Liam Gallagher On Ed Sheeran

It seems that Liam Gallagher well and truly is mellowing with age, as the Oasis man's recent comments about Ed Sheeran have proven.

There was once a time that Gallagher would have ripped an artist like Sheeran to pieces, but he spoken very complimentarily of him in a recent interview - not only saying that he wasn't as good a writer as Sheeran, put placing him in the same category as a musical legend.

He told Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show: "He is talented. I don’t know much about him but he is talented."

He also mentioned how he did not see himself as the same kind of musician (no kidding) as Sheeran, saying: “I don’t see myself as a writer, I see myself as a singer first. I’m still learning. When I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror I just see a rock n roll singer with a dash of punk, and loads of charm. I don’t see myself as an Ed Sheeran or a Bob Dylan.”

Gallagher worked with Snow Patrol's Jonny McDaid - who has also co-written for Sheeran - on his forthcoming debut album. Next stop, collaboration?

Source: entertainment.ie

Another Oasis Exhibition Opens In Manchester

Missed Chasing the Sun at Old Granada Studios? Fans now have another chance to see photographer Jill Furmanovsky's work with the Manchester band.

A new Oasis exhibition opens in Manchester tomorrow, following on from last month’s Chasing the Sun retrospective at Old Granada Studios.


Acclaimed music photographer Jill Furmanovsky, who spent years on the road with the band and whose work featured in the band’s official exhibition in October , will be showcasing more of her pictures at the city’s Central Library.

Her show, DNA Oasis, includes striking portraits of the Gallagher brothers as well as early live images and candid behind-the-scenes shots - some of which have never been on show before.

“Noel and Liam were OK with being photographed, but they had short attention spans”, said Jill.

“They didn’t want to hang around for hours, which suited me as a photo-journalist. I work quickly. Maybe that’s why they liked me.

“I look at some of the photos now and remember what moods they were really in - but somehow, I usually managed to persuade them to pose for me.

“I had the sense that Noel thought it was important to document everything that was going on at that time – it was all happening so incredibly fast.”

Jill, who made her name in the 70s and 80s shooting legends including Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, took her first pictures of Oasis at a gig in Cambridge in 1994, the year Definitely Maybe was released.

She went on to become their unofficial tour photographer, charting their rise to career-defining shows such as Maine Road, Knebworth and beyond, right up until their split in 2009.

“Oasis had been signed the year before”, Jill said. “At the time, I was putting together a book of my work, The Moment, which started with an image of Paul McCartney from his time with The Beatles. I wanted an up-and-coming group to bookend the collection and they seemed to fit.

“Once I’d photographed them, I thought that was the end of my rock-and-roll years. But then Noel asked me to go on tour with them - and I was still working with them years later.”

The exhibition has already been paid a visit by The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who is pictured in the studio with Oasis in one of Jill’s photographs.

“I have many images of other great Manchester artists, including Morrissey and The Buzzcocks - so I would love to come back to Central Library in future with a DNA Manchester exhibition”, she added.

DNA Oasis opens tomorrow, November 2, and runs until January 28, 2017, in the library’s first floor exhibition hall. Entry is free.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Noel Gallagher's 'Chasing Yesterday' Tops List Of Amazon's Best Selling Albums Of 2015

Noel Gallagher's new album 'Chasing Yesterday' is Amazon's best selling album of the year so far.

The statistics, which show a snapshot of the first three months of the year (January to March), place Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds ahead of albums by Bob Dylan and Madonna. 'Chasing Yesterday' was named the year's fastest selling album upon its release in March.

Other albums selling well for the online retailer so far in 2015 include releases by Meghan Trainor and Mark Ronson while James Bay's debut album 'Chaos and The Calm' features highly despite only being released in late March.

Scroll down to see the full rundown of the ten best selling albums.

"From Madonna through to Led Zeppelin, 2015 has already seen some high profile album launches," Steve Bernstein, Director of Amazon EU Digital Music said. "With the likes of Blur, Muse and Mumford and Sons set to release albums in the coming months we’re heading into a great summer for music lovers, competition for 2015’s biggest album is only set to intensify."

Amazon's top-selling albums so far are listed below:

1. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – 'Chasing Yesterday'
2. Bob Dylan – 'Shadows In The Night'
3. Madonna – 'Rebel Heart'
4. Meghan Trainor – 'Title'
5. Mark Ronson – 'Uptown Special'
6. Mark Knopfler – 'Tracker'
7. Fall Out Boy – 'American Beauty/American Psycho'
8. James Bay – 'Chaos and The Calm'
9. Led Zeppelin – 'Physical Graffiti'
10. Imagine Dragons – 'Smoke + Mirrors'

Source: www.nme.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Noel Gallagher Wants To Be Neil Young When He Grows Up

Now live on Spotify is an exclusive Spotify Radio Show Playlist from Noel Gallagher, who chats about some of his favourite songs, in advance of the release of High Flying Birds' new album Chasing Yesterday, which will be available on Spotify upon its release on Monday.

Below are the tracks he chose and key quotes from the interview.

1: Pinball - Brian Prothero
2: Coup (12" version) - 23 Skidoo.
3: My Spine Is The Bass Line(12" version) -Shriek Back.
4: Flight 2 - Angelou and 18
5: Moody (Spaced Out) - ESG.
6: Colt - Dense & Pika
7: Calm Down- Ill Most Wanted.
8: Say No Go (Say No Dope Mix) - De La Soul.
9: Somebody Made For Me - Emmit Rhodes.
10: Lunatics Lament - Kevin Ayers.
11: Inside Looking Out - The Animals.
12: Gloria -Van Morrison.
13: The Colour Field - The Colourfield.
14: Treason - The Teardrop Explodes.
15: Wigwam - Bob Dylan.

On the most impressive person he has ever met...

"My wife. My mum is a staggering individual. McCartney because he's McCartney and he's still a dude. There's no such thing as The Greatest, but David Bowie would be way up there. Neil Young, he's just a fucking dude. I want to be Neil Young when I grow up - that's what I want to be. John Lydon is initially intimidating, but really he just wants a cuddle and for you to tell him you love him. Weller is a genius. Johnny Marr is a genius. Morrissey is fucking devastatingly cutting and funny and he's not got a good word to say about anyone or anything and I love him for that. He's misunderstood for sure."

On his kids.. 'I don't want my fucking kids talking like Ali G, I'd like them to get on in life.'

On his life... "A champagne cork popping and the Pogues' track Fiesta - that's the sound of my social life.

On his opinions... 'my opinion is not wrong or right - it's just an opinion.'

You can listen to the full radio show here.

Noel Gallagher's forthcoming High Flying Birds album Chasing Yesterday will be available on Spotify upon its release on Monday 2nd March.

Source: www.music-news.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Noel Gallagher On Being A Frontman And Playing With U2, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Coldplay And More

Taken from a interview with Dutch magazine 'OOR' that is on sale now, thanks to General Dread for the translation.

If you live outside the Netherlands you can buy the magazine from here.

Interviewer: Frontman or second fiddle?

Noel: Second man. All day. When the first High Flying Bird record was released, it was the first thing I was anxious of: me, in the spotlights, the one person that carries all the weight. Playing guitar all night, it’s all I know. Singing the whole night: that's pushing it. But standing in the spotlight that’s not where I feel comfortable. I knew that back then I know it now. I eased my mind by thinking, oh well, we’ll play some theatres and maybe some bigger venues, that will be manageable. But no, the thing grew and grew and in the end I was playing in a full 02 arena. Totally unexpected. Great of course that the tunes we’re liked, but it was never my intention. It’s the only thing that I'm not looking forward to now that I’ll be starting with chapter two: I know how big it could get and I just like being in the centre of the stage. I dare to say that I've grown accustomed to it, I know exactly what to do. But if it was an option I’d put a step to the side right now for a great frontman.

Interviewer: Name a frontman with who you’d feel comfortable?

Noel: Bono, U2. They already have The Edge but I wouldn't have a problem with playing second guitar for them. I’d fit right in. As long as you don’t pass him by. And there are others: David Bowie, even though he works so little that I wouldn't make anything of it. Neil Young, if a positions frees up in Crazy Horse he should call me. Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney. You know, I’d even dare to say Coldplay if I’d only have to play guitar.

Interviewer: Sometimes solutions are closer than you’d think…

Noel: From your view maybe. I see it more likely that I’d play with Coldplay or U2 then any other comparable band.

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Watch Noel Gallagher In 'When Albums Ruled The World'

When Albums Ruled The World

Documentary showing how the long-playing album changed popular music for ever between the mid 1960s and the late 1970s by allowing artists to express themselves as never before.

The magic of the long-playing vinyl album is lovingly profiled as we make tracks back to its golden age, from the mid-1960s through the 1970s. Packaged in sleeves that were art in themselves, the LP was a playground for musicians to think outside the grooves and helped shape the soundtrack of a generation, which produced Bob Dylan, The Doors and The Beatles. Noel Gallagher and Mike Oldfield are among those singing the LP’s praises.

Click here to watch it (UK Only).

Help Pick The Ultimate Noel Gallagher Playlist

This week the 6 Music Breakfast Show have been honoring some of the biggest and most influential names in music. Keith Richards and Johnny Marr have already been in chatting to Shaun during Legends Week, and Chris Cornell will be in tomorrow – but on Now Playing this Sunday we want you to help us build a show around today’s guest, Noel Gallagher.

Without doubt he’s one of the most influential artists of his generation. He helped Oasis establish themselves as poster boys of Brit Pop in the 1990s, while their success continued well into the new Millennium until their acrimonious split in 2009, which set the path in motion for Noel to form the High Flying Birds.

With controversy, spats and sibling rivalries throughout his career he is unquestionably a rock and roll star, and will forevermore be regarded in the highest esteem thanks to his songwriting, musical talent and distinctive voice.

So accept our challenge and help us pick the Ultimate Noel Gallagher Playlist and make it something reflective of his status as a living legend. You could go for:
* Your favorite Oasis hit, B-side or rarity
* Something he’s made by himself as part of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
* Tracks from people he’s collaborated with be it The Chemical Brothers, Paul Weller, Goldie or even Ricky Gervais
* One of his many influences - The Smiths to The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Stone Roses
* Or one of the bands he’s inspired like Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Lilly Allen and The Cribs

For more details click here.

Noel Gallagher On Oasis, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, David Bowie And More

During 18 years as the guitarist, primary songwriter and sometime vocalist for Oasis, Noel Gallagher became one of the biggest rock icons of his era. His sales and chart statistics were downright gaudy: 23 UK Top 10 singles, seven UK No. 1 albums, concert audiences as large as 125,000 a night, and album sales of over 70 million.

But as anyone who followed the music press knew, the group's alliance of Noel and his younger brother Liam was a fractious and temperamental one from day one. (For context, this YouTube of a legendary NSFW Oasis interview sums it up.) In 2009, just days before the end of an Oasis world tour, Mr. Gallagher and his brother fought one time too many. Noel left the venue, and the band was done.

"My whole attitude toward songs like that is that if you're going to fucking say it, say it. Don't piss around pretending it's a song about a tree when it's really about sex. And I'm talking about Radiohead here." - Noel Gallagher

After nearly two years of quiet, Gallagher re-emerged with a solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, last fall. The record showed that Noel's still got quite a knack for a melody, and drew mostly critical raves and strong sales worldwide, turning a few months of touring into over a year of travel.

The tour concludes this week with three stops in Texas before a friends and family gig in London, after which Gallagher claims we'll not see him for a while.

CultureMap recently called Gallagher at his Chicago hotel to discuss his solo debut, the Internet, David Bowie and this week's U.S. elections.

CultureMap: It's a strange couple of weeks for you to be in America with the elections and the hurricane. Are you having some interesting conversations on the road? 

Noel Gallagher: Yeah, I think this is my third election in a row that I've been in America. I am actually planning on applying for a vote next time since I spend enough fucking time here. I find the whole thing fascinating, American politics is fascinating. It's so confusing and bizarre. I like to watch it play out. But I don't begin to understand it.

But for instance, last night I was watching. You can watch Fox News on one channel and it gives you the exact opposite view of CNN on the other, but using the same figures. And it's insane how it's even legal to do that stuff. You can't do that in England, you know what I mean?

CM: I think for a long time in the U.S., media was supposed to be neutral, but then the UK have always kind of had Rupert Murdoch on one side and The Guardian on the other, and everybody knew their points of view. Now we have more of that here.

NG: Yeah, but the TV station itself — that should be neutral! You can voice any opinion, but the anchor of the program should be neutral. You watch Fox News… I can say it's fucking insane. Fox News is insane.

And then you watch CNBC or something, and they are using the same stories and the same figures but with completely different [results] — they interpret them completely differently, and I mean it's fascinating to watch as somebody from another country. I love it here, I've got to say, I think it's fucking great, but it's very confusing. Who is going to win?

CM: I think Obama is going to win, but I think it's incredibly close, and I think we are all going to stay up half the night to see. 

NG: Yeah, I'll be on a tour bus somewhere, but I think I'm definitely going to stay up. It's exciting to be here. Because British politics is very sedate and a bit more subtle and only goes on for two weeks. This has been going on for the last fucking year, hasn't it?

CM: Absolutely. Another difference: There's not as much religion in British politics today, in my experience. 

NG: Yeah, and there is an insane fight over the women's vote. The [media] seem to have categorized it, they've herded all women into a group now, like some minority group, and they're [acting like] they are all gonna vote as a group, and they are talking about abortions and birth planning and all that. I don't know. It makes you think it's kind of an archaic way of thinking about women.

I think it's just so far removed from what we are used to in the UK... like all women in America are gonna get together and kind of block vote on one particular issue is ludicrous, isn't it?

CM: I know you have a daughter and I do too, so it's strange to watch all of this play out.

NG: I've seen on Fox news two guys debating what Jesus would say if he walked into a family planning clinic.

CM: Amazing.

NG: I was watching it, with my mouth open going, "What did they just say there?" What would Jesus say? One of them was saying, "Well, I think he'd reconvert them to Christianity because obviously they are not Christian if they are in a birth planning clinic." Another guy was saying he'd give out free condoms, and I was like: "Fuck me."

CM: You grew up in a Catholic family, if I'm remembering correctly. 

NG: That's correct.

CM: Does it ever strike you — were things ever this extreme when you were growing up in Manchester? 

NG: I was thinking about that this morning, but I don't know whether in England… it's the same, but it's slightly more subtle. I mean, the message was the same, but you don't really notice that you are receiving it. I mean, America is very in your face. I've gotta say, religion isn't as massive an issue when it comes to the election. Religion isn't a massive issue in the UK anyway, you know what I mean?

I don't think many people 'do' religion any more. There's not so many where there's a serious obsession with it. The people who are into it in America are obsessed by it and they're obsessed about what the religious right think and what rights they have and all that kind of thing. I guess that's the same with any extremists, you know? There are Christian extremists and Catholic ones, all of that is fuckin' as mad as Muslim extremists, you know what I mean?

CM: It's crazy. I think we all may have too much information. It's too easy to get angry with people that are different than you.

NG: Well yeah! I mean, of course! I don't think it's any coincidence that all the wrongs of the world have coincided with the birth of the Internet, you know what I mean?

CM: I wanted to ask you about that. I lived in London in 1995 when the second Oasis record came out, and I remember the joy of walking down to HMV when you put out a new single because I wanted to see what B-sides you'd thrown on it. And, you know, nobody knew. You'd go and you'd take it home and listen. Do you feel like some of that record store magic or some of that attentive music listening that we both grew up with is gone now? 

NG: Yeah, of course. And the software was invented by people that didn't go to record shops. You got some guys in fucking Seattle or wherever these guys with bald heads and glasses sit, they're thinking: "I don't want to fucking go to record stores, I want the record stores to come to me." The Internet, for all the great things it has given us, because people are connected all around the world — it has destroyed magic. It's destroyed word of mouth.

You know, particularly in the music industry, before a record is out, an opinion is formed. It's destroyed the ability of people to think for themselves. Like you, we were in London in 1995, and the single was out on that day, and you didn't even know what it sounded like unless you caught it on the radio. But there was no forum to tell you. It wasn't pre-leaked. There wasn't a free download before.

You went and you took it home and you formed your own opinion. You probably didn't have a mobile phone in 1995. So the next time you would talk about it is when you actually met somebody down the pub or something and said, "Fucking hell, have you heard that track 'Listen Up' on the B-side?" There would be no "I'll press the little wheel on the computer and go, um, it's alright." You know.

CM: What do you think that means for young musicians now? I know you're a fan of Jake Bugg and have brought him out on the road with you. What does it mean to someone like that, who is good but is living in a different world than you did? 

NG: Well, he's growing up with it. He's fully immersed in the machine now as it is, you know? For the likes of me and every artist from the '90s, we had to make the transition. So it was difficult. Young acts now, they're kinda brought up in the machine, so they don't know any different. I was talking with him the other night, and he was saying that it was mind blowing to him that [Oasis] sold 700,000 albums in three days in England. And you wouldn't even sell that now with people on their computers.

He said, "How would you manage to shift all those people down to the record shop?" Well, it's just magic, you know. I mean, that kind of magic is gone now. You know, music has now become... I don't think it's a force now. I mean there's still nerds who believe in it, like me and you and other people. And that's who you make music for.

But, you know, now people will have bought my album and put it on a blank CD to listen to it at a dinner party and just chuck it away like it is worth nothing to them. You know what I mean? 'Cause it's just a piece of plastic.

CM: I get the feeling that not many people are going to get rich making music anymore. That it's becoming more of a working class gig where you live in the bus or the van and that's how you earn a living.

NG: Well, absolutely. Trust me on this: The days of Led Zeppelin and David Bowie and fucking Marc Bolan and all that — they're all gone. Those flamboyant rock stars flying around in fucking jets. There won't be another Rolling Stones, there won't be another David Bowie, that's for sure. Because the industry doesn't want that. They don't want a guy like David Bowie completely murdering Ziggy Stardust to go off and become another character.

They would want Ziggy Stardust for the rest of his fucking life, you know. But it serves the industry right, I think. You know what I mean? Because for starters, they overcharged for music in the first place. So there was a quest by young people to get music for what they felt was the right price. And in the end, they're getting it for free now. So it serves the industry right.

CM: Were you surprised that Oasis actually lasted as long as it did? That it took until 2009 to wind down and you to leave? 

NG: Yeah. I mean, we tried. You know, to our credit, we tried to keep it going for as long as possible. We were never... with all the various members of the band, it was kinda fractious, and there were cliques, and it was never quite a happy ship at any point in the 18 years.

But to our credit, all of us, we all tried to keep it going for as long as possible. And then there just came a point for me, where I just thought, "This is never gonna change. And it's time for a change." But I think we did pretty fucking good, you know. I've got to say, I think we did pretty good.

CM: When you left Oasis, you laid low for a solid year-and-a-half or so. What do you do with your time off? 

NG: Well, I got married, I had another baby. I moved house.

CM: That pretty much takes care of it. 

NG: It's just life, you know what I mean? I'm not really driven as an artist. I don't get back after a tour and sit down and think like, "What's my next project?" I just think, right, let's go back to being a regular fucking guy for a while. Because I like sitting around the house, you know what I mean? And I don't really ever wanna overdo it, because I don't want to have contempt for my job, so to speak.

So the guys in my band now, well, they're not in my band, they're just guys that play with me on the road. They're kind of fishing for what's gonna be there in the next couple of years. I've got to say, "Don't fucking hang around waiting for me," because I could conceivably not make a record for the next five years. I just do things when I feel like it, and I might not feel like it for a few years, and that's great. And I don't really believe in saying anything unless you've got something to say. And at the moment, I've got nothing to say. You know, in regards to doing a new record.

CM: I read something by George Harrison once, where he said that money doesn't buy you happiness, but it does buy you options. It gives you the ability to take some time away and just do whatever you want. 

NG: Absolutely. What I did at the end of the Oasis thing, my first thought was I knew exactly what I was gonna do. And that was doing nothing. And then I was going to wait for the call from somewhere. That call might be that two songs might come in a row that excite you and you think, now I've got an album. And I wait for that kind of call.

So one night I went to bed, and I wasn't thinking of music, I wasn't that bothered. I'd just moved house, it was all fucking great and lovely, and my son was growing up. Then the next morning I got up and I was having breakfast and I thought, I'm gonna book a studio. And I don't know why. So I wait for that call. And whenever that'll come will be whenever it will be.

CM: There were always rumors during Oasis' earlier days that you would squirrel away songs and save them for later. A couple of things that had been kicking around for a long time made it on to this record. Any reason that you chose those two songs? Because I'm sure there are more. 

NG: You mean "Record Machine" and "Stop The Clocks"? I just thought they were great songs and I thought…if I don't put them out now, there's no point in putting them out. Those two songs are kind of the bookend of the Oasis story, really. I mean the bottom line is I thought they were great songs. I've got to say, I do tend to write — I'm either in two stages of writing. I'm either writing lots of songs or I'm writing none.

I don't really keep it ticking over. I haven't written anything for months now. But before that, I wrote a lot of songs. So I do always have a backlog. And every record that I make is never really quite representative of where I am at that moment, because I have got such a backlog of songs from over the years. That is what I do. That's my style.

CM: Where are you today musically? What are you listening to or influenced by?

NG: I have become heavily obsessed with David Bowie again. Don't know why.

CM: That's a crazy catalog to get into. You can kind of dig deep and get lost.

NG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. On the road, I've been listening to him regularly. I always thought he was great, but I never really thought he was as great as I think he is now. I think he is up there with John Lennon and fucking Bob Dylan and those guys.

His recorded output is fucking phenomenal. But every single style of music that he attempted, whether it be pop in the '60s and this glam rock thing in the '70s and the avant-garde electronic music in the late '70s and then, like, electro-pop in the '80s. All fucking truly amazing. And it's beginning to blow me away, so I've been listening to it lots recently.

CM: When I lived in New York, I was able to see him a couple of times, and it was really good. It makes me sad that he's walked away from live performance. 

NG: Yeah. I think he's been ill. There was a picture of him in the UK papers a few months back. I guess if you're David Bowie and you're gonna get up on the stage, people are expecting you to be fucking brilliant, you know what I mean? And if you can't give it a hundred percent and be the David Bowie that everybody expects, then I guess there's no point in doing it. I would hate to go and see David Bowie and just be like, "Wow, I'm so disappointed."

CM: Speaking of which, there have been so many reunions of classic, beloved bands as of late. Have you gone to see, say, The Stone Roses or Led Zeppelin or any of the bands you really like that have done that?

NG: I did see Led Zeppelin and I did see The Stone Roses, yeah. I've seen them both.

CM: How did you think it turned out in either case? 

NG: Well, you know, the Zeppelin thing was a one-off gig and it was great. It wasn't John Bonham who was there, so obviously it wasn't really Led Zeppelin. But that was great. It was an event, that moment. The Stone Roses thing —  I've seen them five times and I've seen them do two truly great shows. They're friends of mine, and I think it's turned out good for them, you know what I mean.

CM: Yeah. It didn't end so well the first time, so that may have been more about fence mending. 

NG: Well, I guess, and it's a financial thing. I don't think they made much money the first time around, and who doesn't wanna make a few fucking million dollars, you know? But The Stone Roses are playing now, and actually, I wouldn't go to see them again, you know what I mean.

CM: Yeah. I don't think we'll see Led Zeppelin again. Robert Plant's actually been living here in Austin. We've been seeing him around at the coffee shops.

NG: You know, I've been hoping I might bump into him in the pharmacy somewhere.

CM: On your tour set list, you have about a half dozen Oasis songs sprinkled in among your solo record. You probably have a hundred Oasis tunes. How do you actually decide what 25 minutes of Oasis you're gonna put in there? 

NG: I've gotta say, it's fucking difficult. I've had over 15 months now of people shouting out Oasis songs, not one of which is on the set list. First and foremost, I put together what I wanted to do of my new stuff and that amounted to about 45 minutes. So we're just filing it out, really, but I don't expect to do any more than half a dozen next time. But I guess it's just what feels right at the time.

I guess people are always gonna expect to hear "Don't Look Back In Anger," so that's kind of a given. But, I like the more obscure stuff that I did. They were always hidden away on B-sides, because Liam couldn't sing them or wouldn't sing them, and they should've been album tracks. A lot of them would've been great Oasis songs if only the singer could be arsed. They are about to take a new lease on life, I think.

CM: To end in the present, on the new record, "If I Had A Gun" may be one of the best songs you've ever written. It feels pretty direct compared to some of the other ballads you've done. Is there a good origin story for that song? 

NG: When I put together a set of chords and a melody and it lends itself to being a romantic song, I always go back to the first night that I met my wife. She was then my girlfriend, you know, and she's since become my wife. And so I remember what that felt like. And what those first few weeks felt like. You know what I mean?

CM: Absolutely. 

NG: And then try and make it as believable as possible. And just really, if you're gonna write a love song, write it from the heart. And write it about someone you actually love. I'm not going to mention her name, because people don't know her, but I make it as universal as possible. My whole attitude toward songs like that is that if you're going to fucking say it, say it. Don't piss around pretending it's a song about a tree when it's really about sex. And I'm talking about Radiohead here.

Source: www.culturemap.com

No Means No: Noel Gallagher Will Never, Ever Revisit Oasis

My first post-Oasis earful came last year from Liam Gallagher as he toured Beady Eye, a band comprised of three-fourths of Oasis minus singer Liam’s guitarist brother Noel.

After 18 years together in Oasis, the Gallagher brothers had topped the charts (“Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova”) and altered the course of rock and roll. But they were 18 contentious years. The Gallaghers fought constantly, and at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 another backstage dust-up turned out to be their last. Noel stormed out. Oasis was over.

Inevitable solo projects followed. Liam and the others came and went as Beady Eye. “We’re not lacking anything,” he assured me. (Except a hit.)

Noel, now 45, stalled a while, then produced a solo album and now a lengthy tour under the moniker Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The latter debut went platinum in England but hasn’t fared as well in the States.

Which may explain why Gallagher — once one of the biggest rock stars in the world — this weekend not only shares a double bill with the middling band Snow Patrol, but shares it at a casino in Chicago’s hinterlands.

The second earful — much funnier, by the way — came from Noel a few weeks ago. Adding to our conversation, a curious headline had appeared days earlier in the British music mag NME: “Liam Gallagher ‘would reform Oasis tomorrow.’ ” The article claimed everybody wanted the reunion and only Noel stood in its way.

Judging by Noel’s quip-tastic banter, fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Question: You were the guitarist in Oasis, not often up front at the mike. What have you learned about becoming a front man?

Noel Gallagher: You know the [Maroon 5] song “Moves Like Jagger”? I don’t have them. I have moves like Wyman. I didn’t know what to expect when I first stepped up front. I thought, well, this’ll be weird for people. I haven’t really learned anything, but it’s reinforced my belief that what I always thought is true: It’s all about the songs. The songs are the show. Groups are about the razzmatazz, but when you go see a solo artist like Neil Young or Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney or Bowie or me, you know, you’re there to hear the songs. If you do that, that’s it. Unless, you know, you’re Madonna or Lady Gaga, but who gives a f--- about that? You don’t go to see Neil Young dance.

Q. I’ve heard you talk about Oasis naturally falling into what you call “the trap of stadium rock.” Why is that inevitable at a certain level?

NG: You get to the point of selling out stadiums, and that’s how your success is measured, subconsciously by you and everybody else. So you want to stay there, you know what I mean? People come to see you in stadiums, they want stadium rock. There’s nowhere left for you to go. So you’re expected to try and keep that going. It’s f-----g amazing, amazing, but don’t tell me the next Green Day album sounds different than the last three, not that anybody gives a f---. It was the same with Oasis. You start a rock band and the goal is to play stadiums. You get there, and you’re stuck there. Any movement from that point is considered a failure. You don’t get to say, “We need to f--- this off and go back to playing clubs,” because you just can’t. It’s a trap — an enjoyable one, but it puts an unnecessary ceiling on creativity.

Q. I interviewed Liam last year, and I asked him what the backstage fight in 2009 was about. He said, “You’d have to ask Noel.” So I’m asking: What was it about?

NG: Let’s see if I can recall. He’d not turned up for the previous gig, [the V Festival] in England. He caught a lot of flak in the press over it — we all did, but he got most of it. He’s a little bit like Hitler, Liam. Hitler thought there was a world conspiracy against the Germans, and Liam thinks there’s a world conspiracy against him, perpetrated by me through the press.

Q. But you and Liam fought all the time. What made that fight the clincher for the band?

NG: It was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. What makes an alcoholic give up drink after years of drinking? Going to the festival site that day, I had no intention of leaving the group. I was thinking about the next Oasis record. But after that, you know, I said f--- this. I didn’t particularly want to go solo. But I just said f--- it. That’s it, f--- it. A healthy dose of f--- it every now and then is good. It forces you into things you maybe should have done in the first place. Was it that bad? No. Had there been worse fights? Yeah.

Q. Have there been any moments of regret?

NG: No, and I don’t mean that in a callous way. But, no. There was a huge fracas in the dressing room, sh-- was smashed up. I went and sat in my car outside. The driver had the engine running. A big scene was going on inside. I sat there for what must have been a minute or two, but it felt like a lifetime. In that space of time, everything that had happened and was going to happen was flashing before my eyes. I made the decision. If I told the driver to drive, then it was finished. All the people in the field will go on. It’ll cost us millions. Or I could sit here, calm down, and do the gig. It’ll be f-----g awful. Again, I thought, f--- it, and I said, “Drive.”

Q. You may not think about it, but Liam might. You saw the recent NME story?

NG: Yeah, well, unfortunately in the two years after I left the band, everyone else’s tune was very different. They were quite bullish about it. All the people in Beady Eye were saying, “Oasis ran its course, we’re glad we’re out of it, we’re more creative now.” OK, fine, if that’s the way they feel. But don’t come to me in three years when your sh-- has well and truly gone down the toilet. I’ve seen Liam, Gem [Archer] and Chris [Shamrock] since then, and when I’ve seen them [the idea of a reunion] has never been mentioned.

Q. Is anyone besides journalists like me asking you about this?

NG: Nobody gives a sh--. I do realize that the only way to get people to stop asking me about it is to do it. But I’m stubborn. If it’s the last thing I do, I won’t do it. To re-form it, how could it be as good? People say they want it to happen because they’re younger and they missed us. Tough sh--. I’ve never seen the Sex Pistols or the Beatles. I still haven’t seen Bob Dylan, thank God.

Q. So what’s your future look like then?

NG: I’m going to try and fake my own retirement and see how it goes. I’ve tried disappearing, but I’ve got too big a nose to disappear, really. I always get recognized, even if I dress like an Eskimo. I’m not going to do anything. Watch a lot of TV. What I might do is hope against hope that that guy beats Obama in the election.

Q. Beg pardon?

NG: We don’t get enough laughs out of Obama. We liked George Bush. He was funny as f---. The comedy value would be great with Romney. Not for you guys, though.

Source: www.suntimes.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds have released International Magic Live At The O2 DVD through Sour Mash Records.

They are currently playing the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg.

For details on the above and more click here.

Noel Gallagher On Oasis David Bowie, The Hillsborough Disaster And More

The older Gallagher hasn't been known to mince words even as a young guitarist and chief songwriter for Oasis, who burst out of Manchester and flipped the world over with the now classic album Definitely Maybe in 1994.

Oasis was never expected to "live forever", and it was a blessing it lasted as long as it did. From the beginning, the band had always been rocked by tumultuous relationships between members, line-up changes and inter-band feuds. The most unstable aspect _ one fans suspected could break the band up at any minute _ was be the everlasting rift between Noel Gallagher and his younger brother Liam.

The band's split finally came roughly two years ago, much to fans' chagrin but not surprise. Now Noel busies himself with his solo career, under the guise of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, while Liam has gone on to form Beady Eye with two other former members of Oasis. Reportedly, the brothers are still not on speaking terms.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds was in Bangkok last Thursday as a part of his Asian tour for the self-titled debut album.

As part of a Britpop royal family, Gallagher is known for many things especially his signature snappy retorts. As a round-table selection of journalists waited for him, the slight fear among the group was permeated by mutual excitement. But to much relief, Gallagher breezed in without fuss, shook hands with everyone and answered each question with moderate enthusiasm.

Slightly shorter and sunnier than expected, Gallagher has aged well in comparison to his peers. At 45, he manages to keep the boyish, roughish charm that he's been associated with for over two decades as well as the blunt manner in which he chooses to voice his opinions.

How are you today?

I'm not too well. It's just fatigue. I've been on the road for far too long now. It's catching up with me. I don't sleep really well. I don't eat very well. I drink and smoke too much. I think my body is saying enough. I've actually slowed down a bit. I don't mind the heat. The travelling is the main thing. Jet lag and all. But I'm not complaining. It's a great job.

Tonight will be your third time playing in Thailand, do you see any difference?

I've been to Thailand many times for vacations. I guess people are quite... they seem to be a lot more free spirited. A lot looser in Thailand. There don't seem to be as many rules in Thailand as in other Asian countries. I don't think there are any rules in Thailand, are there?

There might be one or two, actually. Well, now that you're a solo artist, how does it compare to being in a band?

Very different. I love being in a band. I've been lucky to be in such a great band. I feel lucky to come out of that, and to be accepted immediately as a solo artist, you know what I mean. Not many people do that. I like them both. I've been a solo artist for like two years now. I don't think I could ever go back to being in a band because there are too many compromises that you have to make. Once you've kinda done it on your own, and do your own things, it's different.

I don't get along with them, you know what I mean. I don't miss the other boys at all.

So you don't take input from the High Flying Birds? When I make the record, I make it on my own. None of them played on [this] record, apart from two of them. No, I don't ask for advice. Being in a band for 20 years, and [having] stepped outside of that, then to ask for advice, I think that's a bit weird. [If I did that], I might as well be in a band.

What's the difference between Oasis and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds?

Oasis was big and successful. This is not as big or as successful. Oasis has a lot of history. People grew up with that band.

Musically?

When I write songs now, I get to play all the instruments. In Oasis, it's like Liam had to be the singer, Gem had to play the other guitar, Andy has to be the bass player. So we shared, and sometimes I felt that wasn't working. With this, I can play what I want. And if I don't want to play on the records, I get someone else to do it. Musically, it's completely different.

Out of all your compositions, what would you consider your all time classic?

I can't really answer that question. Some songs of mine, people really (f******) love. You know, like Wonderwall. I don't really like it. Well, I like it, but it's just okay, you know what I mean. Some songs that I really like, like Part Of The Queue, you know that one? Well, I love that track, but no one else seems to like it. It's really all about what other people think. If somebody said to me Wonderwall is your best song, I'm not gonna disagree with them. I just write songs, and put them out there, and if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. What I think about it is irrelevant. I don't listen to my own music at home. I'm forever told off by my fans for putting great songs on B-sides. I don't know what great songs are, you know what I mean. I just write music for a living, you know.

So what music do you currently listen to then?

At the moment, I listen to a lot of David Bowie. Anything really. The way technology is now, you can have an entire record collection on your phone. Everything. Then you just press the button, and stand back. So it plays on random order. That's what I like doing now.

Is it true that you wrote Who Feels Love in Phuket on a beach? If so, will you be writing anything in Thailand again?

That's right. I haven't got a guitar with me this time. They're all on stage. I still write all the time. I start a million songs a week. Every day I start songs. Then I rarely finish them. When I finish a song, it's like a massive celebration. I start so many, I don't know which ones to finish.

Your music videos for this albums are like short films, why?

I don't really get involved with that. I hate being in videos. I'm not an actor, you know what I mean. For these videos, I said to the guys, "I don't want to be in it." Everybody goes, "Oh, you have to be in it." I don't want to be standing [being filmed] playing a guitar. So they wrote this part where I stand staring out the window. Well, I can do that. I don't really get involved. I just turn up, and they tell me to sit in this car and pretend to drive along. I do that, and then I go home. But [these videos] are so beautifully shot. This guy, Mike Bruce, is a fantastic film-maker.

As a football fan, tell us your thoughts on the Hillsborough Disaster (the 1989 crush of fans that killed 96 people).

I was in Manchester, I was watching it on TV. I was horrified then, but even more so now. There was a lot of violence in England at the time. There was a lot of football violence. There was a lot of civil unrest [under] Margaret Thatcher's government and all that. The fact that it happened was terrible and tragic. But what really is more disgraceful is the fact that they covered it up. Now the truth has come out, I hope the families will go after the people who covered it up because that was a disgrace. They not only lied to the nation, and demonised football supporters and also people from Liverpool, they lied about death. It's disgraceful. For that period of time, Margaret Thatcher, I'm afraid, has got a lot to answer for.

Any new bands/artists you would recommend?

There's a guy from England called Jake Bugg, a solo artist. Sounds a bit like Donovan or Bob Dylan. He's only 17. He's great. As for bands, not really. There hasn't been a band since Kasabian really where I've gone "wow". British guitar music is on its knees at the moment. There's a band called The Vaccines. They're alright. Nice lads.

Source: www.bangkokpost.com

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds embark on a UK tour in September and will tour the US and Canada alongside Snow Patrol and Jake Bugg later this year.

More details on the above dates and more can be found by clicking here.

Noel Gallagher's Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere (Vol.2) Part Fifty Nine

From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.

Yes comrades. It’s been a couple of days. This jet-lag is a fucker. Hardly slept a wink. So . . .

Did a show a couple of days ago at the Budokan. Quite a prestigious gig. Bob Dylan played here back in the day as did a little known band from Liverpool called The Beatles. It’s quite a big deal. Up there with Madison Square Gardens, Wembley Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl and erm . . . the Boardwalk!!

Did it in the round and all, which I have to say I really like. That's the second time we've done that kind of thing on this tour and I love it. Not sure if the people behind the stage would agree but . . . y'know . . . fuck 'em!!!

The gig was great. Very hot. My old mate Alan McGee turned up to see us which was nice as I haven't seen him in a long time. Great crowd. The heat didn't help the jet-lag though. I felt rooted to the spot. It really is a killer that gear.

So, yesterday after being chased through the train station we jumped on the bullet train to Nagoya. Had a gig in a mega little theatre. Stunning. Reminded me of one of my living rooms!!

Remember that girl what coined the phrase "Noel or die"? Well, anyway she was there with what seemed like a brand new posh as piss sign. Thing is the "Noel" and "die" bits were in bright luminous yellow and the "or" bit was in fucking navy blue all sewn (by hand one would imagine) onto a black background so all I could see was a sign that said "NOEL DIE!!" It was only when the lights went up at the end of the show that I realised what the fuck was going on!!

Great gig though.

Back in Tokyo now. Got some TV show to do today. No doubt it'll be utterly bizarre. They usually are. Singing live vocal to a backing track. I fucking HATE that gear. Mustn't grumble though.

Right . . . I'm off.

ONWARDS.

Source: www.noelgallagher.com

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Noel Gallagher On Bob Dylan, Neil Young And More

Do you remember a Liverpool band called Smaller? Watch in the video below what Noel Gallagher has to say about them. (Lead singer Peter “Digsy” Deary was championed in the Oasis song ”Digsy’s Dinner” on their debut album). Noel also talks a little about two of his musical heroes, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. One he has met, the other, not yet.

Liam Gallagher Calls Bob Dylan A 'Miserable C***'

Bob Dylan is the latest musician to get a tongue lashing from Liam Gallagher who has branded him a 'miserable c***'.

Gobby Liam, who has in the past mouthed off about the likes of Blur, Coldplay and Radiohead, told The Times that he wasn't a fan of the folk icon.

Asked if he had celebrated Dylan's 70th birthday, Liam said: 'I know all about him and that, but he’s a bit of a miserable c*** as far as I’m concerned. I like that tune he did Lay Lady Lay.

'People go nuts for him, but he doesn’t really do it for me.'

Gallagher also blasted bands from the 1960s and 1970s making comebacks at summer festivals.

'All those f***ers playing their greatest hits are s***bags.'

But even though he doesn't seem keen on old bands, Liam admitted he didn't like new music either.

'There’s nothing new I want to listen to. I’m not interested. I don’t listen to things, because you know what? I’m living in the moment,' he said.

'It’s like, that was a great f***ing moment. Now get over it. There’ll be another one tomorrow.'

Earlier this year, Gallagher took a swipe at Radiohead and told the band 'go f*** yourself' in an expletive-ridden rant where he also hit out at brother Noel, Take That and Mumford & Sons.

Source: www.metro.co.uk