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A jubilant Liam Gallagher stormed Manchester City's press conference tonight, exclaiming, "Top of the league? How about that?" The Oasis singer and City fan then took a tongue-in-cheek swipe at United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Addressing a room of reporters, he said: "Fergie? On the whiskey too much!" Gallagher also met Argentina legend Diego Maradona, who is father-in-law to City striker Sergio Aguero.
Diego Maradona is the father-in-law of Man City striker Sergio Aguero. Credit: Twitter / @LiamGallagher
The exuberant outburst followed a tense 1-0 victory for the Sky Blues, putting them in pole position to win the Premier League title. The pop star had been the guest of City captain Vincent Kompany, who scored the game's only goal. Gallagher said: "He invited me to his box, scored a blinder. His family's mega, his sister's cool. Nice one bro'. Vive le Belgium." Before the game, Gallagher predicted a City victory would see them lifting the Premier League trophy in a couple of weeks.
Damon Albarn has invited Noel Gallagher to join him on his Africa Express trip when he reprises the project later this year, saying it would represent a ‘nice chance to collaborate’.
The pair, who were at the eye of the Nineties Britpop media storm, have enjoyed something of a reconciliation over recent months and now, when interviewed by Shortlist, Albarn has extended an invitation for Gallagher to be a part of the musical collective which last year involved the likes of Dan The Automator and Totally Extinct Dinosaurs.
“Well, why not?” Albarn replied when asked if he would like to work with Gallagher. “He should come on the Africa Express train in September. That’d be a nice chance to collaborate.”
“I never held anything against him, even right in the middle of it,” he continued on their infamous rivalry. “I just kind of admired them in a way; that they were better at handling it all than me. They didn’t seem to get too affected by the bullshit.”
Noel Gallagher's Second Album Delayed, Maybe Shelved
Noel Gallagher has admitted his intriguing collaborative album with the psychedelic duo Amorphous Androgynous could be shelved altogether due to the amount of work still left to be done on it.
Recorded at the same time as his debut solo album 'Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds', the sessions with Amorphous Androgynous were originally intended to result in a 'companion' release, with some of the tracks featured on his debut re-worked for a 2012 issue.
However, to date only 'Shoot a Hole Into The Sun', an eight-minute re-mix of his 'If I Had a Gun...' single, has emerged, and Gallagher has now said the record's future is in serious doubt.
Mischa Didn't Mind Running Around in Her Undies For Noel Gallagher
Mischa Barton is very proud of the video she shot with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds in Los Angeles this week.
Mischa Barton says her video with Noel Gallagher is "really beautiful".
The 26-year-old actress was shooting the promo with the former Oasis guitarist in Los Angeles this week and she is very pleased with the final cut.
She wrote on her twitter page: "The video for High Flying Birds is gonna be really beautiful, awesome team!
"It just never gets old working on a project, seeing it splashed about on the internet ahead of time the next day!!! LOVE NOEL (sic)."
Mischa is such a fan of Noel's former band Oasis - which he was in with his brother Liam Gallagher - and his new High Flying Birds project, that she didn't even mind running around Los Angeles in leopard-print underwear.
In other tweets she wrote: "Doing Noel Gallagher's video today. Was so excited I barely slept and he didn't dissapoint! How come when you're running around in your underwear it's cold?! (sic)"
The former 'O.C.' star was joined on set by an actor in similar underwear. It is not yet known which song the video will accompany.
Noel, 44, has worked with famous faces before on his videos.
Russell Brand - who acted as best man at the rocker's wedding to Sara MacDonald - starred in the promo for solo track 'AKA... What a Life!', while Rhys Ifans appeared in the short film for Oasis song 'The Importance of Being Idle'.
Guess Who's Stripping for Noel Gallagher's New Video
Mischa Barton stripped down to some wild skivvies on Monday to star in a music video.
Mischa, who arguably isn't afraid to show off her figure, was in Los Angeles to filmNoel Gallagher's new music video, which is about all we can figure out from these photos of her cavorting practically naked on a sidewalk.
Barton, who waxed ebullient about filming the video on Twitter, begins the video in a short green dress and black boots, but at some point the plot dictates that she strip down to just a leopard print bra and underwear paired with red kicks. We're confused!
But at least the stripping is equal-opportunity: Mischa's male co-star also donned a pair of leopard print briefs.
Barton, who just launched her own fashion line called Mischa's Place, has been out of the spotlight a bit since her days on "The O.C.," but if she keeps ditching her clothes like this, we're sure it won't be too long before she's back in the media buzz.
Noel Gallagher Beats Arctic Monkeys in Record Store Day Singles Sales
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds scored the highest-selling vinyl single of this year's Record Store Day, which organisers have said is set to break all previous sales records.
The ex Oasis leader's new EP 'Songs From The Great White North' edged Arctic Monkeys' new track 'R U Mine?' into second and Sex Pistols' re-release of their classic 1977 track 'Anarchy In The UK' into third in the vinyl singles chart. A picture disc of David Bowie's 'Starman' and Bruce Springsteen's 'Rocky Ground' completed the top 5.
More than 300 artists offered up new vinyl releases to coincide with Saturday's (April 21) celebrations, with new material, cover versions, rare tracks and studio outtakes all released.
There were also a number of special instore performances - click above to watch NMEvideo interviews with Little Boots and Keane, who appeared at London's Rough Trade East. The clip also features contributions from punters on the day, revealing the records they'd managed to get their hands on, and the event's co-ordinator Spencer Hickman.
Initial feedback from stores has suggested Record Store Day 2012 has achieved bigger sales than any previous year. A detailed breakdown of sales is due to be calculated later this week.
Vinyl sales are reported to be up over 50 per cent compared with last year's figures, with some participating stores reporting sales increases of over 100 per cent compared to 2011.
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
So..comrades.
Where were we? San Diego? Strange place. Nice place. Very hot. Not much else to say about it really. It was an in and out job. The gig was a bit . . . a bit . . . a bit . . . I'm searching for a word here and I can't find it . . . a bit meh? That's what you young people say innit? Not earth shattering. Not shit. Just dull. Now that could be due to the crowd seemingly being a visibly older crowd than what we're being used to dunno . . . any way I've said too much we should move on.
Before I forget though I must give a shout out to the girls with the "jesters of malice” sign. It does give me a little chuckle that gear . . . and the Dalai Lama who was in town but sadly never came to the show (miserable little Buddhist monkey man!!!!) . . . anyway ENOUGH!!!!!!
Over-nighted it to Phoenix, Arizona after that. Now that place is fucking HOT,HOT,HOT!!! 95°F . . . lovely. Gig was pretty much the same as the night before. Uneventful in the extreme . . . apart from one fucking guy who kept shouting out at the top of his voice . . . "YOU'VE MADE IT MAN . . . YOU'VE CRACKED AMERICA MAAAAN!!!!" A quick glance up at the smattering of empty seats in the balcony would suggest otherwise I thought . . . but thanks anyway MAAAAN!!!
Legged it double early the next a.m. back to L.A. Iree Nancy, the Mighty I and Bunny Dread are on holiday there see? Had a nice day off at the funfair yesterday. I won a Smurf (not a real one) for the Mighty I by smashing fuck out of some frogs on the head with a mallet (again not real one's).
You currently find me at LAX waiting to board a flight to one of my most favourite places . . . . . . .
LAS VEGAS!!!!!!
The Day Bob Forrest from VH1's Celebrity Rehab became an 'Oasis Person'
Bob Forrest, the guy in the hat on VH1's Celebrity Rehab, is a veteran of attendee of every Coachella Festival. He as also appeared as a performer with each of his bands, Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. At the 2012 festival, Bob had the opportunity to meet one of his favorite artists, Noel Gallagher, shortly after the former Oasis frontman finished his sunset performance with his new band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Take a listen to Bob telling the story on his Indie1031.com show All Up In The Interweb.
Check out his hilarious reenactment...
Live4ever readers: Win HiFi-Tower's Citronic DJ Headphones
To celebrate another week of great music, the Live4ever Ezine and HiFi-Tower are offering one lucky reader a new pair of Citronic HB-450PRO DJ headphones in red! These headphones deliver on both sound and style, perfect for listening to music at home or on the go!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment in the Facebook discussion box of this week's New Tunes Guide, letting us know what YOUR favourite new release is this month.
Please note that you must live in the United Kingdom (excluding all Islands) in order to be eligible. Contest closes on April 30th, 2012. Good luck!
Read more »
Oasis Fan Lars Ulrich Would Love to Drum for Noel Gallagher
The sticksman, whose band will be touring Europe this summer playing their 1991 self-titled album, commonly known as 'The Black Album', from start to finish, told NME that he would love to get behind the kit for the former Oasis man.
Asked if he would like to play as part of the High Flying Birds, Ulrich said: "I'm hard pressed to think of anyone I would rather drum with than Noel Gallagher. I have to say the fellow with the Clockwork Orange get up at the back is doing a stellar job, when I saw them in L.A in December it was fabulous. You know, if Noel and the other 37,000 drummers on this planet turn him down I'll certainly play with him."
Ulrich went on to say that although he wasn't sure Gallagher would take him seriously, he reckoned he'd do a solid job for the High Flying Birds. He added: "I'm certainly not sure he'd ever want to pick me, but I'd put together a pretty solid groove thing back there. I'd make the songs bounce to the best of my ability. Although I'm not sure he'd take me quite seriously."
via L4e / nme.com
Noel Gallagher Pokes Some Fun at Everyone, Including Himself
For those of you who prefer reading the interview rather than watching it on video KROQ typed up a summary of Noel Gallagher's Coachella Interview for you:
“People like to party outdoors,” Noel Gallagher declares as he begins his interview with a Coachella videographer. “Americans have come relatively late to this thing… like the regular ones we have in Europe, people just like to get wasted outside, particularly in the rain and listen to music. I don’t think there’s anything more spiritual than that.”
Gallagher, front man of Noel Gallagher and The High Flying Birds, gives one of the most honest, insightful and funny interviews of his career just before taking the stage at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA.
“The organizers will tell you that it’s a gathering of like-minded people and blah blah blah while they advertise more about phones to you… the bottom line is that people just want to get wasted and listen to rock ‘n roll in the rain, don’t they… I certainly do anyway,” he says with a laugh.
The 44-year-old musician talks to the unseen interviewer from the comfort of his oddly decorated trailer that he’s keen to make fun of. In a short twelve minutes, he covers the growth and importance of Coachella, the state of the music industry and lends some encouraging words to aspiring musicians.
“This festival has become bigger over the last ten years. When we first came here people were like, ‘You’re going where? To do what? Palm Springs?’ Now it’s a big deal in England. It’s like it gets reported in the national press… so, it’s grown. Probably one of the only festivals that has grown.”
Gallagher provides some straightforward talk about being in a band versus his new solo career. “Our band [Oasis] was quite volatile and you never really knew if you were actually going to play that night because other people in the group might have a whim and decide they’re not going to do the gig. But I can assure you the gig’s gonna happen here tonight.”
The singer’s dry British sense of humor is in full swing when he discusses how the music industry has changed fundamentally for the worse. “The rules of the game have changed. Albums are made by committee and focus groups. The consumer has become all more powerful now… the consumer is king. So, the consumer gets what he wants. But as I understand it, the consumer didn’t want f**king Jimi Hendrix, but they got him. And it changed the world. And the consumers didn’t want Sgt. Peppers, but they got it… and they didn’t want the Sex Pistols but they got it. And now there’s an attitude in the music business that like ‘well, let’s keep the consumer happy because that’s what makes the music business go ’round.’ And who suffers is the artist, not me. We’ve been in it for a while. But new artists have to put up with all sorts of nonsense.”
“It’s like, the young, it’s their fault. They invented the f**king internet. It’s their fault. F**k ‘em, that’s what I say.”
Gallagher pokes fun at himself, declaring he’s spending more time in Los Angeles because “That’s where aging rockers usually end up. And, I like it. The reception for the record has not been great I have to say, but then nothing ever was that great after Morning Glory, but I don’t worry about it. As long as I get the chance to play here, and they clap in between the songs, which is essential, then that’ll do me.”
Noel
Gallagher will listen to the crowd clap between his songs once again this Saturday night at Coachella. Watch his set webcast live via YouTube. Check Coachella.com Saturday afternoon for details.
Noel Gallagher has said that Oasis' hit single 'Live Forever' is the song that changed his life.
The guitarist, who plays the second weekend of Coachella this weekend, revealed to NME that the 1994 track is the one that changed everything for him.
Speaking in a video Gallagher responding to the question "What was the song that changed your life?" by simply answering "When I wrote 'Live Forever'."
Watch the video here.
Asked the same question, Two Door Cinema Club's Alex Trimble picked Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit, which he revealed was the reason he picked up a guitar, Frank Turner picked Cave In's 'Crossbearer', Katy B picked Skream's 'Midnight Request Line', while Wretch 32 joined Noel in picking his own song 'Traktor'
As well as Noel Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys, Enter Shikari and Graham Coxon are among the artists who've revealed the records that changed their life in this week's NME.
In this week's special Record Store Day preview issue, which is on UK newsstands and available digitally now, the likes of The Vaccines, Frank Turner, The Horrors, Blood Red Shoes, The Maccabees and a host of other top names reveal the releases that changed everything for them.
The issue also features a comprehensive guide to this Saturday's (April 21) Record Store Day, including details of the all the special releases and free gigs happening to coincide with the celebrations.
Beady Eye to play at the Hop Farm Music Festival in July
It's been reported that Beady Eye will be performing at The Hop Farm Music Festival in Paddock Wood, Kent (UK) on July 1st.
Hop Farm Music Festival is set over 90 acres of unspoilt Kent countryside; this once working Hop Farm is one of Kent’s most popular tourist attractions and the home of Hop Farm Festival.
No official word yet, but I will keep you updated.
Where to Buy Noel Gallagher's Record Store Day 12" Vinyl
To celebrate Record Store Day this Saturday, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will release, “Songs From The Great White North…”, an exclusive 12” pressed on opaque white heavyweight vinyl, individually numbered and limited to 2000 copies for the UK.
To find out what stores near you are participating click here, a number of online stores are also taking part.
The EP, which contains four tracks in total, will be released on 12' vinyl to celebrate this year's Record Store Day, which happens on April 21.
The EP is made up of the former Oasis' man's recent B-sides and includes his recent collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous 'Shoot A Hole Into The Sun' as well as previous offerings 'The Good Rebel', 'Let The Lord Shine A Light On Me' and 'I'd Pick You Everytime'.
Speaking about the release and why he wanted to celebrate Record Store Day, Gallagher said: "Record shops are as important as the records themselves".
Gallagher joins the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Mastodon, Frank Turner and Arcade Fire in releasing one-off vinyl records to celebrate this year's Record Store Day.
The tracklisting for 'Songs From The Great White North' is as follows:
'The Good Rebel'
'Let The Lord Shine A Light On Me'
'I'd Pick You Everytime'
'Shoot A Hole Into The Sun'
From the Oasis Video Vault: Maine Road ' Night One' - Full Concert
1996-04-27 Manchester, England
Setlist:
1.The Swamp Song
2.Acquiesce
3.Supersonic
4.Hello
5.Some Might Say
6.Roll With It
7.Morning Glory
8.Round Are Way
9.Cigarettes And Alcohol
10.Champagne Supernova
11.Whatever
12.Cast No Shadow (acoustic)
13.Wonderwall (acoustic)
14.The Masterplan
15.Don't Look Back In Anger
16.Live Forever
17.I Am The Walrus
18.Cum On Feel The Noize
New Weller Single Featuring Noel Gallagher on Bass Available in May
Following the chart topping success of 'Sonik Kicks' and five sold out shows at the Roundhouse, Paul Weller will return on May 28th with his next single 'When Your Garden's Overgrown' that features Noel Gallagher on bass.
The release will be available as a digital EP and is set to be backed by two brand new tracks - 'We Got A Lot' & 'Lay Down Your Weary Burden'
Discussing 'When Your Garden's Overgrown', Paul said: "I think this song's about Syd Barrett. It's like, what would it have been like if he hadn't got into music? If he'd gone off to the continent and just been an artist on the side-street in France. He probably would've been happier.
"There's some lines in there about the brush strokes of fame and I'm thinking of Syd at the time. He was an artist at heart, not a rock star."
The full tracklisting of the EP will be:
1. When Your Garden's Overgrown
2. We Got A Lot
3. Lay Down Your Weary Burden
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
Yes comrades . . . been a few days. Mexico was great . . . as always . . . I fucking love that place.
So . . . anyway . . . landed here in LA a few days ago. Can't remember what day it was. It was raining though . . . think it was Friday. Drove out to top old peoples home "Palm Springs" for that Coachella Festival. Nice drive. Stopped at a place that claimed that it served "world famous" milkshakes. I mean the date and banana one was a winner but . . . come on . . . I bet they ain't heard of them in Tanzania!!!
Coachella Festival goes against everything that festivals stand for in the sense that it's VERY FUCKING CLEAN. You get the sense that you’re at an entertainment facility, not a massive piss up in a field, which is essentially what most festivals are right? I mean I was body searched on the way in?!?!?!? Jesus.
The gig itself was great. Not sure whether the old Yankee-doodles liked it or not but I loved it. Played great, sang great and because we was on at 6:30 we got to legitimately wear shades onstage!!! Always a bonus. Did manage to catch Kasabian soon after in some tent or other and they fucking smashed it . . . might have been the best I've ever seen them . . . saying that, I was out of my fucking mind!! Spent the rest of the night marauding round the sight like a cross between that video "weekender" and that other video "smack my bitch up" having the time of our lives . . . there may have been some dancing in the dressing room (and if there was I do hope no-one's filmed it!) might also have bumped into an Arctic Monkey . . . then all of sudden BANG!!! I woke up back where I started . . . in my room in LA . . . 3 hours away!! What the fuck?
I very much look forward to doing it all again next Saturday.
Noel Gallagher Had to Explain his Pill Stash to Coachella Security
Tabloid Alert:
There was a security nightmare for Noel G when Coachella staff kicked off over his Sleeping Pills.
The former Oasis star was stopped and searched three times on his way into the festival near Palm Springs, California, on Saturday.
And the jobsworth officials were unimpressed when they pulled a bag of 30 white and yellow pills from his backpack.
Noel explained: “We got body-searched coming in. It was like an airport.
“It is me, I suppose, so they might know the history.
“They pulled out my sleeping tablets and asked me to explain them.
“There were about 30 little yellow and white tablets.
“I said, ‘In all seriousness Chuck, or whatever your name is, do you not think these would at least be down my sock? They are sleeping tablets.
“ ‘What do you want me to do? Take one before I go on stage to prove what they are?’”
It wasn’t the only problem globetrotter Noel has encountered on his travels. He was rattled by an earthquake after playing a gig in Mexico last week.
I bumped into the High Flying Birds at Coachella, not far from earthquake central — the San Andreas Fault.
Speaking in his Winnebago backstage, he said: “We were involved in a proper earthquake the day before yesterday.
“I was doing an interview and they asked me if I would say ‘come to Mexico on holiday’ because they have all these problems with people getting their heads cut off by gangs and loads of crime.
“I was trying to wriggle out of it and the lamps they brought into the room started swaying.
“I had been out the night before and just brushed it off thinking it was a bit weird.
“You know... we had been enjoying ourselves a bit.
“The cameraman just stopped and said really calmly, ‘We better go, there is an earthquake’.
“It was like being on a ship. We had to do a runner. The buildings were swaying.
“It was 6.4 on the Richter scale.
“We were all over the place walking out to the car park.
“I was stood there thinking, ‘This is brilliant’, as the whole place wobbled about. The locals were really laid back about it, sparking up fags and talking. But it was pretty hairy.”
Noel also talked about Manchester City’s race for the title, The Stone Roses, how he copes with being away from his kids on tour — and his old pal the previous King of Tonga, RIP.
To hear Gordon Smart's full interview with Noel Gallagher, plus chats with Kasabian, The Vaccines and The Black Keys download the Smart On Sunday Xfm podcast from iTunes.
He spent two decades as the main creative force behind the most successful U.K. rock act of his generation, writing such modern pop classics as "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova" while ceding the spotlight in concert to Liam Gallagher, his younger, more front-man-ish brother.
NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 18.
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix.
Admission: $37.50-$63.
Details: 602-534-5600, livenation.com.
But ask Noel Gallagher if he felt any pressure to top what he'd done in Oasis when launching his own band, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, and the pride he was always so quick to express when it came to Oasis would appear to be unshaken by the breakup.
"Well, no," he replies, a bit taken aback. "You could never do that anyway, which is one of the reasons why I didn't start another band. Once you've been in a band like Oasis, what's the point of being in another band? You could never really achieve a millionth of the success Oasis had, d'ya know what I mean? Particularly in England. It would be virtually impossible. Well, it would be impossible."
Hearing him say things as cocky as "Once you've been in a band like Oasis, what's the point of being in another band?," you can't help wondering if his reputation for unbridled arrogance is based, in part, on how those words are destined to appear in print. In conversation, it's hard to miss that he's often just playing the role of the blustering rock star for a laugh. That doesn't mean he isn't confident or proud of what he's done. Or even arrogant. But there's a playful charm that doesn't always translate. And speaking of translate, there are certain things that lose all sense of being said by Gallagher if you attempt to change the way he says it. It's "innit," not "isn't it," d'ya know what I mean?
He quit Oasis in the summer of 2009, the same day they canceled a festival gig near Paris, posting a statement on their website within hours of the cancellation. "With some sadness and great relief," he wrote, "I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
It was two years later when "The Death of You and Me," a bittersweet ballad with obvious echos of the Kinks' best work, arrived. His first single with High Flying Birds, it went Top 20 on the U.K. pop charts, followed in October by a self-titled full-length debut that topped the U.K. charts on its way to going double platinum.
Asked how he feels the new album compares to, for example, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," the 1995 Oasis masterpiece that won a special Brit Award in 2010 for the best British album of the last 30 years, he chooses not to take a side.
"Well, that's all open to conjecture, innit?" Gallagher responds. "There will be some people who will say it's the best album I've made. There's some people that say Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are better than Oasis. Who's to say? I can't, can I? I'm too close to both of them. But this is now. Oasis was then. And I don't even know what's gonna happen in the future. I might get to the end of this tour and be (expletive) bored of being solo. I might join another band or start a supergroup or just (expletive) sit at home and smoke some cigarettes."
It seems worth pointing out that there's a second solo album he's already started in collaboration with the Future Sound of London, using their alias of Amorphous Androgynous.
"Well, yes, it's recorded," Gallagher replies. "But it's not mixed. And whether it'll ever see the light of day or not, I don't know. There's a lot of work left to be done. A lot of work. I just did my bits in the studio and left it up to the Amorphous Androgynous to artistically direct it. And unfortunately for everybody, they've not finished it."
In the meantime, he's touring the self-titled album, whose sound is sure to speak to anyone who ever cared about Oasis. Asked if he would call it a continuation of the music he was making with Oasis, he'd prefer to sit that judgment out as well.
"I'm just kind of writing songs for a living," he says. "I don't make calculated moves, like 'This is gonna be a continuation of Oasis' or 'It's gonna be completely different' or 'I'm gonna do some jazz' or 'I really want to explore this reggae kind of thing.' I write songs, I record them and I put them out."
But having put them out, does he see that they sound a bit like what one might expect Noel Gallagher to write at this point?
"I know what you mean," he responds with laugh. "(Expletive) brilliant."
One major difference between the new album and Oasis is the number of guitarists. He's the only one on the High Flying Birds album, allowing for more space in the recording. It's different live, though, with touring guitarist David McConnell fleshing out the sound.
"People are not coming to your shows to listen to the record," Gallagher explains. "They might as well put headphones on and watch you mime it if that's what they want. The record is 1,000 takes and 1,000 edits over a three-month period. We try to nail it every night but I personally have never subscribed to the fact that we have to make it sound like the record. Some some of the songs sound a lot better live. They've got a lot more energy. There's more guitars and it's a bit more electric, a bit more 'Wow' and in-your face."
As to his new position as a front man, the guitarist says, "I'm comfortable enough that I don't get nervous. I don't walk out there with any trepidation. But I don't think I'll ever feel fully at home. I mean, I was 20 years as a backing vocalist and lead guitarist. I'm not gonna suddenly shed that skin in eight months. But I don't feel inhibited. I'm not Mick Jagger, put it that way. But I can engage an audience. I'm lucky in the sense that what I'm really good at is being me. There's nobody better in the world at being me. I'm very confident in that (expletive) fact. So if you come to see me, you're coming to see an expert."
Gallagher is not the type to take his duties as a front man lightly.
"I don't want somebody walking on stage who looks like he'd rather be somewhere else," he says. "This is rock and roll, baby. This is for heroes and rock stars, not the (expletive) guy next door."
Of course, part of what makes him a rock star is the fact that he wrote all those songs for Oasis. And he's not about to put them out to pasture just because he couldn't bear to go on working with his brother.
"Why would I throw away 20 years of music to start again?" he asks. "They're my songs. I don't give a (expletive) what people say. What, would you rather go see Paul McCartney and have him not play anything by the Beatles because the (expletive) Beatles aren't together anymore? Please. Come on. (Expletive) grow up. D'ya know what I mean? I've always looked at the live thing like this. As long as I get to play what I want to play, then I'll play what you want to hear. So out of 20 songs, I'm playing 13 or 14 new ones. And then, if you want to hear some Oasis songs, yeah, I'll play some."
As to whether he sees himself playing those songs with Oasis again, he declares it a moot point.
"If you're asking me now? I just don't see it," he says. "I close my eyes and I don't see it. And I listen to my heart and I don't want it. So there's no point in even talking about it."
Asked if he's spoken to Liam, who's formed his own band, Beady Eye, since the breakup, Gallagher says, "We texted over Christmas, stuff like that. Beady Eye are off being the best band in the world and I'm doing my thing and there we go. That's it. But it's not like we were together for a year and made one album, then split up and people are going, 'Oh man, I never got to see them.' We were together for 20 years. We made 10 (expletive) albums. If you didn't see us, tough (expletive)."
Noel Gallagher on new material and playing Coachella
In 2002, Noel Gallagher and his former band, Oasis, headlined the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival. As Gallagher tells Rolling Stone in his backstage trailer on Saturday at this year's fest, things were wildly different back then – both in regards to the festival and his own musical situation. "It was very much just a gig in a field," Gallagher recalls of Coachella. "And people [outside America] were going, 'What? Who? They have festivals in America?'"
Gallagher was also in a dysfunctional band. "With Oasis, you didn't really know if the gig was going to take place until we went on," he says. "You would sit around and think, 'well somebody's gonna have a fucking problem sooner or later so are we actually gonna do it?'
But now, returning to Coachella a decade later, this time to perform with his own band, Noel Gallagher and The High-Flying Birds, the guitarist is completely at ease. “I'm strangely relaxed," he says.
Gallagher, who left Oasis in 2009 and released his solo debut last fall, has been busy touring. But Gallagher tells Rolling Stone he has other projects in the works. The guitarist says he's finished recording an album with UK electro duo Amorphous Androgynous. He had intended to release this summer but due to a holdup in the mixing process, it likely won't see the light of day until 2013.
"[Amorphous Androgynous] mixed it and then I didn't like it," he explains. "And then they tried to mix it while I was on the road and I didn't like that. So I'm gonna have to wait until I get back off this tour which is in November." The collection was originally set to include b-sides from the debut album, as well as brand-new tracks, but with the time now elapsed since his debut album Gallagher no longer sees this plan being sensible.
So he’s started writing new songs. It's what, Gallagher says, keeps him sane on the road. "Once you've fucking been through the drug thing, and the girls and the booze and all that, what do you fucking do on the road?" he says. “There're only so many club sandwiches you can eat." Gallagher estimates he's got another album's worth of demos recorded, but he’s in no rush to get back into the studio. Says Gallagher, "My wife will decide when she's sick of me and she'll usher me out into the fucking cold and then I'll go into the studio."
Noel survives Mescal, an Earthquake and Marriage Proposal
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
Been a colossal few days. Think the last time we spoke was just before the gig in Atlanta right?
And what a gig! I thought it was gonna be great the minute I set foot on the stage . . . incredible atmosphere, great sound, we played great. All in all a top, top, night. What made it for me was this little girl who stood on her seat in the front row and sang EVERY WORD to EVERY SONG for an hour and a half! She was only 8 years old!!!! (I know this because she gave me a note explaining that it was her first ever gig etc,etc). The NSPCC needn't worry . . . she was with a responsible adult . . . . Can't remember what she said her name was but she was cool as fuck anyway.
Left early the next day and flew to Mexico City. A couple of gigs preceded by 3 days off!!
Got a bit messy the first night. Too much mescal . . . which of course led to more mescal . . . what led to a late night and a quite filthy hang over. The next night we went to some cantina or other to watch some big football match between Chivaz and Americas. Utterly forgettable game. Think Americas won it late on 1-0. Fucking rubbish.
Can't remember what happened the day after that. Nothing maybe . . . dunno . . . anyway the day AFTER that was gig day which started off early with a press conference. Fairly uneventful stuff . . . the usual gear . . . Oasis . . . blah-blah . . . Liam . . . blah,blah. (kill me now!) I did get given a bottle of tequila though (which was nice). Sat and watched some kids in the main square flying home made kites after soundcheck . . . incredible. Not as incredible as the gig though . . . a truly special night.
Not as special as what happened the next day let me tell you. So, I'm half way through an interview for TV when all of a sudden the lights which were lighting the room gently started to sway from side to side and the door began to rattle slightly . . . . Now, I didn't take much notice of this until the camera man very softly and calmly said "we have to leave and go to the outside . . . there is an earthquake happening." Just like that!!!!!! So, we all get evacuated into the car-park and the whole place is just gently rocking back and forth . . . a bit like being on a boat . . . mad as fuck!! 6.9 on the Richter scale it was!!!! I loved it . . . my first earthquake.
The gig that night (last night in fact) was even more special than the one the night before.The support band got booed off!! BOOED OFF!!!!! I've never seen that in nearly 20 years . . . I loved that too!!!! I'll forever remember my own show for a funny scene with someone holding up a placard that said "NOEL WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Thing is it was actually a guy!!!!!!!! And he looked genuinely upset when I informed him I was already spoken for . . . what the fuck?? Funny though. We left the building in the middle of a downpour. The streets were teaming with water and they stunk of cabbage and piss . . . nice.
Which brings me to today. I'm back in my 2nd home Los Angeles. Doing that Coachella festival.
Noel Gallagher: I'm more inspired than I’ve ever been
Last year, the former leader of the pioneering Brit-pop band Oasis launched his new group, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. But these Birds won’t be flying very long, and that suits its namesake just fine.
“It’s not a band,” stressed Gallagher, 44. “This band will disband in November, and who knows what will happen then? It may be years before I make another album. I’m not asking them to wait around.”
High Flying Birds plays here Tuesday at the Balboa Theatre. The show comes in between Gallagher’s co-headlining shows at the sold-out Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Saturday and April 21.
Yet, while Gallagher is enthusiastic about his short-lived-by-design new band, he acknowledged High Flying Birds exists only by default, as a result of the famously dysfunctional and combative Oasis having imploded in 2009. The band’s dissolution followed yet another blow-up between Gallagher, the band’s lead guitarist and principal songwriter, and his younger brother, lead singer Liam. (Notoriously volatile, Liam once challenged George Harrison to a fight, via the media, after the ex-Beatle accurately observed that some of Oasis’ songs were -- shall we say --quite derivative.)
Sibling rivalry notwithstanding, had Noel and Liam not buried the hatchet in each other’s skulls — figuratively speaking — it would be Oasis, not the High Flying Birds, now on tour.
But that was before Oasis came crashing to a halt three years ago. It was also before Liam sued Noel last summer, for stating that Oasis had abruptly bagged a 2009 English festival date because Liam was too hung over to sing. The aborted show fueled Noel’s decision to quit the band. Liam, who now leads a group called Beady Eye, was incensed.
“I have taken legal action against Noel Gallagher for statements he made claiming Oasis pulled out of the 2009 V festival ... because I had a hangover,” Liam told The Sun newspaper last year. “That is a lie and I want Oasis fans and others who were at V to know the truth.”
The cause, Liam said, was that he had laryngitis, which was diagnosed by a doctor. Noel’s claims of drunkenness went “way beyond rock’n’roll banter and questioned my professionalism,” Liam charged. “I tried to resolve this amicably but have been left with no choice but legal action. All I want is an apology.”
Noel did apologize, albeit reluctantly.
However, the wording of his mea culpa implied his younger brother couldn’t sing at the V festival because he had laryngitis and was hung over.
“I guess the worst gig I ever did would have to be the one where I got attacked on stage and got three of my ribs broken by a drunken maniac — not my brother, I hasten to add,” Noel said. “It was in Toronto in 2007, or 2008, or 2009. I can’t remember.”
Is not playing in Oasis cathartic for Noel, whose self-titled debut album with the mildly psychedelic High Flying Birds came out last fall?
“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s nice to be in the (recording) studio and be able to work at my own pace and dictate the direction for the album and to do what I wanted, when I wanted. It’s nice to be on tour and to know I’m leaving this hotel in 20 minutes, and that the gig will take place. I know it will happen and last for one hour and 50 minutes.
“Whereas in Oasis, you could get down to the hotel lobby to go to the gig, and it would (suddenly) be like: ‘That gig is not happening...’.”
Duke Ellington, one of the greatest most prolific composers of the 20th Century, was once asked what inspired him to compose. Ellington smiled, and said: 'Give me a deadline.'
"Ah. We don't have deadlines in rock 'n' roll -- That's the very definition of it, isn't it?" Gallagher said. "I guess those jazz guys, in those days, Duke and them would write to order. Rock 'n' roll is very different; by definition you don't adhere to timetables."
The High Flying Birds' song “People Who Will Be (The Death of You and Me)” features a brass arrangement that hints at classic New Orleans jazz. If one were to poke around Noel's record collection, might they find some albums by Louis Armstrong or the Dirty Dozen Brass Band?
"You might find a bit of ragtime and a bit of that stuff, yeah. Not a great deal; I'm by no means an expert. I saw a documentary on ragtime once, and I thought: 'Wow, it's like early blues and early jazz, music for the common man. I like that.' And I do like Sun Ra. He’s amazing."
Sun Ra? The iconic, now deceased, avant-jazz pianist and composer from Arkansas, who started off in the big band era, before launching his one-of-a-kind ensemble, the Arkestra, and exploring a cosmic musical palette unlike any other, in or out of jazz? What drew Noel to Sun Ra?
"Oh, (expletive)!" he said. "I'm only a recent convert to this style of music. A couple of years ago, I thought: 'Right.' Because I have some mates that are great jazz musicians, and I go see them play jazz gigs in little clubs, and I think: 'I know there's a place for me in this, but this music (my friends are playing) is (expletive) rubbish.' So it was a process of elimination. I got through all the greats and then I got to Sun Ra, and it was psychedelic and out there. I don't think I've got any of his albums, but I've got 180 songs by him. My favorite track by him is 'Angels and Demons'."
Coachella Festival Live Stream on Youtube - Catch Noel Gallagher
Catch all the excitement live from the California desert on Youtube. Noel Gallagher's HFB gig will be streamed on Channel one , Saturday the 14th of April - 630pm.
Also appearing are the Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Laura Marling , Florence and the Machine and many more
The Official Charts Company have compiled the ultimate list of top selling albums in the UK. The top 40 list was put together for the BBC.
‘Queen’s Greatest Hits‘ tops the list with 5.8 million albums shifted. The 1981 compilation features hits such as ‘Another One Bites The Dust‘ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ . The Beatles‘ ‘Sgt Pepper‘ and ABBA’s compilation album ‘Gold‘ came in second and third place, with sales of 5 million and 4.9 million respectively.
The complete rundown of the top 40 Albums was presented by BBC Radio 2 DJ Tony Blackburn.
Commenting on the chart, Blackburn said: “This chart is a real mixed bag. I think listeners will be quite surprised. There are artists in there you would expect to see in a countdown of this nature but not necessarily at the positions that they are.”
Adele’s ‘21‘ comes in at sixth position with 14 of the chart’s best-selling discs originating from the 2000′s and popular bands such as Kings of Leon , Keane, Coldplay, Travis as well as veterans Madonna and Fleetwood Mac making the cut. The only bands that landed two entries in the top 4O were Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Coldplay and Queen.
US artists placed 9 albums while the UK are responsible for 23 in the list.
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
Yes comrades . . . where were we? Milwaukee? Yes, Milwaukee!!! Not much going on there let me tell you . . . . There was a statue of the Fonz across the road from the gig, That's just about the most exciting thing I can remember. Some of the lads on my crew spent the day posing for photo's with him . . . it . . . whatever. You know what I mean. Looking at some of the pictures later it was hard to tell who was the actual Fonz!! But why is there a statue of the Fonz in Milwaukee you ask . . . well . . . the series "Happy Days" was set in Milwaukee, see?
Played in a beauty of a theatre. Great show, great crowd. Think I've started to notice a few people following the tour now . . . like what they do back home . . . which is nice. Thanks.
So . . . Indianapolis? Spent the day watching Top Gear on BBC America . . . I fucking love Top Gear.
I don't know why, the gig was more like a town meeting in a village hall. I enjoyed it though. I don't know why someone shouted out REALLY FUCKING LOUDLY during Supersonic, "WHERE'S BONEHEAD?" I mean . . . what does that even mean?
Which brings me to yesterday . . . a day off in Atlanta, Georgia. The home of CNN and Coca-Cola. Had a mooch round a couple of shopping malls. Just killing time. Nice weather, lovely people.
Looking forward to this gig tonight. I recognised the theatre. Not sure what it's called but I remember it being the scene of one of the best ever Oasis gigs. Not sure what era. That Swedish band The Soundtrack Of Our Lives were playing with us and we were both on fire that night!!! We fucking crushed it big time.
Out of here early doors tomorrow. Flying to Mexico!!
Part Two Of Noel Gallagher's Interview With Mario Balotelli To Be Broadcast Tomorrow
When Noel met Mario Balotelli - part 2. The second half of the conversation between Noel and Mario Balotelli is being shown on Football Focus tomorrow on BBC 1 from 12.20pm (UK Only).
The interview, filmed at Manchester City's training ground Carrington, talks about the success of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and covers football and music plus a lot more in between.
At one point during his band's sold-out show Tuesday at the Pabst Theater, Noel Gallagher, the outspoken creative force behind the late, influential British pop band Oasis, chastised a fan who shouted out a request, saying he'd play what he wanted to play - and tossing in a certain expletive for edgy effect.
It was delivered as an amusing, applause-courting toss-off, but there was some truth behind it. Fortunately for his audience, what Gallagher wanted to play seemed to be what his fans wanted to hear.
Even though he's touring with his new band, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Gallagher wasn't so vain that he minimized the Oasis catalog that earned his fame: He split the 95-minute, 20-song set nearly 50-50 with old material. And while established Oasis gems received the loudest vocal support, a surprising number of new songs were also welcomed with smitten sing-alongs.
It was fitting that Gallagher started the show with an Oasis oldie "(It's Good) To Be Free"; for all it accomplished musically, Oasis was just as famous for the frequent feuding between Noel and his brother, Oasis frontman Liam, up through Oasis' final days in 2009 when Noel quit. (Liam has his own new band going, dubbed Beady Eye.)
On Tuesday, Gallagher displayed his freedom - and the renewed creativity and ambition that's come with it - in 10 soaring new songs, from anthem-amped unifier "Everybody's on the Run," to pulsating "AKA . . . What a Life!" (powered by Jeremy Stacey's steady, solid drum work) and the dreamy "The Death of You and Me," still swinging even without the Dixieland jazz section featured on the album.
The High Flying Birds are more musically diverse and less guitar-dependent than Oasis, but live, Gallagher's guitar aptly filled some holes and at times interjected a bit more bite. Oasis songs also took on a new life, from a scaled-down "Supersonic" from 1994 debut "Definitely Maybe," performed by Gallagher on acoustic guitar with light lifts from keyboard and percussion, to "Don't Look Back in Anger," ecstatically sung by hundreds of fans.
Between songs, Gallagher displayed an amusing, dry sense of humor, calling people who bought tour shirts "true fans" and encouraging the crowd to chant the name of the roadie who was skillfully filling in for the regular keyboard player, who was home with his wife and newborn.
But as a performer, Gallagher didn't display much emotional range or physical movement. If this new chapter has any shot at eclipsing Oasis and family feuds, Gallagher's on-stage persona has to be as charismatic as the songs
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
Yes . . . well . . . Detroit then? A lively bunch. Great show. Nearly up to speed now. Close to 100%. Ben our newest member was getting the shout out from the crowd. Funny.
Overnighted it to Chicago. No drama. It is fucking cold though. It's always freezing here.
The gig itself here in the windy city was maybe the best so far. My voice is not at it's best though. My cold is playing havoc with it. A bit frustrating but what can you do?
Had a day off here yesterday. Bought myself a new guitar!! Hadn't bought one in a couple of years. A beauty it is too. A blonde Gibson 345 . . . 1972 . . . quite rare.
Not much else going on at the moment. Driving to Milwaukee today. Got a show there tonight.
From Noel Gallagher's 'Tales From The Middle Of Nowhere' tour diary.
Yes..well now then the gig in DC was OK. We ain't played for a couple of weeks so it always takes 3 or 4 gigs to get back into the groove so to speak. Our usual keyboard player (can't remember his name now) has stayed back home to help his wife have a kid, so his roadie has valiantly stepped into the breach to cover for him . . . . A bit of pain in the arse but we shall soldier on as best we can. Got a bit of a cold and all . . . with all that in mind the gig wasn't too bad. It was a good laugh anyway. Great crowd.
Bussed it overnight to the cultural centre of the middle of fucking nowhere, Columbus, Ohio. There is quite literally NOTHING going on here. Nothing to see. nothing to do. Had a gig here last night. Still not quite at full power but it was another fun night. Great crowd. They was chanting the stand-in keyboard players name by the end of the night . . . very funny (his name's Ben by the way).
Got a dirty little hangover today. Not nice, feel like a little lump of shit in fact but get on this . . . of all the people in all the world, have a guess who checked in to this hotel this morning? Go on have a guess . . . you'll never guess.................... only blimmin' Kasabian!!! What are the odds on that? Unbelievable!
Before I let you go I must tell you this story that has literally JUST happened to me. So . . . I'm just stood at some traffic lights waiting to cross the street when some guy slopes up to me . . .
"Hey man I don't mean to disrespect you”, (now that usually means you're about to be disrespected) “but you do realize you got a little 80's thing going on with your hair there?"
I was speechless.
"What do you call that style you got?"
I was without speech.
"You look like that . . . who was that muh-fucker pro-doocer who shot that bitch in the face?"
Touring the States on its debut album back in 1994, Oasis was perhaps one of the least-animated rock bands I’d ever seen. The guys stood in front of their amps and played, didn’t smile. Liam held the mike stand and sang, then pouted as if bored when he wasn’t singing. And despite the fact that the band’s principal songwriters had little regard for drummer Tony, who was overwhelmed in the mix throughout, they put on a mesmerizing show, harnessing the power of major chords in a too-loud twin guitar attack and a streetwise snarl in melodies that summarized British pop music. The band found that tour humbling; Noel Gallagher
almost split the scene on the west coast.
Nearly 18 years later, some things have changed for Noel Gallagher. He moves where the music takes him, his brother is nowhere to be found on the stage tonight, and he loves his drummer—Jeremy Stacey on this tour, playing last night’s show in a Clockwork Orange type get-up of bowler hat and white overalls. Noel is willing to give nu disco a try on “Take the Tiger,” a dancier track that Duran Duran might have had luck with. And throughout, the HFB album shows Noel unfurling his wings and layering keys, strings and echo in ways that Oasis rarely did. But in the U.S., he’s in a slightly humble place, playing small theaters in major markets. It’s just like starting over.
But many things haven’t changed. Gallagher, a self-taught former construction worker who has played music within a small circle of musicians in his lifetime, hasn’t strayed far from what got him here. His durable songs are still strummable, hummable and devoid of the kind of intricacies that can sometimes be mistaken for technical acumen. They get to the point, they’re not afraid to reach for the cheap seats. And he’s loved for them.
The boldness that allowed the band to perform without the requisite jumping around back in the 90s still colors his tunes, but can come off narrowly myopic. The intro to tonight’s show was actually a remix of a HFB single, "If I Had a Gun," a mysteriously blissed-out remix but still... that seems indulgent.
Gallagher and ace hired guns, including Atlanta’s Tim Smith on guitar, can stomp through the songs on his High Flying Birds solo debut with ease. They’re not particularly difficult tunes for these guys. In fact, the chunky rhythms and heavy strumming of the first block of songs, kicking off with “(It’s good) to be Free,” threatened to be tedious for a brief moment early in the evening.
Instead of tedium, the band delivered a steadily building rock show that strengthened Gallagher’s reputation as a writer of epic songs. Gallagher’s new stompers (stomped ever-so-hard by Stacey) made subtle nods to psych rock, orchestrated '60s pop and Bob Dylan’s verbosity (“Mucky Fingers”). The band’s more explosive moments came in the rockers infused with instrumental jam-outs, like “The Good Rebel.” But, it should be noted, the strum and drum thwomp always ruled—the few guitar solos we heard last night came later. Gallagher’s current crop even has a big set-closer, “Stranded on the Wrong Beach,” with enough dynamics to draw out the Union Jack. It came out in the crowd, only briefly.
Between tunes, Gallagher joked about Chicago’s cold, his popularity in the U.K. (“this one is a monster in England,” he remarked of one tune) and Godlike Genius award, but mostly seemed gracious and confident in his group of ringers to deliver the goods.
For some, the stompers and shufflers of the HFB album don’t have the elemental force or organic emotions of those Oasis b-sides and Noel album tracks that he played on Sunday. Those tunes, such as superfan fave “Talk Tonight” or the rapturously received “Little by Little” (from Heathen Chemistry), teased and questioned our Noel-side Oasis fandom. An acoustic “Supersonic” jabbed at it. And finally, in the end, we went home with an encore of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” that had Gallagher pulling far away from mike stand to survey a mass singalong from the multi-generational mass. In that moment, he was far from detached, but rather pleased with his power.
Noel Gallagher Featured on Revised ‘Sgt. Peppers’ Artwork
Legendary British artist Sir Peter Blake has recreated his iconic sleeve for The Beatles‘ 1967 landmark album ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band‘ to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Out go original stars of the artwork such as Marilyn Monroe, Lenny Bruce and Marlon Brando, with new icons including Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Damien Hirst and David Hockney on the revised version.
“It’s a cross I bear, it’s an albatross I have to deal with,” Blake has said of the famous design. “What vaguely depresses me still is that I’m known pretty much as ‘Peter Blake – who did the cover of Sgt Pepper’ when I’ve done so much else. Every so often I manage to forget it but it comes back all the time.”
The Beatles themselves are also missing from the new artwork, with Sir Peter explaining he doesn’t own their copyright: “Part of everything that went wrong at the time was that my agent signed away any kind of royalties and the copyright so we had to ask Apple Corps – The Beatles’ management – for permission and they didn’t want it to be associated with advertising.”
