Football, Family, Fame And The Bass Player From Maroon 5
An Interview With Noel Gallagher Of Oasis
By Mike Fitzpatrick
To some, he’s a working class superstar who helped save rock and roll. A cunning master of the seemingly impossible who can be self-deprecating while still maintaining an air of arrogance, never fully committing to any one component of his personality, leaving some wondering whether he’s just another patronizing rock star pretending to be close to his roots, or a humble, hard-working northerner, who knows how to play guitar, and has made a decent living from doing so.
The arrogance, he’ll tell you, doesn’t really exist. It’s merely self-belief, a confidence and pride in one’s achievements, which pushes him towards what he deems to be excellence.
Noel Gallagher, the lead guitarist, principal songwriter and occasional vocalist with Oasis, may also tell you that his band’s latest album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ is genius, and that it is the latest in a long line of classic records from his group, who he’ll probably inform you are the greatest band to have come out of the UK in the past couple of decades.
But then, being a somewhat supercilious, wonderfully wealthy and supremely successful rock star, he would say that, wouldn’t he?
The founder of Oasis (he came up with the name, after kid brother Liam had played in an earlier version of the band called Rain), has been at the top of his game for much of the last decade and a half.
Since releasing their 1994 debut album, ‘Definitely Maybe’, a recording universally considered to be one of the best British albums of all time, Oasis have gone on to produce six more albums, each of which debuted at the top of the UK charts, shifting over 50 million units in the process.
In the mid ’90s, they rode the waves of the often turbulent ocean that was Britpop, emerging victoriously through the storms, while other acts, such as Pulp, Blur, Suede, Dodgy, Cast, Shed Seven and The Boo Radleys all, despite varying levels of success, succumbed to break-ups, poor record sales and a general lack of interest from the record-buying public, before sinking from view altogether.
What this also means is that few of Gallagher’s contemporaries remain on the music scene, so he has to aim his near-legendary grumpiness and most often tongue-in-cheek criticism towards younger acts, many of whom were barely in their teens when Oasis released ‘Definitely Maybe’, and its hit follow-up album, ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’.
Oasis, at times fueled by the tempestuous tabloid-friendly relationship between the Gallagher siblings, have lasted the pace, and now, though no longer the angry young men of rock that they once were (Liam’s 36, Noel’s 41, the rest of the original members, ‘Bonehead’, ‘Guigsy’ and Tony McCarroll have all long since left the group), are still pulling the crowds in and outselling many of their younger rivals.
Indeed, the day Noel Gallagher spoke with us, Oasis had just hit the top spot in the UK album charts, knocking, The Kings of Leon, from Number One.
Talking to Noel Gallagher, one realizes that the passion for life is still there, despite the ups and downs of the rock and roll lifestyle, and the hurdles he’s overcome in his personal life.
His joy at watching his two children, Anais and Donovan grow up, berating brother Liam just for the hell of it, and watching as Oasis return to what they feel is their rightful place at the forefront of the rock scene, are seemingly, what keeps him going.
With ‘Dig Out Your Soul’, the band’s seventh studio album, continuing to match its predecessors, judging by its early sales records, could music critics and fans of the future look back and proclaim it a classic album, after, Oasis were somewhat knocked off their stride following their successes of the mid to late ’90s? Only time, and perhaps, Noel Gallagher, can tell…
Mike Fitzpatrick (MF): After the band’s six previous albums all went to number one, how was the news received that ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ had also done so?
Noel Gallagher (NG): Well, if there’s a chart, you might as well be at the top of it I suppose. We don’t celebrate them as much as we used to though, because, you can only celebrate them about four different ways, and we’ve done that already, so, you know. What do you say?
MF: It’s been receiving mostly positive reviews, what, if anything, do reviews mean to you at this stage of the band’s career?
NG: Good reviews? Really? You must have been reading better ones than the ones I’ve read! Well, you know, they’re not something that I seek out from the office. I don’t go and say like, “Go get me all the reviews”, but we’re avid readers of music magazines anyway, so if there’s one in there, I’ll read it. They still kind of follow the same path, I mean, the ones that don’t like Oasis tend to focus on the negative aspects of ‘a record’ you know, and the ones who do, well they tend to focus on the positive aspects of ‘a record’. In general, it’s just someone’s opinion, so who gives a s**t at the end of the day?
MF: Who indeed. Much has been made of the psychedelic feel to the album, with ‘Bag it Up’ and ‘To Be Where There’s Life’, in particular, containing something of a ’60s feel to them. Where did that idea originate from?
NG: Well, I’d written a bunch of songs for what we thought was going to be the album and then, right in the middle of recording those songs, were three songs that were very psychedelic, and our producer Dave, said, “Why don’t you write some more songs like that”, and so I did, and there you go!
MF: With lineup changes, and songwriting duties being spread out. How has the writing and recording process changed for you over the years?
NG: Well, the actual process has never changed for me. It finds me, I don’t go looking for it. You know what I mean? I just always have a guitar around, and I kind of pick it up, and if something comes out, it comes out, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I don’t kinda sit around and dream up concepts for albums. I leave that to students, I do it from the soul. I know it must be real then.
MF: Of all the bands that broke through in the UK in the early to mid ’90s, Oasis is one of the few still touring and recording on a regular basis. What do you attribute the band’s longevity to?
NG: Yeah, what do I attribute that to? Em, stubbornness? The fact that, you know, I haven’t had another thought of what I would do with myself since then. I’m not one for going away and saying, “Right, I quite fancy being an actor, or a playwright or write an opera, or a f***ing reggae musical”. I like being in Oasis, besides it gets me away from the missus.
MF: Fifteen years ago, Oasis were the bright young things in British rock, do you feel anyone’s risen to the challenge of stepping in to that position as you’ve moved onwards?
NG: No. Well, I mean, there have been a few good bands that have come along since then, like Kasabian, but no, I don’t think that anyone will really have the impact that we had again. I don’t think we’ll see the likes of this group again. All the mania between ’94 and 2000, you know, it’s not possible in this climate. We came along before the Internet, you see. We came along before every **** had a mobile phone with a camera on it!
MF: You recently commented on the current political climate affecting music. How do you feel about the music scene of today?
NG: In the UK, well, a lot of modern music doesn’t do it for me, but, I’m forty-one, so it’s not supposed to be aimed at me, you know what I mean? I mean, for the definitive opinion, you’d probably have to ask some nineteen-year-old I suppose. A lot of the newer bands, they kind of, they look good, but they sound s**t, you know what I mean? But that’s just to my ears, I don’t really hear a great deal that I like. Although I do like Kasabian and Primal Scream, and Paul Weller and all that, but I haven’t heard a great contemporary record that’s blown me away for, well, for quite a while.
MF: Speaking of Paul Weller, you’ve performed live or recorded with him, The Who, Ian Brown, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin and Richard Ashcroft, among others. Is there anyone out there with whom you’ve yet to enjoy the pleasure of sharing a stage or studio with?
NG: The keyboard player out of the Kaiser Chiefs. No, that was a joke. Neil Young and Bob Dylan, but that ain’t ever gonna f***ing happen, is it? So, I’ll have to say the bass player from Maroon 5.
MF: Well, you never know.
NG: Well, you do never know (thinks for a moment). Bono, that’d be good.
MF: Bono, really?
NG: Yeah, I love U2, I’m a big fan.
MF: You’ve traveled the world many times over with Oasis but do you ever feel an urge to return to Manchester, and visit your old haunts, where it all began?
NG: Well, we just spent three days there, and it’s really great to go back and walk the streets that you walked as a young man. Yeah, I do sometimes wish I’d never moved to London, you know, coz it’s full of idiots. I guess though, I feel that if I was to spend more than three days in Manchester, I guess, the reasons why I left there in the first place would soon resurface, you know what I mean? So, I guess I’m happy being in my own skin wherever I live really. But me and my lady, well, we have toyed with the idea of moving from London on many occasions really, but we’ve never quite gotten around to it.
MF: Manchester has provided us with some of the most influential acts over the years though, with Oasis, The Smiths, Stone Roses, Joy Division, The Fall, The Buzzcocks, all hailing from the city. Why do you think it’s been so prolific, where music is concerned?
NG: I just think the Irish have had a lot to do with it. I was talking to a friend of mine, a journalist, from Manchester about this. There’s not just one thing. There’s a lot of tiny little things involved in it. It’s history, and Manchester people are grafters. You know, the people want to better themselves, but it’s funny that many many many great bands came out of Manchester, and maybe only one or two came out of Liverpool, and (geographically, as cities) they’re so close to one another. But I think the Mancunian ethic and psyche is kind of unique to anywhere else in the country, you know, we are workers, we like to just go and f***ing get it done, we’ll worry about it later.
MF: Speaking of Manchester, do you still keep an eye on Manchester City’s fortunes?
NG: Oh absolutely yeah, we’re going through very exciting times at the moment. We’re the richest club in the world! Though, I’m not sure whether things are going to start moving for a few seasons yet. I think that the current crop of superstars that were mentioned that we were going to buy, they’re very settled at their current clubs. I don’t think any of them are going to be coming to Man City any time soon, but the next generation of superstars, the kids of today who are gonna be the superstars of tomorrow, they’re all gonna be up for grabs, so I think City could well be a very glamorous destination in a few years, but I can’t see anything happening any time soon.
MF: Last season must have been tough, what with the other Manchester side (United) accomplishing what they did?
NG: Well, we’ve a long way to go before we compete with them, they’ve won seventeen league titles, and we’ve won two, I think, or three, or something like that. It’s nice though, to see United fans get really p***ed off with the fact that City are the richest club in the world. That in itself, is a blessing, and long may it continue!
MF: You’ve had several lineup changes over the years, how does the current Oasis compare with previous incarnations?
NG: Everybody always thinks it’s the best, coz everyone always thinks your new album is the best, and everyone thinks this new lineup is the best. I’m too close to it to be honest. For my own part, I think I’ve always been f***ing brilliant. But yeah, it feels right, and natural, I think we’re on our seventeenth drummer now, so it’s just something you’ve got to get used to in this band, the ever-changing line-up!
No place in his heart, at least this week, for Manchester predecessors, The Stone Roses, The Smiths or Joy Division, nor trailblazing acts The Clash or The Jam, nor even The Verve, for whose lead singer (Richard Ashcroft) Gallagher dedicated the classic Oasis track, ‘Cast No Shadow’ to. Still, it’s only Wednesday, perhaps time is still on their side. Not so sure about Maroon 5 though. |
MF: You recently listed your favorite ten bands of all time. Is that list something which changes on a regular basis?
NG: Every day. Oh yeah, you know, when I come up with those things, it’s usually drunk at f***ing, four o’clock in the morning. But I think it was quite spot on, I’m not sure if I put The Specials in there though. I think we were just listening to them that night and we were going, they are the greatest band of all time, you know what I mean? But, you know it changes all the time.
MF: Your brother Liam claims to be very much into running and watching old British comedies as a way of relaxing, how do you wind down?
NG: He said what?! Well, I don’t know what he’s running from. I guess I’ve got a one-year-old son, so I don’t really relax. But, my favorite pastime would be just sitting watching television really, but in saying that, I don’t really watch it. I just kinda stare at the void and think about, I don’t know, stuff! Hanging out with my family though, that’s a good enough pastime for me.
Despite the fame, the headlines, the hit records and the lifestyle though, Noel Gallagher is still merely a 41-year-old bloke from Manchester of Irish parentage. It’s just that he also happens to be a world famous musician. Upon finishing our conversation, I told him I looked forward to seeing Oasis live at Madison Square Garden in December. We wished one another well and parted company. We’d have bid one another adieu, but, well, working class people don’t do that. Not even the superstar ones.