being performed live in all their epic glory. Speaking of Abbey Road’s 80th year, one of the studio’s most famous exponents, Sir Paul McCartney, has spoken of his Abbey Road memories and the Symphony At The Park concerts.
“I have so many special memories from there and it’s still such a great studio today. The Symphony At The Park concerts are a great way to celebrate a truly iconic symbol of British music,” he said. “I hope everyone has a fabulous time there and I wish Abbey Road all the best for another 80 rocking years.”
Tickets are on general sale now.
Source: www.live4ever.uk.com

Noel Gallagher: The Death Of You And Me - Behind The Scenes Of His Video

Sour Mash Records have posted a new video today that goes behind the scenes of the shoot for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' 'The Death Of You And Me'.
'The Making Of The Death Of You And Me' was shot on the set and features interviews with Noel and director Mike Bruce. Check out the video below.

'The Death Of You And Me' - the debut single from Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - is released through Noel's own Sour Mash Records label this Sunday 21st August on download and Monday 22nd on CD and 7". Pre-order your copy Here!
Each release comes with the exclusive, non-album track 'The Good Rebel' on the b-side which was put up to stream at Noel's YouTube channel last week by Sour Mash Records. Check it out HERE!.
The digital bundle also comes with the video for 'The Death Of You And Me'.
Pre-order your copy of the single now from Noel's official store HERE!

Source: www.noelgallagher.com

Miles Kane On Liam And Noel Gallagher

Taken from an interview with Miles Kane, read the full article here.
Kane moved in the same circle as Noel Gallagher, who agreed to do backing vocals on a track called My Fantasy.
Miles laughs at the memory: "When Noel finished recording he asked me, 'Is it alright?', I'm thinking, Noel Gallagher is asking me if his vocals are alright!"
And he supported Liam Gallagher's new band, Beady Eye, on a UK tour in March. "I was totally in awe of Liam," Miles admits.
"As I was waiting to go on stage, Liam walked out of his dressing room, and when he strutted in my direction it was like it was happening in slow motion.
"I didn't know if he was coming to me or someone behind me, but then he put out his arms and said, 'Come here!' and he gave me a big hug.Then he told me, 'I love your song, Come Closer,man. It's f**kin' amazing'. At every gig he watched me from the side of the stage and I'd be buzzin'.
"There was a lot of excitement around those Beady Eye gigs and I think if you like their music, you'll like mine."
Source: www.sundayworld.com

Gallery: Beady Eye At 'Summer Sonic' In Osaka

Click here for a number of pictures from Beady Eye's gig yesterday at the Summer Sonic Festival In Osaka, Japan.

Neil Lennon And The View Cover Oasis

Celtic boss Neil Lennon stunned guests at a top hotel by belting out Oasis hits in the early hours.
The Parkhead manager joined The View stars Kyle Falconer and Pete Reilly for the 4am singalong in Glasgow's Radisson Hotel.
But the fun was stopped when a killjoy member of staff confiscated their guitar.
The lads had been partying to celebrate the success of the Celtic v Manchester United Legends match. All of the big-hearted stars had helped raise £500,000 for charity in Tuesday night's game.
Lennon and Co were joined by actor Gerard Butler, Westlife star Nicky Byrne and telly host Patrick Kielty at the after-party. The celebs had all played at Parkhead.
One guest said: "The lads were all in high spirits and there was a brilliant party atmosphere.
"They were happy chatting away to fans who all wanted to talk about the game. All the players and the stars had given their time for free so they were entitled to let their hair down a bit.
"But the big surprise was Lenny's voice when he started singing with The View boys - it was sensational. He was belting out Cigarettes And Alcohol and then they started doing some View numbers.
Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk

On This Day In Oasis History...

The videos below are from August 14th 2008, when Oasis played at the Black Islands Studios in London in front of a small number of competition winners.

Beady Eye To Play Debut Gigs In Abu Dhabi And Rio De Janeiro

Beady Eye are pleased to announce they will be heading to the Persian Gulf for the first time to play in Abu Dhabi.
The gig will take place on Friday 16th September at the Flash Arena, Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates.
Tickets are on sale now through www.thinkflash.ae
Beady Eye have also confirmed they will play in Rio de Janeiro as part of their forthcoming South American tour. The band are set to play at the city's Circo Voador venue on Monday 7th November.
Tickets go on sale August 17th through www.ingressorapido.com.br
The gig in Rio will be the fifth confirmed for the band's tour of South America. The current itinerary for the tour is below:
Santiago, Theater Caupolican - 31st October
Montevideo, Teatro De Verano Ramon Collazo - 2nd November
Buenos Aires, Personal Festival - 4th November
Sao Paulo, Planata Terra - 5th November
Rio de Janeiro, Circo Voador - 7th November

Source: www.beadyeyemusic.com

Beady Eye Roll Into Osaka

Beady Eye will play at the Summer Sonic Festival in Osaka, Japan today (August 14th).
If you are going to the show, and you are able to scan your ticket or send in pictures email them to us @ scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will do my best to get them on the site.

Visit my Beady Eye fan site www.standingontheedgeofthenoise.com by clicking here.

On This Day In Oasis History...

Roll With It is a song by British rock band Oasis written by their lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was released 14 August 1995 as the second single from their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory ?, reaching #2 in the UK Singles Chart (see 1995 in British music).

"Roll With It" received a great deal of attention when Food Records, the label of Britpop rivals Blur, moved the original release date of single "Country House" to clash with it, sparking what came to be known as "The Battle of Britpop". The British media had already reported an intense rivalry between the two bands and this clash of releases was seen as a battle for the number one spot. The media sensation was spurred on by verbal attacks from the respective camps (in particular Noel and Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn and Alex James), that extended beyond the music industry to the point where the two bands were regularly mentioned on the evening news. In particular, public imagination was sparked by the contrast between the gritty, working class Oasis and the artsy, middle class Blur. In the end, Blur's "Country House" single sold 274,000 copies to Oasis' 216,000 copies of "Roll with It". The singles charted at number 1 and number 2 respectively.



















In the week of its release, Damon Albarn was asked what he thought of the song. He dubbed the band as "Quoasis" and sang "Down, down, deeper and down" in reference of the song's likeness to Status Quo's 1975 hit Down Down..

The song is like several other songs, such as "Supersonic", in that it preaches the importance of being yourself. Noel Gallagher does not like the song at all. In a 2005 interview he described it as "appalling".

The melody for this song also appears in part in The Lemonheads' song Purple Parallelogram, which was co-written between Gallagher and Evan Dando.


Top of the Pops Performance

When Oasis played "Roll With It" on British chart show Top of the Pops, the Gallagher brothers switched roles with Liam pretending to play guitar and Noel pretending to sing (equipped with Liam's tambourine). It mocked the public's inability to tell them apart and also the institution of miming on programmes such as Top of the Pops (it is widely believed that the brothers' dislike of miming led them to do it). The set ended with the band erupting in laughter at the Gallaghers' impressions of each other.

Artwork

The photograph used on this release was taken on the beach at Weston Super Mare. In the background is the Grand Pier which burnt down in July 2008.

Oasis had been following in the footsteps of The Beatles, who were photographed on the beach wearing Victorian bathing costumes in 1963.

Track listing
CD CRESCD 212
"Roll With It" - 4:00
"It's Better People" - 3:59
"Rockin' Chair" - 4:36
"Live Forever" (Live at Glastonbury '95) - 4:40
"Live Forever" was recorded live at the Glastonbury Festival on June 23, 1995.

7" CRE 212
"Roll With It" - 4:00
"It's Better People" - 3:59

12" CRE 212T
"Roll With It" - 4:00
"It's Better People" - 3:59
"Rockin' Chair" - 4:36

Cassette CRECS 212
"Roll With It" - 4:00
"It's Better People" - 3:59

Australian CD HES 662325-5
"Roll With It"
"Talk Tonight"
"Acquiesce"
"Headshrinker"
"Headshrinker" was a b-side of the band's previous UK single "Some Might Say" and was one of the last tracks to feature original Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll.

Setlist And Gallery: Beady Eye At Summer Sonic

The setlist from Beady Ey's apperance at the Summer Sonic Festival In Tokyo, Japan earlier today.
Four Letter Word
Beatles And Stones
Millionaire
The Roller
Bring The Light
Standing On The Edge Of The Noise
Kill For A Dream
The Beat Goes On
The Ring Circus
Man Of Misery
The Morning Son
Wigwam
Sons Of The Stage

Click here for a number of pictures from the gig.

On This Day In Oasis History...

Below are a few videos from August 13th 2005, when Oasis played at the Summersonic Festival in Osaka, Japan.

Beady Eye Roll Into Tokyo

Beady Eye will play at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan today (August 13th).

If you are going to the show, and you are able to scan your ticket or send in pictures email them to us @ scyhodotcom@gmail.com and I will do my best to get them on the site.

Visit my Beady Eye fan site www.standingontheedgeofthenoise.com by clicking here.

Steve Bowles Paints Liam & Noel Gallagher Again

Below UK artist Steve Bowles speed painting Liam and Noel Gallagher in acrylic on canvas.

Andy Bell Glad To Finally Bring Beady Eye To Japan

Andy Bell may be in Stockholm but his thoughts remain focused on Japan. The guitarist's new band, Beady Eye, consists of the former members of Oasis who were left standing following Noel Gallagher's acrimonious departure two years ago. The quartet were in the process of launching their fledgling outfit when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred.

"We'd been watching the news on tour while the earthquake and tsunami were happening," Bell recalls to The Japan Times, "and we knew we had a Japanese tour and we probably wouldn't be able to go. Japan is such a great place, we love playing there. Oasis went there a lot, about 10 times, and it wouldn't have felt right if we'd just canceled and given a refund on the tickets and forgotten about it."

Beady Eye's response, led by inimitable frontman Liam Gallagher, was to help in any manner possible. After performing at the Japan Disaster Benefit show at London Brixton O2 Academy on April 3, they released a download-only cover of The Beatles' "Across the Universe," donating the proceeds to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

"We wanted to make the gig as special as we could — it was all part of the same thing. It was a tune we'd talked about covering and it just seemed to fit the moment. It was all done around one hectic week. Our band loves the Japanese. We've really built up a love for the place. We love the people. We understand them and they understand us. We felt the earthquake ... it wasn't just something that was happening somewhere else in the world."

The goodwill is mutual. Beady Eye makes their Japanese debut this weekend at Summer Sonic with as much public interest as any overseas act performing, save the returning Red Hot Chili Peppers. "Different Gear, Still Speeding" is a factor, an album that, while in obvious thrall to the giants of rock history (The Rolling Stones, The Who and, predictably, The Beatles) contains fine, vibrant moments that would fit aptly into Oasis' back catalog.

If only attention was restricted to music. Inevitably, the fascination with the Gallagher brothers' relationship and its very public disintegration casts a shadow: Bell calls the brothers "an institution," and their hold on people's imagination remains.

After years of well-documented tantrums and bustups, Oasis finally imploded in August 2009. The split came just three days after the cancellation of a scheduled headline performance at England's V Festival due to Liam's laryngitis — a dressing room fight in Paris proved one sibling-spat too much. Noel quickly released a caustic statement bemoaning a "lack of support and understanding from my bandmates" regarding Liam's "verbal and violent intimidation," leaving Bell "angry, because we then knew exactly what he thought of us." The bad blood has lingered.

"There have been surprising aspects, yeah," Bell replies when asked how the baggage of Oasis affected starting anew. "The main shock for me has been people expected us to be so rubbish," he says, snorting out a laugh that barely contains his scorn. It's a perceptive call: the news that a Noel-less Oasis would soldier on without the man who wrote the songs that made them Britain's biggest band raised eyebrows in some quarters, outright derision in others. Why so, I ask. "Well, we know why," he says. Nudged to elaborate, he becomes slightly irate. "So, just because Noel leaves Oasis, everything the others do is bound to be absolute sh-t?! That was a real surprise. Y'know, it's Liam Gallagher, it's me, it's Gem Archer, it's Chris Sharrock — why would it be anything other than great? We were the band as well — Liam was the voice!"

Pushed further, Bell presents a hypothesis: Noel's manipulative skills with the press.

"Noel did all the press and it was always from his point of view," Bell claims, calmness returning to his tone. "He'd make personal opinions about the band members that were not good for the whole band; it was just what he thought. We never got a say. People had 10 years of Noel's opinions as if they were Oasis'. And that's where it's got us, where it's as if the only one to expect something decent from is Noel. Liam has got valid views. And now he gets to air them."

With impeccable timing, our conversation takes place just two days after Noel has announced his forthcoming solo plans at a well attended if faintly self-congratulatory London press conference, during which he accused Liam of feigning laryngitis and making unreasonable demands on Oasis in relation to his clothing range Pretty Green, claiming it was the catalyst for the fatal argument. Did Bell see the conference?

"Yeah, I did."

What did you think of it?

"Bollocks," he replies in a heartbeat. "He lied about a lot of things. The argument about Pretty Green was lies, what he said about V Festival and the fake laryngitis was lies ..." He suddenly holds back. "I don't know, maybe he's convinced that's the truth. I don't know what goes on in his head. I know him, so I'm not disappointed. That's what he's like. I know how he spins the press. He's used the press for years. Interviews and press are secondary for us, that's his life."

There were sections of the press conference where Noel was hardly complimentary towards Bell.

"That's just Noel being Noel," he says with an I'd-expect-nothing-less air. "All that sh-t ... there were three of us in that room, and I'm telling you it was nothing to do with Pretty Green. I'm not going to add more fuel to the fire. But I've ended up in a band with Liam, Gem, Chris, with the same management, road crew..." Bell trails off, but then perks up. "But at the same time, I wish him all the best. I want him to be happy."

It was in the immediate aftermath of the Paris split that Beady Eye was conceived in all but name. Having joined Oasis in 1999, replacing founding members Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, Bell (formerly of shoegaze pioneers Ride) and Archer were Oasis stalwarts and the kinship with Liam meant continuing as a creative unit was never in doubt. "We drove back to the hotel, had a few beers, sat together and said there's nothing to keep us from playing together. We agreed it wouldn't be the end just because Noel left." Could Oasis have survived, in any guise? "That's not for me to think about. I'm not into looking back," Bell says.

Unable "to stand still," they began to demo tracks within a week of their return to England. With songs blossoming, it was announced in March 2010 that Steve Lillywhite would produce the newly named Beady Eye, the dawning realization of their undertaking the only obstacle.

"After the album was done, we did have a moment to catch our breath and say, 'We're in at the deep end here. Are people gonna like it?' We were in at that point. As soon as we walked on stage at our first gig in Glasgow, I just felt huge relief and excitement and I knew it was gonna be alright. No-one turned up in Oasis T-shirts, no-one shouted for Oasis tunes, there were people singing along to Beady Eye tunes because they liked them."

The shows, at theater venues a fraction of the size Oasis long became accustomed to ("we knew that it was absolutely not going to be on that level") have been resounding triumphs: primitive, direct and ear-splittingly loud — "the natural result when us lot get on stage" — it showcased a band comfortable with their circumstances.

Liam particularly, I suggest, seems more engaged with these songs than in some time.

"Liam connects completely in these songs. From day one, it was all about Liam's voice. We put the voice down, but not over a wall of sound, he was the wall of sound. We built it around him. He was the blueprint. He's so plugged in."

It also appears with tumultuous highs and recriminating lows a thing of the past, without big brother watching over, Liam — and Beady Eye as a collective — couldn't be more contented.

"He seems happy, we're all happy," Bell says. "I mean, we were happy in Oasis mostly. I had 10 great years. But we're playing great and we're getting on better than ever. Beady Eye is a band enjoying being together and playing rock 'n' roll."

Beady Eye plays the Marine Stage at the Chiba leg of Summer Sonic on Aug. 13, and the Ocean Stage at the Osaka leg of the festival on Aug. 14. For details, visit www.summersonic.com. Beady Eye plays Zepp Tokyo on Sept. 5, 11 and 12 ([03] 3444-6751); Zepp Nagoya on Sept. 6 ([052] 936-6041); and Zepp Osaka on Sept. 8 ([06] 6535-5569). For more information, visit www.zepp.co.jp or www.beadyeyemusic.com.

Source: japantimes.co.jp

Noel Gallagher Wants More Prisons After Brother's Shop Looted

Noel Gallagher has called for more prisons to be built following the UK riots.

The 44-year-old rocker blames "brutal TV and videogames" for the outbreaking of violence and destruction that swept several major cities since the weekend, and thinks there are currently no punishment strong enough to deter young people from criminal behaviour.

He said: "I can't understand where their energy for these riots is coming from. We live in this age of violence - and I don't care what other people say: Brutal TV and brutal video games are a reason for this pointless violence as well. The people are immune to violence, they are used to it. And if they get caught they aren't punished the right way. The prisons are already full? Then build new ones!

"It's crazy! It's just violence for the sake of violence. The people who are at these riots aren't poor. These are kids with f***ing mobile phones and all sorts of shit. The police and government have to take drastic measures."

The former Oasis star - whose brother Liam's Pretty Green store in Manchester was attacked during one rampage - criticised the stupidity of those involved in the disturbances for destroying their own communities.

He added: "These idiots destroy their own communities. In six weeks, when everything is forgotten, they will look stupid and realise that the houses are still destroyed, burned down or whatever. These people aren't demanding anything, they have no goals. They just destroy their own s**t. How stupid can you be?"

Gallagher also condemned the "f***ing idiots" involved in the riots - which were sparked following the shooting of Mark Duggan by London police last week - for their "pointless" actions, insisting there were no valid reasons behind their actions.

He said: "There aren't any reasons! There's a guy who gets shot - a gangster if I may add that, who had a gun. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword! Then suddenly there are riots everywhere. There is no reason for that. It's just pointless violence of f***ing idiots. When it rains no one is rioting! And you can always rely on rain in London - except for now when we would need it."

Source: tvnz.co.nz