Christian O'Connell talks to Noel Gallagher

Monday 12 February, 2007

C: Outstanding achievement award but your only 39. What’s going on?

N: Yeah they must have run out of people to give it to I don’t know. If Weller hadn’t done it last year I don’t think we’d have bothered, its not the first time they’ve asked us, first the initial reaction was no, then we started thinking we either do it now when we look good or do we succumb in ten years time when we just turned the corner, we still all can legitimately wear the leather jackets and it appealed to us that we’d be the youngest band to get it. When they do the retrospective film we won’t look too cheesy.

I don’t think many bands going to go from best newcomer to getting an outstanding achievement award probably Coldplay are the next ones in line they could probably do it, but they never got best newcomer.

C: What knowledge have you learnt?

N: About making records I’ve learnt if it’s not going well don’t panic its best to go home take a few weeks off, don’t try and chase something that’s not there. Everything in moderation would be the one golden rule whether its drink or the other nice sweeties.

I don’t want to sound like the drummer out of Spinal Tap but just enjoy it. I never thought it would get this far for this long and I’m still enjoying it now if we get another ten years out of it- brilliant

C: In a lot of interviews people make it sound like fame is such an awful burden and a miserable life for them- Keane for instance.

N: Some people do. I’d like to see the background they came of because if this is a struggle then they must have been living the life of Riley before they recorded. Me personally if it wasn’t for this I would be out there shovelling snow or either on a motorway or a building site. So when it came along I embrace it-it’s a great thing. You can always say no to people asking for autographs. Can I get a quick picture? no fuck off! Can I get an autograph? No!


C: You always sound like someone who keeps it as real as possible.

N: I got up at 9 this morning and there was no milk in the fridge, nothing.

C: Don’t you have staff to sort that out?

N: I didn’t get where I was today by spunking money off staff. So at 9:20 this morning I was up at Marylebone High street in a blizzard but I like all that it keeps your feet off the ground.

C: Are you a good cook?

N: My mrs sarah is an outstanding cook. If I’m going shopping I need strict instructions on what to buy. I love it when she goes back to Scotland for the weekend-chicken and mushroom pot noodle give us one of them!

C: How has writing the big songs changed?

N: The moments of magic come along less and less because life takes over. When songs come along and you’ve got to grab them while they’re there. As long as you’ve got a guitar with you and a pen and piece of paper you’ll be alright. The last bunch of songs I was just sat on the couch watching telly one afternoon strumming the guitar and frantically trying to get it down.

C: What do you think is the best song you’ve written?

N: For me, I enjoy playing Lyla and Mucky fingers. The most important song I wrote was Live Forever because it announced us to the world and it reached America.

C: The band took off really quickly.

N: Oasis is very much like a high street shop

C: Which one?

N: Superdrug-yeah Superdrug

C: You’re going to be 40 this year. What do you think Liam’s going to get you?

N: No were not that kind of family the last present he got me was, I kid you not a jumper a pink v neck jumper kind of a tartan thing with gold thread-and I was holding it up going “he’s having a laugh”.

I bought him a few presents in the 90’s I bought him a thing from an auction which was an Indian necklace thing that John Lennon wore when he went to see the Maharishi its worth a fortune it was round the mans neck when he wrote Sexy Sadie, so I sent it to him for Christmas and next time I saw him he had it on. He took it out the frame and the label saying worn by John Lennon. I said “what are you doing its fuckin memorabilia” and he said “John Lennon wore it I’m wearing it”. He’s probably flushed it down the toilet by now I don’t know, haven’t seen it since.

C: Is there any one that’s come along in the last couple of years who you think can do the same as you?

N: Yeah course Kasabian for spirit I guess the Arctic Monkeys for what they mean to this generation of people and The Libertines to a certain extent from what they meant a few years ago.

But what happened to us came by surprise. We didn’t know what we were doing our record company didn’t know what they were doing but we were just enjoying the ride.

The new bands are great I love the guy who writes the tunes for the Kooks and Kasabian.

C: How’s it changed being a dad?

N: You’ve got to be very careful you don’t write songs about your kids. Life changes that instant and it’s never that same again.

C: Do you do the kids tv thing when she’s over?

N: I did when she was into Animal Planet but now she’s into Disney that is evil.

C: Did you do the wiggles?

N: The Wiggles! Have you ever seen them and Franz Ferdinand in the same room seriously, never! and until they are in the same room together I’m not having it that it’s not Franz Ferdinand.

C: Do you think you’re going to become an embarrassing dad?

N: No I’m not I wouldn’t do the parents sport days because I only do stuff I’m going to win at. If I didn’t win they’d be trouble. Liam does though but he’s a different animal to me though.

C: If you were to die which TV detective would you want on the case?

N: If it was suspicious then it would have to be someone from the Sweeney but ideally it would be inspector Cluso.

C: What’s your favourite swear word?

N: Shit cunt

C: What’s your least favourite word?

N: Latte and Tapas. Being a northerner you don’t tend to pronounce your T’s after a vowel .It annoys me when people walk along the street drinking coffee, its so american. Tapas it winds me up, what is it? It sounds like some sort of material a joiner would use.

C: When is the last time you cried?

N: No, I don’t really cry. I’m more liable to cry at sporting achievement like when Ricky Hatton beat Costa Tsyu, when you see real great human achievement, I don’t cry at sadness.

C: What’s the greatest song ever written?

N: To me it’s always a Beatles son and it goes between I’m the wall or ticket to ride but sometimes I can be listening to 'Club Foot' by Kasabian and it depends what mood you’re in.

C: What are you doing for Valentines day?

N: My long suffering woman will be sat listening to the radio. I don’t do any of that nonsense. Once you start you’ll be celebrating pancake day, St David’s day, Scotland day. Valentines day… get up… brew…. I love you we don’t need to the card, do we need to get the roses we don’t need to do that surely?

C: What makes you go on?

N: The initial love of music is there for me. I can’t do anything else until they allow absolute proper profanities on the radio I can’t go into radio unless allow swearing on the television I can’t go into television.

C: Were you surprised about the success from your last album?

N: I was surprised at the review we got because I was starting to get slightly paranoid that everyone had it in for us.

The most difficult thing is to get a number one single-it’s easy to get an album.

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