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MTV is set to broadcast Oasis�s Wembley Arena gig live into your living room on October 16.
The Manchester band play the show as part of their UK arena tour and fans will certainly not want to miss the classic hits, new tracks and controversial moments.
Oasis�s gig will be shown as it happens on MTV One on Thursday October 16 from 9pm. It will then get it�s MTV Two premiere on Friday October 17 at 8pm.
The group release their new album Dig Out Your Soul this Monday (October 6). You can hear the record from tomorrow at Myspace.
Last week the group spoke exclusively to Zane Lowe about the fan who attacked Noel in Canada.
You can watch the full Oasis interview with Zane Lowe when Oasis Week kick's off, Monday Oct 6th at 21.00 on MTV TWO
Despite Noel Gallagher�s determined declaration last year that Oasis would never give away an album � la Radiohead, the band are about to embrace the growing free music culture by allowing fans to listen to their new album on MySpace.
Stopping short of giving away Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis have announced they will post their much-anticipated seventh studio album on social networking website MySpace ahead of its release date next Monday.
The album will be posted in its entirety at midday tomorrow and will remain on the site, allowing fans to listen for free, for the rest of the week.
Frontman Gallagher had previously balked at the decline of music sales and rise of reputable bands, including Coldplay, giving away tracks online. Related Links
After Radiohead�s history-making decision to make the album In Rainbows available via an �honesty box system� last year, Gallagher publicly declared: "I didn't spend a year in the most expensive studio in England, with the most expensive producer in America and the most expensive graphic designer in London, to then give it away. F*** that."
But he conceded that it might have been a clever thinking by Radiohead. �To be honest, to me it looked like marketing � a great way of getting a load of marketing for free really. But good for them. That's what they do, they're rebels and outsiders.�
Oasis, themselves often considered rebels, need little publicity, having rarely strayed from the news over the past month since Gallagher was attacked on stage during a performance in Canada.
Touring to promote Dig Out Your Soul, the 41-year-old was attacked on September 8 while performing at the V Festival in Toronto. A man rushed the stage and shoved Gallagher into his monitor speakers, leaving the singer in need of hospital treatment.
The band has since cancelled a series of gigs but become a constant media presence after a man was charged with assault and Gallagher was diagnosed with broken and dislodged ribs.
Dig Out Your Soul is expected to top the music charts after the band�s previous six albums all made it to No. 1.
Paul Weller is to release a four-CD set of rare and live tracks spanning the length of his solo career.
Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie and Tim Burgess have contributed to the set
The 74 songs on 'Weller At The BBC' were recorded by the former Jam man during exclusive sessions and live shows for the corporation between 1990 and 2008.
The release features covers of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' and Rose Royce's 'Wishing On A Star'.
Oasis' Noel Gallagher appears on a live version of Weller's adaptation of Dr John's 'I Walk On Gilded Splinters', as he does on the 1995 recorded version.
Other highlights include a previously-unreleased cover of Ronnie Lane's 'The Poacher', recorded for BBC Radio 1's Evening Session in 1997, and recordings from Weller's 1995 headline appearance at the Phoenix Festival.
Musicians including Gallagher, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and The Charlatans' Tim Burgess have been interviewed for a 64-page booklet that will accompanying the album.
The full tracklisting for 'Weller At The BBC' can be seen HERE
With a new album looming, Oasis's battling brothers show a rare moment of compassion after onstage attack.
Noel Gallagher had been looking forward to Toronto all week.
That's what the fellow managing his affairs -- and his security -- told me backstage at the Pengrowth Saddledome as we sat in a drab, dimly lit room waiting to interview the leader of the British band Oasis.
Gallagher, 41, seemed relaxed, in good spirits and as cocky as ever Aug. 30 at the 'Dome. He had just run through a satisfactory soundcheck hours before the band's impressive show that evening and he was keen to talk up the group's latest disc Dig Out Your Soul, set to hit stores on Oct. 6.
But, according to his burly and quite jovial handler, the guitarist was most excited about playing Toronto's Virgin Festival on Sept. 7. Also on the bill that day was Welsh group Stereophonics and singer-songwriter Paul Weller, one of Noel's best friends, and it was indicated that when Oasis reunited with their mates they planned to "go a bit mad," as we might expect from the royal bad lads of British rock.
Those plans changed on the day of the gig when a fan tackled Noel onstage during Oasis's set, slamming him into a monitor speaker and breaking three of his ribs. Subsequently, the band wound up cancelling several weeks worth of shows through the end of September.
If there was a plus side to the incident, perhaps it was in forcing Noel and his younger sibling Liam, the thuggish 36-year-old singer in Oasis, to actually show each other a scrap of brotherly affection.
"I thought (Noel) had been stabbed," admitted Liam in an interview with MTV2. "It was f--king dark . . . but it could have been a lot worse. That's the way I look at it."
Liam, who had to be restrained from attacking Noel's assailant, added he vowed to protect his brother in the future. "It won't be happening again, I can assure you of that."
It was a different story in Calgary -- or, rather, the same old story between the eternally embattled brothers -- when Noel was interviewed backstage.
When it was noted, for example, that Liam's songwriting seemed to be improving with each record -- the singer wrote three of the 11 tracks on Dig Out Your Soul -- Noel was dismissive. "It's about time he got his thing down," he said. "I've been writing songs for this band since Day 1. He's been writing for three years. (Actually, it's more like eight. Liam's first song on an Oasis record was on 2000's Standing On The Shoulder of Giants)."
"He wants a pat on the back for that," Noel added with a smirk.
But when Oasis was formed in rough, working-class Manchester back in 1991, didn't Noel join his little brother's band on the condition that he would be the leader and the sole songwriter?
That's a myth, insists Noel. "In the beginning, we were all writing songs," he says. "It's just that I was writing more and mine were better than anybody else's, so everybody kind of took a back seat, which suited me. . . . It just so happens I've got this outrageous cross to bear. I'm extremely talented."
It isn't only Liam who's now contributing songs to Oasis albums either. On recent releases, including the new disc, guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell have also notched up a few songwriting credits. It's been suggested that this has been to the detriment of the band -- that Noel is, and has always been, the brains and the driving force behind Oasis creatively -- and as such he should keep hold of the reins.
As far as being the dominant talent in the band, Noel couldn't agree more. "That's just a fact," were his exact words. But he's emphatic that he never wanted the responsibility of being the band's one guiding light.
"Everybody's got to make a contribution or I may as well go solo," Noel says. "I never wanted that. I always wanted to be in a real band. . . . (I was) f--kin' sick and tired of driving this car. I needed to live a little. From 1991 to 1999 . . . everybody else was getting drug habits and shagging supermodels and what was I doing? Writing f--king lyrics. . . . It was just too much."
Still, Noel continues to be the band's chief songwriter, writing more than half of Dig Out Your Soul, which takes Oasis in a heavier, more groove-laden direction than on their more recent efforts. As well, Noel's songs are almost always given a higher profile than those of his bandmates, being chosen as singles and dominating the Oasis live show.
Does Liam in particular, ever at odds with his brother, occasionally bristle at this? Should we expect him to one day break out on his own and release a solo record?
"He should do it, because he's got enough songs and they're good enough," Noel says. "But I don't think he ever will."
And why is that?
Noel's reply was delivered with a sneer. "Because he's a coward. You've got to have the balls and put 'em on the line . . . I think he likes the shield of Oasis."
If the Gallagher brothers' antagonistic attitude toward one another is an act, they deserve an Oscar. They truly do seem to dislike one another, with Liam giving as good as he gets. In recent interviews Liam has been quoted slagging his brother's singing voice (Noel takes lead vocals occasionally) and he bitterly told one journalist: "(Noel) wants to be me. I don't want to be him."
When I asked Noel if he'd ever consider writing a song with his brother, he scoffed: "We barely speak to each other let alone write f--king songs together."
It makes one wonder how they possibly function as a band, or otherwise. But then, their relationship has always been such, Noel says, going back to -- well, to Liam's birth apparently.
"I had my own room before he came along," says Noel, with a trace of sarcasm. "I had to share my room with him . . . and I've always resented him for that."
If there's one area where the Gallagher brothers have showed somewhat of a united front it's in their shared derision for the sort of art-school indie rock acts that are so embraced by critics -- the same critics who have frequently written Oasis off as a Beatles-obsessed retro band whose tunes are filled with vague, nonsensical lyrics.
"I don't consider myself to be a great lyricist," Noel admits. "But I often find the great lyricists are s--t songwriters. Pete Doherty is a great lyricist. Hum me one of his tunes right now. . . . There's (great songwriters who were also great lyricists) like John Lennon and Bob Dylan, but they're few and far between."
According to Noel, the press has never been overly fond of Oasis, even in the mid-'90s when they were hyped as the band that saved rock and roll (a claim the Gallaghers themselves made frequently, and with much amusing arrogance). "We were the best band in the world," Noel maintains. "You couldn't touch us between '94 and '96. No one could."
But Noel is quick to add that a huge part of the massive success Oasis enjoyed was timing, with the band coming along at the tail end of the grunge heyday, an era that largely took the fun out of rock, the guitarist believes. "It was just that nihilistic attitude towards life," Noel says with a look of distaste. "(Nirvana's) Kurt Cobain blowing his head off, for instance. Just divorce the b---h, man, don't kill yourself. . . . But we came along with a great album and our attitude was completely the opposite of where popular culture was at that time. . . . Things ebb and flow and it all goes in circles.
"Now, for instance, all that optimism of what the press then termed as 'Britpop' has been replaced with cynicism and all this art-school nothingness. But that was a reaction to what was going on in the '90s and it will change again."
While it was clear that Noel's ego remained mighty the week leading up to his injury in Toronto, he also seemed more grounded than when the band first stormed through North America in their younger days. "I know my limitations as a musician and a songwriter," he said, uncharacteristically humble. "(Oasis), we're not the best band in the world and we're not the worst. But regular people get us. . . . I assume it's because they can relate to us in some way, which still amazes me.
"More people get us in England than any other group, and the press -- because it's inhabited by middle-class art students -- finds that offensive in a way. Which I kind of like."
The Oasis guitarist and all-round rock legend will be chatting with Xfm London's Dave Berry live on Wednesday October 1. Find out how those ribs are...
With the new Oasis album due next week, Xfm are definitely mad fer it. And, to mark the occasion, Noel Gallagher will be dropping by Xfm London to sit in on Dave Berry's Drivetime Show from 4pm for a good old bit of banter. Expect some revelations about 'Dig Out Your Soul', those cancelled shows, and possibly a few digs at the rest of the musical universe.
And if you're not in London, or miss out, don't forget you can Listen Again to every Xfm show here.
What's more, Steve Harris will be playing some of those brand new Oasis tracks from 7pm throughout his Evening Show.
And while we're in the midst of total Oasis hysteria, get your Gallagher bros hat on and play our 'Beat The Intro' game right here.
Turning 48 yesterday, I realised the only Creation band that I still get excited about is Oasis. And who wouldn't? The band contains two world-class songwriters, and two great ones, and their new release Dig Out Your Soul is truly tremendous. It's as if they have re-imagined their discography and made their true follow-up to What's the Story Morning Glory, completing the elusive and perfect rock'n'roll trilogy that began with Definitely Maybe.
The music world needs Oasis at this moment, a band with more personality and more amusing quips than any British band for at least 10 years. Throughout their history Oasis have captured the pop zeitgeist (and my personal zeitgeist) as a band that combine the best elements of the Beatles and Sex Pistols to emerge as this generation's Rolling Stones.
"Better than Morning Glory", has become many a critic's meme when reviewing post-Morning Glory Oasis albums, thrown into reviews in a random fashion as a desperate bid to return the band to the halcyon days of old. You know what? Dig Out Your Soul is the best Oasis album since What's the Story Morning Glory. Easy.
The signs were good when I met up with the Gallagher brothers last year in Los Angeles. We discussed music and, curiously, Noel told me how much he liked Glasvegas. I was surprised that he had heard of them at that point. The evening fell into typical Oasis debauchery: hanging out with Brody Dalle and Biffy Clyro and ending up in a dub club in east LA with Oasis participating in a stage invasion. The surreal nature of being Noel Gallagher must be bizarre. Noel, at his best, writes songs about pure escapism, northern ambition and transcending class culture, all in rock'n'roll Technicolor. The question is: "What do you do when you've achieved all your dreams?" You return to your youth and get back to who you were.
Dig Out Your Soul works because Noel has returned to the original inspiration of his youth for his songwriting. Definitely Maybe was about their dreams of rock'n'roll stardom, Morning Glory was about achieving the dream, Be Here Now was the coked-up aftermath, now Dig Out Your Soul is a glance to a psychedelic yesterday, again. For me, the past five post-Morning Glory albums never captured the magic of the first two. Songs from the past five albums had moments of pop reverberations and incredible songwriting, but were never complete statements. With Dig Out Your Soul, the notorious Oasis brothers have found their mojo. It's back, without a doubt.
Musically, it's a return to the grander ambitions and excess of before, with Noel stating: "But I kind of like fancy! I'd like to make an absolutely fucking colossal album. You know? Like literally two orchestras, stuff like that." Dig Out Your Soul is Oasis at their most baroque and Noel's pure pop ambition sits easily with his experimental side. The album oozes with confidence, and great songs.
Maybe it is their the lucky seventh album? The Beatles and the Stones released Revolver and Beggar's Banquet respectively, both were album number seven, and Dig Out Your Soul is on a par of with both in terms of classic songwriting. Or maybe it was his musical peer Paul Weller who inspired Noel to turn his back on Britpop and take a more eclectic direction after Weller's own opus of 22 Dreams? Noel Gallagher has said that Shock of the Lightning was the only song that had "Oasis single status" as the rest is far removed from the sound of Oasis.
I love the decision not to make the album freely available to download, as the Charlatans and Radiohead have. Noel's decision to release the sheet music and lyrics is very Noel; not encouraging free music, but encouraging kids to pick up guitars, learn songs and YouTube them. Or forming a personal army of New York City buskers to perform Dig Out Your Soul - and why not?
These songs are fantastic. From the opening Bag It Up, with the "freaks coming out through the floor", capturing the sound of drug psychosis; the Buffalo Springfield raga glam-stomp of Get Off Your High Horse Lady; the street-fighting vibe of Waiting for the Rapture, the Left Bank psychedelic baroqueness of To Be Where There's Life; the Dear Prudence lift on The Turning - Dig Out Your Soul is the sound of one of Britain's greatest bands at play.
Liam's soulful vocals are utter gems, no longer the one-take hooligan of before, he plays it like a psychedelic Elvis, underpinning the tracks with a commanding presence. Noel's vocal turn on Falling Down is one of the best tracks he has ever sang on. It is subtle, haunting, and full of pure Noel Gallagher magic.
I understand that openly admitting to liking Oasis is inviting confrontation, but you know what? Being an Oasis fan is never having to say I'm sorry. And I'm not. Leave saying sorry to the Coldplay imitators as their era of bedwetter music is over. It's only Glasvegas and Oasis for competition in this country. If you are in a band and are not artistically competing with the creative rock'n'roll genius of Oasis or Glasvegas, it's time to just stop and get off the treadmill. This is how rock'n'roll should be done in the United Kingdom today.
Bacharach - Gallagher Reunion at BBC Electric Proms?
This Guy's in Love With You ( Noel Gallagher vocals / Burt Bacharach )
Rock band Oasis have joined the line-up for this year's BBC Electric Proms, it was announced on Monday.
The Manchester band will be closing the proms with a performance on 26 October at the Roundhouse in London, accompanied by a 50-piece choir.
They join headliners Keane, Razorlight and The Last Shadow Puppets, as well as The Streets and Tony Christie.
The music festival will be held from 22-26 October. Tickets for Oasis go on sale at 8.15am on 30 September.
Talking on Radio 1's Chris Moyles show Noel Gallagher revealed that the band would be playing many of their hits.
He said the boys hadn't worked out which songs they would be performing with the Crouch End Choir but it would probably be more than half.
He said: "We haven't decided yet, we've got to go and have a little rehearsal up in Crouch End this week.
"I'm not sure what songs we're going to sing, how it's going to look or what it's going to be."
He added that the band would be performing about six or seven songs from the new album.
"It's quite a long show this time. We usually only play for about an hour and 40 minutes. It's maybe approaching two hours this time, so it's quite long for us," he said.
Noel said he would like to do a song with veteran crooner Burt Bacharach who's also appearing in the line-up, after singing with him once before at the Royal Festival Hall.
He said: "We met him in LA. We were staying in this hotel and he happened to wander in.
"He was coming to England for the first time in 30 years. We were chatting away to him because his picture's on the front of Definitely Maybe.
"He was getting guest singers to sing all these different songs. And I asked 'Who's singing This Guy's In Love With You' and he said, 'Will you do it?'"
"I didn't actually take him that seriously until he got to London. It's the only time I've ever sung without a guitar."
Burt Bacharach will be opening the event in London, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.
To mark the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever topping the charts in the UK, Robin Gibb will also perform alongside Sam Sparro and Sharleen Spiteri.
Last year Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Editors, Reverend And The Makers, Mark Ronson, Chemical Brothers and Sir Paul McCartney were among the acts who performed.
The first BBC Electric Proms was held two years ago when Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon's The Good, The Bad and The Queen played their debut live show.
Oasis Announce US Tour Dates In Support Of Their New Album Dig Out Your Soul
Set To Play Madison Square Garden, December 17th
New York, NY � Oasis announce today the American leg of their Dig Out Your Soul world tour. The tour, the band�s first US tour in 3 years, kicks off on December 3 in Oakland, CA and includes the band�s triumphant return to NYC�s Madison Sq. Garden on December 17th. This US tour follows Oasis' biggest ever UK arena tour which sold over 180,000 tickets within an hour of going on sale. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals will be Special Guests on all dates.
Tickets for the Madison Square Garden show goes on sale Friday, October 3 at 10am. Tickets will be available at www.livenation.com. To charge by phone dial 212.307.7171. Tickets will be available at the Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall box offices beginning Saturday, October 4th.
Tickets are priced at $79.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50
Oasis is set to release their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul on October 7th. The album and the Noel Gallagher penned first single, �The Shock of the Lightning,� mark the first Oasis music to be released on their own Big Brother label. Dig Out Your Soul sees Dave Sardy return to the producer�s chair following his work on their 2005 album, �Don�t Believe The Truth.� Recorded at Abbey Road and mixed in Los Angeles, all four members once again contribute tracks.
For a limited time, every Oasis ticket order made through Ticketmaster, comes with the option to upgrade to a special package containing your concert ticket, the brand new "Dig Out Your Soul" cd, and an exclusive Oasis t-shirt available ONLY in this promotion. www.Ticketmaster.com
Dec. 3: Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Oracle Arena Box Office and charge by phone at (510) 625 8497
Dec. 4: Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, select Macy's stores, WhereHouse Music, Beverley Center, Ritmo Latino, Staples Center Box Office and charge by phone at (213) 480 3232 and (714) 740 2000
Dec. 6: Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, The Pearl Box Office, and charge by phone at (702) 474 4000
Dec. 8: Denver, CO - Broomfield Events Ctr. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, select Macy's stores, select FYE stores, Cherry Creek Shopping Center Guest Services Desk, Official Visitors Center (1600 California St.), Twist & Shout, and charge by phone at (303) 830 8497 & (719) 520 9090.
Dec. 10: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Target Center Box Office and charge by phone at (651) 989 5151
Dec. 12: Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Allstate Arena Box Office and charge by phone at (248) 655 6666
Dec. 13: Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office and charge by phone (248) 377 0125
Dec. 15: London, ON - John LaBatt Centre (rescheduled 9/9 date). Tickets available from John Labatt Centre, Fanshawe College BizBooth, The Bookstore at Western, Book Plus & (519) 667 5700
Dec. 17: New York, NY - Madison Sq. Garden. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Madison Square Garden Box Office and charge by phone (212) 465 6000
Dec. 19: Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Center. Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Susquehanna Bank Center Box Office and charge by phone (856) 338 2000, (215) 336 2000, (302) 984 2000 &
Dec. 20: Washington, DC - GMU Patriot Center. Tickets available from Ticketmaster, GMU Patriot Center, 9:30 Club Box Office, Merriweather Post Pavilion Box Office and charge by phone at (703) 993 3000, (800) 551 7328 or (202) 397 7328
Dig Out Your Soul Tops All Downloads on Russian MP3 Site
Popular Russian MP3 Site MusicMp3 added the new Oasis album to their download store last week over a full week ahead of the official release date.
This apparently has not stopped Dig Out Your Soul to climb to number one on the download chart ahead of Kings of Leon and T.I.
Although MusicMp3 is criticised for selling their music catalogue at discount prices (approx 15 cents/song) they have been able to evade legal pressure by the courts in Europe and the US for years and are the last of the big Russian download sites still available on line. The company claims to pay license fees for all the materials subject to the Law of the Russian Federation "On Copyright and Related Rights".
Don't forget to pick up a copy of DOYS at your local Store on Oct. 6th!
Noel Gallagher Has Praise For Blur - Confirms Liverpool Gig
OASIS rocker NOEL GALLAGHER has buried his feud with arch rivals BLUR after 13 years - and confesses he is a fan of their music. The Wonderwall hitmaker had a public falling out with the Parklife stars in 1995, when their records were released on the same day and went head-to-head in the British singles charts.
The two bands have remained enemies ever since, with frontmen Liam Gallagher and Damon Albarn often hurling insults at each other in public.Now guitarist Noel Gallagher appears to have forgiven the band - by praising one of their songs.
Talking on British comedian Russell Brand's BBC radio show on Sunday (28Sep08), he described Blur's chart-topping single Beetlebum as "a great tune". Gallagher also confirmed that Oasis' world tour - which was put on hold after he was injured in an onstage attack at the V Festival in Toronto, Canada earlier this month (Sep08) - is back on.
He added: "(My ribs) are on the mend. The next gig is in 10 days in Liverpool (England). I'm not gonna be right for that, it takes another five weeks to heal up, but we've got to start that tour because it'll be two years' work out the window!"
Oasis' tour starts at Liverpool Echo Arena on Oct 7
Oasis will be headlining and closing this year's BBC Electric Proms. The band will play at The Roundhouse in London on Sunday 26th October.
The gig is set to be a special one with Oasis being accompanied by the Crouch End Festival Chorus.
Noel had this to say about the gig, �We are doing the Electric Proms, and we're doing it with the Crouch End Choir as well... there's 50 odd of them...because some of the songs on the album have got a 50 piece choir on them. So we're gonna do a night at the Proms with that lot, it should be good actually� Ennio Morricone uses them for his spaghetti western stuff in England, so I�m already looking forward to that because I�ve never played the Roundhouse and I�ve never done the Proms.�
The Oasis performance will be broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 9pm on 26th October, and on BBC2 at 22:45pm on the same day. Fans outside the UK can watch the performance for a week after the festival along with photos and interviews at www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms
Tickets will go on sale at 8.15am on Tuesday September 30th. For more info, go to www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms for details.
These are intriguing times for Britain's most totemic rock band, even for those immune to their powers. After years of entrenched positions, Oasis's Gallagher brothers have swapped public roles. Once the pied piper of lairiness, Liam now jogs every morning, cooks salmon and retires early.
For so long the elder statesman, Noel continues to enjoy getting messy out on the town. Even though the debauchery of his Supernova Heights days is avowedly behind him, he's written a song about the high jinks of getting high, with the album opener, 'Bag It Up'.
As their new record's title suggests, Oasis are supplementing the safe rockers - like the singularly unshocking single 'The Shock of the Lightning' - with feints towards what you might call supernova depths. Or rather, an easily assimilable facsimile of depth that doesn't stray too far from the Beatles.
Their seventh album is persuasively psychedelic in parts, however, with more attention than usual to grooves, drones and Fab Four orientalism. This is good news. Dubbed 'krautpop' by Noel, 'Falling Down' actually replays the Chemical Brothers's 'Setting Sun' (on which Noel sang) only with fewer beats, and more haze.
Another track even sceptics might respect is 'Get Off Your High Horse Lady', a bluesy spaghetti Western dirge. Unfortunately, the psychedelics turn into a bad trip on Archer's'To Be Where There's Life', a guitar-free, sitar-sodden Eastern pastiche. From there, you make your own fun, bingo-spotting the references to the Beatles' era - revolutions in heads, butterflies on wheels and the like.
There are more giggles, thanks to Liam, who seemingly can't write a song without the word 'song' in it: it recurs in 'I'm Outta Time', his most vulnerable ballad yet, 'Ain't Got Nothing', and album closer 'Soldier On'. Most priceless of all is the conviction with which Liam voices Andy Bell's song, 'The Nature Of Reality': 'The nature of reality/Is pure subjective fantasy', sneers the singer as he once might have hymned cigarettes and alcohol. Intriguing times, indeed.
Oasis will top the first weekly live-music chart, which will be launched next week, 55 years after the conventional chart, based on record sales, appeared in the UK.
It will measure the popularity of leading artists using data provided by online exchanges, including eBay, Seatwave and Viagogo, which have become the most popular way of buying tickets to gigs. Price comparison site Tixdaq.com is behind the new chart, which will be published in industry bible Music Week
Over the past seven days, more fans have bought tickets to see Oasis, who begin an 18-date UK tour in Liverpool next month, than any other act. US rock band The Kings of Leon are number two in the new chart. Tixdaq.com founder Will Muirhead said: 'Live music has traditionally played second fiddle to records. The Tixdaq.com chart reflects the importance of live music as the fastest-growing sector of the music market.'
Figures from music rights collection society MCPS-PRS last week suggested the live music industry was worth �1.08bn in 2007, not far behind the �1.39bn recorded music market.
The Making Of Dig Out Your Soul - Documentary Video
The preview takes a look behind the scenes of the recording of the new album, 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
The preview is taken from the 'Gold & Silver & Sunshine' documentary, the full-version of which is available on DVD with the Limited Edition album, Box-Set or via digital download from Oasisinet or iTunes.
The new designs exclusive to HMV go on sale on October the 6th and can be preordered from their website HERE
Also from play.com
This T-shirt to coincide with the release of Oasis new album. Play.com have secured this as an exclusive product with Oasis management company for all the many fans on the site.
This is strictly limited edition and is a one time chance to own 1 of only 2000 T's that will be produced UK wide click here for more information.
After the cancellation disappointment for NYC Oasis fans, the All England Club brings you good news. Join us for the official Oasis pre-release listening party next week!
Come down to The Professor's Loft on October 2nd and get mad fer it. We'll play Dig Out Your Soul before its Oct. 7th release date, play a full night of Oasis tunes and we'll have plenty of Oasis giveaways as well. From 9-10pm there will be complimentary Boddington's, and from 12-1am we'll have complimentary Bulldog Gin and Yellowglen Champagne cocktails to keep the festive mood going, and we'll even provide proper English tea sandwiches!
The All England Club presents the Official Oasis Listening Party October 2, 2008 9pm @ The Professor's Loft (219 2nd Ave. @ 14th Street, NYC) Admission: FREE Listening party for Dig Out Your Soul from 9-10pm Oasis giveaways all night- All Oasis tunes all night DJs Cockfosters and Sacha of the morning after girls Complimentary drinks provided by Boddington's Pub Ale, Bulldog Gin, and Yellowglen Champagne Complimentary tea sandwiches provided by Papa Lima Sandwiches RSVP: allenglandclub (at) gmail.com
Our partner site SCYHO had a chance to send their friend Tom to a Big Brother DOYS listening party. Here is Tom's report !
We got to the location in London at 6:15 Wednesday and we were among 15 lucky fans to listen to the new Oasis album twice.
Steve from Big Brother checked the names of the people who else had won a chance to listen to the album, we then walked round the corner to the venue.
They supplied us with free beer and snacks, we then went upstairs to listen to the album. We all sat around some weird oval table it was very business like.
We listened to album twice and then he Steve said he had a surprise for us and got a courier to deliver a CD over with Boy With The Blues, he said we were amongst a handful of people who had listened to it.
Boy With The Blues is better then Ain't Got Nothing and Soldier On, that I had heard earlier in the evening.
It has a choir on it, The song is about 4 minutes 40 long.
"You got nothing to lose, you're the boy with the blues" and "Come together for you" repeated load of times by Liam and his backing singers.
It would make a good album closer and is definitely better than Soldier On,, that I heard twice earlier.
They also played us 'I Believe In All', it's a tune in the vein of Pass Me Down The Wine.
They had one of the deluxe box sets there and it was passed around, I had a look at the lyrics books and the vinyls etc. If you've ordered one you'll be very happy. It's huge.
I also asked Steve from Big Brother about a few things, after the listening.
He said "To Be Where There's Life" version on the bonus disc is them live in the studio.
He also said there is no definite next single lined up....asked him about Wiz being the Director and he just said "how do you know that"
The footage from the rehearsal gig that the band did for fans in London last month is still being edited and there are currently no plans for release.
I also asked how Noel was, he said he has seen him around the Big Brother office and is still in a lot of pain following the attack in Canada..
How I rated the Album, track by track...
Bag It Up - 09/10 The Turning - 10/10 Waiting For The Rapture - 10/10 The Shock Of The Lightning - 09/10 I'm Outta Time - 10/10 (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady - 08/10 Falling Down - 10/10 To Be Where There's Life - 09/10 Ain't Got Nothin' - 07/10 The Nature of Reality - 07/10 Soldier On - 08/10
It's a great album, up there with the best.
We also got given 'The Shock Of The Lightning' on Vinyl, 'Falling Down' CD Promo, Oasis badge, Oasis darts and the NME Promo CD.
Also special thanks to the kind folks at Big Brother!
What's been rumored on various fan forums for quite a long time now is expected to finally become official on Oct 3rd. Pencil in December 17th for the return of Oasis to the 'world's most famous arena' Madison Square Garden.
Our sources tell us that the concert's promoters Live Nation will add a second night (18th) if the gig sells out fast. Stay tuned.
This info has yet to be confirmed by Oasis' management
What makes a great frontman or woman? Clearly, it's not just about vocal ability. Iggy Pop "sings" like a lobotomised donkey yet he's utterly magnetic onstage.
At the same time, if can't just be a question of flamboyant 'showmanship'. If it were, uninhibited berks like Justin Hawkins would dominate the field.
Evidently, the quality we're looking for is a little harder to define � an alchemical mix of looks, charisma, virtuosity and sexuality. Just let's not call it the 'X factor', shall we?
Oasis' Liam Gallagher is currently in the lead....
Oasis can now announce that their special performance at the Gloria Theatre in Cologne has been rescheduled to Friday the 7th November.
The concert, originally set for September 29, was postponed after Noel Gallagher received three broken ribs when he was attacked while performing on stage at a festival in Toronto, Canada.
Oasis' show at the Gloria Theatre is being broadcast live on Eins Live and their radio partners Bremen Vier, Das Ding, MDR Jump, N-Joy, Radio Eins, Unser Ding, and You FM, together with radio stations in twelve other European countries making this the biggest ever live radio broadcast by a single artist in Germany.
Tickets purchased for the show on Sep 29th will remain valid for the new date. Customers who can't attend the show on this day can get a ticket refund - information is available by phoning Tickets Per Post +49 - (069) - 9443660 or sending an email to tickets@tickets-per-post.de. Refunds will receive preferred treatment if they are filed before Nov 4, 0.00 h
Our track-by-track guide to the band's seventh album...
by Gigwise
Oasis are finally back, and Gigwise has the essential track by track guide ahead of the release of their eagerly awaited seventh studio album �Dig Out Your Soul�.
We can lay any uncomfortable anxieties to bed straight away because this album goes beyond the realms of what we expected.
The elegantly flowing order creates a feeling of one continuous piece of music and gives a swift slap across the download a song here and there generation. So now for the tracks�
1. Bag It Up - A striking start to the album and a quick insight into the psychedelia that lies within. Faultless changes including the gritty serene pre chorus: �Someone tell me I�m dreaming/The freaks are rising up through the floor,� delivers in a way only Liam could. Then the onslaught of the sleazy charismatic chorus: �Lay your love on the fire when you come on in/ I got my hee-bee-jee-bees in a hidden bag,� adds the final flavour to a filling starter.
2. The Turning - A slightly reticent comedown from the raucous power of the previous five minutes - and an effortlessly flowing transition from it also. A simple patiently building rock �n� roll belter that moves from calmly stroked chords into a cacophony chorus where Liam lets rip.
3. Waiting for the Rapture - John Desmore and Robby Krieger seem to meet the band for Noel Gallagher�s first vocal outing. It�s the glam and the sleaze that add sinister beauty to a crush of charm. Noel�s high vocal moments are forceful and bounce well with the sharp guitar that pops in and out.
4. The Shock Of The Lightning - The first single to be lifted and one all should be familiar with already. It�s the quick pace and the Keith Moon drum style solo that elevates this track from any monotony that may trouble the cynics. A powerful, driving song intertwined with drips of imposing organ.
5. I�m Outta Time - One of the most talked about tracks at the moment. Liam�s ode to Mr. Lennon does not disappoint. The opening �La La La La� put you off the scent for a moment before the handsome ballad comes alive with Liam�s heart felt vocal. His affection is apparent and it will add a tear to the more emotionally sensitive. �If I�m to fall would you be there to applaud/ Or would you hide behind them all,� rings the chorus and showcases Liam for the great songwriter he has finally become. The speech sample from Lennon that ends: �Are you going to be there when I get back,� is eerie and adds the final poignant stroke.
6. (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady - This song is all about the drums, clapping and the single cowbell note that brings them flourishing further down the line. Noel�s effect laid vocal is uncompromisingly dastardly genius. The song typifies the fantastic effort that has gone into the production on the album. An expertly chosen follow up from the beauty of the previous effort before the beach walking sounds move into the oncoming brilliance.
7. Falling Down - This is one of �those songs�. The orchestra promotes a yearning for big things and delivers sophisticatedly. The drums again play the key role in the song. The jumping quick beat juxtaposed with a dark yet soft Noel vocal washes a sense of awe over the whole thing. There is something even more emotionally attaching then Liam�s ballad, and is certainly one of Noel�s best in years both vocally and structurally.
8. To Be Where There�s Life - The Eastern musical influences are apparent throughout but what elevates this Gem track is the powerful Liam vocal that dances coherently rather then a sneeze of confusion. The bass line typifies a Gallagher strut and marches on authoritatively. The plunge back into the verse and the scream of �Dig Out Your Soul� is the intelligent equivalent of an hour listening to Stephen Fry.
9. Ain�t Got Nothin� - This is Liam standing right in your face scowling with frightening intent. It�s The Who all over with the Oasis magic sprinkled on. A short number but grand nonetheless.
10. The Nature Of Reality - Maracas shake and then in comes the Beatles �Revolution�/�Heltter Skelter� style single note ringing before dropping into an 80s stadium rock beat that oozes the classic British feel. Imagine John Bonham meeting Pete Willis for a jam ensuring there�s enough reverb making headway to keep Spinal Tap�s Nigel Tuffnell happy.
11. Soldier On - A plodding groovy beat under an echoy Liam vocal climaxes the album with the same feel as a soundtrack behind credits. The �Baba O�Reily�-esque synthesiser stepping in along with the melodica end the album with a sense of the close of a dream. It�s trippy, it�s haunting, and it�s brilliant once again.
To summarise, this is an album that truly takes hold of all expectations and desires and delivers a punch that will not only shake your bones � but any one who manages to stand in a near radius of you. Get pre-ordering now.
NYC band The GoStation gives 'See The Sun' the cover treatment
With a new Oasis album just weeks from release, New York rock band The GoStation have paid tribute to the legendary Britpop powerhouse by offering up their own take on one of the Manchester outfit's earliest songs.
Included among the first batch of Oasis demos from 1992, "See The Sun" was never given a proper studio outing, and has remained available only through bootleged versions of what have become know as the band's "Lost Tapes."
The GoStation incorporated the track into their live sets early on, eventually recording their updated version with the intent of giving the "lost" track the airing they felt it always deserved.
"Oasis have released so many world-shattering tunes throughout their career, but this one got left behind," says GoStation frontman Doug Levy. "We've always thought it's a really great song, though, and that it provides a good picture of where the band were coming from when they first started out. Seeing their progression from back then to where they are now is really inspiring."
Often receiving their own comparisons to Oasis, as well as kindred spirits The Verve and The Stone Roses, The GoStation have become known for straddling the divide between US and UK sensibilities, bringing a decidedly British tone to their New York City rock epics. The band released their debut album, Passion Before Function, in 2007. Produced by Bill Racine (Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave), the album spawned the singles "All Together Now" and "Not Enough" and saw the band embraced across the US.
The Brooklyn-based five-piece are currently at work on their follow-up album, due for release in 2009. The first result of the new sessions is "Berlin Rose," produced by Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, John Lennon), which is currently available for both streaming and free download on the band's website and MySpace page.
The unmastered cover of "See The Sun" is also available in both locations. "It's just something we wanted to put out there for the fans, both of our band and Oasis," says guitarist Matt Friedlander. "Without Oasis, we probably wouldn't be doing what we're doing right now, so we're happy to give something back. We just hope they appreciate the gesture!"
Oasis rockers Noel and Liam Gallagher have shared their secrets behind new album Dig Out Your Soul.
Returning to Abbey Road studios, this time they have absolutely nailed it.
Here I can bring you the first full track-by-track rundown � with the band talking you through their big return.
And in the words of Noel: �Bring on the ****ing tuba.�
Since Be Here Now the band have scaled down their sound. The original plan this time was to strip it back even further.
But once in the incredible surroundings of the legendary London studios used by The Beatles that didn�t last long.
Noel revealed: �That went out the window at about lunch on the first day. It was, like, �Let�s put another guitar on it, bring on the ****ing tuba�. Next thing there�s a 50-piece choir on the phone.
�Last time we went to Abbey Road we got kicked out. We were doing Be Here Now and were all a bit mad then. It�s nice to finally do a whole album there.�
Opener Bag It Up is a storming statement of intent for the album�s blow-the-roof-off philosophy. Heartfelt second track The Turning is one of the album�s best.
Noel then takes over vocals for Waiting For The Rapture, a heavy, stonking, three-minute belter.
First single The Shock Of The Lightning was written by Noel in the studio.
Frontman Liam said: �That�s what making records is all about. We�re punk rock when we get cracking on it. Some days we spend a lot of time on the melody when we should be leathering the **** out of it.�
Fifth up is I�m Outta Time, a real highlight and Liam�s finest songwriting moment yet.
The tender John Lennon-inspired tune is a definite single.
Liam said: �I didn�t go out to write a song like that, it just happened. I find it hard with words. If I found it easier with words I�d be huge. Bigger than WH Smith.�
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady shows off the band�s more mature sound, with a stripped-down opening that reminds me of Beatles White Album track Rocky Raccoon.
Track seven, Falling Down � the album�s second single � is another big, orchestral number with Noel on vocals.
Next up is To Be Where There�s Life, where guitarist Gem Archer takes over songwriting duties.
And Gem revealed: �There are no guitars on it � they weren�t allowed.�
Track nine is a Liam-penned and snarl-filled number, Ain�t Got Nothin�.
The Nature Of Reality next up couples philosophical lyrics with stomping guitars.
Then album closer Soldier On is a great, trippy, echo-filled end to a cracking record.
I�ll let Noel sum it all up.
He said: �What do I want people to take from it? Don�t know.
�As long as they buy it, possibly tell one of their friends to buy it, then come to see us live and buy a T-shirt. That�ll do.�
There is also a EPK here, with the band discussing the songs.
The Oasis show on September 13th at the Bataclan in Paris (France) that was postponed yesterday is rescheduled for November 10th.
As per NME radio the band also has planned to return to Canada for a makeup show before year's end (Dec. 15th / via Oasisinet). Stay tuned for more show dates !
Liam Gallagher has exclusively revealed to MTV Two that he thought his brother Noel had been stabbed after a fan attacked in Canada recently.
Noel was seriously injured- suffering three broken ribs- when an audience member jumped on stage and pushed the guitarist into him amps on September 8.
Now Oasis have spoken for the first time about the incident to Gonzo�s own Zane Lowe.
Liam revealed: �It was f*cking dark�.but it could�ve been a lot worse that�s the way I look at it. The guy�s gonna get dealt with. I thought he (Noel) had been stabbed.�
Showing brotherly concern he added: �It won�t be happening again I can assure you of that.�
Older sibling Noel also spoke about the incident and admitted he also thought he had been stabbed:
He said: �At first�cos it had been raining and there were puddles around�I thought I�d been stabbed� for a split second I shit it.� Gallagher was also concerned that the attacker would become famous for his actions: �Loads of Oasis fans put his name on the website and did wanted posters�which just adds to the infamy.�
The man- Daniel Sullivan- was arrested by Canadian authorities after the incident.
You can watch the full Oasis interview with Zane Lowe when Oasis Week kick's off, Monday Oct 6th at 21.00 on MTV TWO
Fans who pre-order 'Dig Out Your Soul' will get free download
Oasis are set to give away a new Liam Gallagher-penned song, 'I Believe In All', as a free download.
Fans who pre-order the band's forthcoming new album, 'Dig Out Your Soul', from iTunes, will receive the song as a free download on the day of the album's release � October 6.
The song was recorded during the 'Dig Out Your Soul' sessions, but does not appear on the album.
Those who pre-order will also receive album track 'Falling Down' at the time of ordering.
Oasis have also announced that they will make a "simple" ten-track version of the album available to download for �5 when the album is released.
The full download version of the album will come with a half-hour documentary about the making of 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
Oasis have been forced to scrap Saturday�s UK comeback show.
Doctors have told Noel Gallagher to rest for at least another week after breaking three ribs when a nutter attacked him on stage in Canada.
Along with the gig at Cornwall�s Eden Project, shows in Cologne and Paris next week are also off.
The band�s UK arena tour will kick off as scheduled on October 7 in Liverpool. Noel, who�s been laid up for more than two weeks, will co-host Russell Brand's Radio 2 show from 9pm on Saturday.
Live4ever's Newsroom reported the leak to you minutes after it occurred last week but the mainstream press did not report it until now.....
Oasis album leaks on internet
Oasis release their new album Dig Out Your Soul on 6 October
The new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, has leaked online.
Tracks from the record have been posted on a number of messageboards and fan forums ahead of its official release on 6 October.
The leak comes just six weeks after album track Falling Down, was also posted online.
Despite the full LP appearing online, Newsbeat understands that the band will not be bringing its release date forward.
Oasis have had similar problems with albums appearing online ahead of schedule in the past.
Their last record Don't Believe The Truth found its way onto the internet a month ahead of its official release date. A verison of their 2002 album Heathen Chemistry also leaked three months in advance.
Oasis are being forced to postpone three further shows as a result of the injuries Noel sustained when he was attacked on stage in Toronto.
A CT scan has now revealed that Noel suffered three broken and dislodged ribs in the attack and he has been advised by his doctor that he will not be able to perform for at least another week.
The three affected shows are the Eden Project, Cornwall on the 27th September, the Gloria Theatre, Cologne on the 29th September and Bataclan, Paris on September 30. All three shows will be rescheduled and fans are advised to retain their tickets pending further announcements.
The Oasis UK Arena Tour, beginning Oct 7, is going ahead as planned.
Singer says 'Dig Out Your Soul' is a revelation like 'Kid A'
Ryan Adams has compared the feel of Oasis' new album to Radiohead's most experimental work.
The singer, who supported Oasis when they kicked off their world tour in the US in August, says that 'Dig Out Your Soul' hit him the same way that the Oxford band's 2000 album 'Kid A' did.
"The first time I heard 'Kid A' I went 'OK, I have no fucking idea what kind of music this is but it's moving me. It sounds like a revelation.' That's what the new Oasis stuff sounds like it sounds like," Adams told The Quietus.com. "They have entered into some strange uncanny spiritual crazy door and have just lost themselves completely to it and it is marvellous."
Adams went on to praise frontman Liam Gallagher's songwriting on the new album � due out on October 6 � particularly after the criticism he received for his initial efforts on the 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' album back in 2000.
"He is so abstract I can't believe how far he's come..." declared Adams. "[I said to him] 'Oh you know you could have stopped at 'Little James' for me and I would have been forever ruined in a perfect way . . . because the idea that like you just sort of went like 'I'm going to try this [songwriting] and your brother was so inspired by that', it's so beautiful you know."
He may not be Oasis' frontman -- that'd be his little brother Liam -- but Noel Gallagher has never been afraid to shoot off his mouth. "Ten years ago we told everyone with a mic we were the greatest thing ever," he says. "Now we just quietly believe it." By Michael Odell
Photographed for SPIN by Alan Clarke
A beaming Noel Gallagher strolls across the floor of a North London photo studio enthusing about a new and exciting phase of his life, looking lean and reasonably healthy in every�bloke casualwear: blue checked shirt, jeans, and desert boots. It's not just that he has a seventh Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, ready for release or that he has spent a morning playing with his one�year�old son, Donovan, whom he describes as "an absolute diamond." It's the fact that he has started sleepwalking.
"Last night I got into bed with me missus and woke up on the middle floor of the house on the couch," he says. "Amazing! I'm 41 and I'm starting this whole new nocturnal adventure." He and his girlfriend, Sara Macdonald, were out drinking beer and tequila with British comedian Russell Brand until the early hours -- Gallagher doesn't remember anything after climbing into a rickshaw in London's Soho district and being cheered through the streets. "Maybe that counts as a drunken stupor," he muses. "Is that the same as sleepwalking?"
Dig Out Your Soul sounds like you ordered in the ingredients, and all the labels on the jars read ROCK or MORE ROCK.
I'm glad you said that. Yes, we wanted a rock'n'roll album...with grooves. Making records should be fun. I remember seeing Radiohead on the cover of a magazine in the U.K. when In Rainbows came out, and it said, RADIOHEAD: THE PAIN. And I thought, "Won't you fucking give it a rest, you bunch of moaning children?" The pain? Of making an album? I don't buy it. If you're not having a laugh, then don't do it.
Surely the whole process wasn't all fun.
Well, no, there was a problem on day one. I had seven songs I was putting forward. They weren't pop songs; they were bluesy. We had a meeting and I said, "Let's concentrate more on bass and guitars and have more keyboards and get some remixes done." Liam immediately had a tantrum in the studio and was dancing round saying, "No one told me we were making a fucking dance album! I'm not having this shit. We're a rock band." One day he saw some crew unloading keyboards into the studio and went mad: "What are those fucking keyboards doing in here? That's too many keyboards for a rock'n'roll band." How long has Liam been doing this? He has an irrational fear of keyboards. But this is the man who thought we had gone too dance when I wrote "Wonderwall" because the drums didn't go boom-boom bap, boom-boom-bap. Liam is very institutionalized by being in Oasis. He's been doing it for so long. Me, [guitarist] Gem [Archer], and [bassist] Andy [Bell] were helping him arrange his song "I'm Outta Time" and tried to ease him away from the clich�s. But in the end, he can't resist them.
Liam told me he hates "Wonderwall." It's the one song he literally hates singing.
That's interesting, because he would never say that to me. Well, I hate him singing it, too. Liam doesn't sound like he did ten years ago. Your voice and your body change. We've never got it right. It's too slow or too fast. I think Ryan Adams is the only person who ever got that song right. I'd love to do the Ryan Adams version, but in front of 60,000 Oasis fans that wouldn't be possible.
Liam is finally pulling his weight in the songwriting department, isn't he? He wrote three for the new album.
Yeah, he's a good songwriter. I think he regrets not starting earlier. For years I've said, "If you're so convinced you're John Lennon, then prove it."
Why don't you ever write together?
We don't see each other very often. And I like writing on my own. Me and Paul Weller first said, "Let's write a song together," in 1993, but it took 15 years for it to happen. [Gallagher and Weller cowrote "Echoes Round the Sun" for Weller's latest album, 22 Dreams.] A few times [Weller and I] made an appointment to meet at so-and-so studio at 11, and it's painful. We sit there looking blankly at each other. And then we go down to the pub. With Liam, I wouldn't know where to start.
You quit drugs in the late '90s. "Bag It Up" sounds quite psychedelic. Are you back on mood-altering substances?
No, "Bag It Up" is my little artistic statement. Not in the Coldplay sense. In fact, it's an anti-artistic statement. I spend a lot of time with Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian getting fucking pissed, and he sent me a CD of stuff he was listening to. There was a track by the Pretty Things called "Baron Saturday." I became obsessed by that pounding rhythm, and I decided to write about acid trips I used to have. Running around being a mad cunt on magic mushrooms was my inspiration for them lyrics. I don't want people to think it's art, though.
What do you mean?
Well, Coldplay and Radiohead -- they're artists, aren't they? Damon Albarn, he's an artist. They make art. That's what I keep getting told, anyway. I do like those bands, but they're all posh boys who went to art school. [Oasis] come off a council estate [public housing]. It comes out of here. [Thumps his heart with a clenched fist] "Bag It Up" is anti-that. It's a mongrel.
Your old rival Albarn has done Blur, an album in Mali, the virtual band Gorillaz, the Good, the Bad & the Queen, and now a Chinese opera. Does a part of you think, "I wish I'd taken more risks"?
The only thing I've got left to try to do is a solo album with a narrative running through it. Something like Greendale, by Neil Young. That would be as near art as I get. But even if I wanted to, how would I go about writing an opera?
Well, you already have the passionate central relationship, the tragic fallings-out
I don't think two blokes having the same fucking argument for 16 years over and over is the stuff of opera. Oasis: The Opera would be very short. The fat lady would refuse to sing it. But I say this with no irony: It must be very nice to be able to turn your hand to anything. I'm not that driven. To go from Britpop and write a Chinese opera about a monkey, hats off to the guy. I couldn't do it. And it got good reviews, although how you assess whether a Chinese opera about a monkey is any good is beyond me. But in my own defense, Damon isn't actually in Blur, Gorillaz, or the Good, the Bad & the Queen, is he? He's got time on his hands. That's when an opera comes to you.
You said you wanted the new Oasis album to have grooves. And yet you came out and said Jay-Z headlining Glastonbury was "wrong."
Well, I never said those words. You need verbatim quotes here. I've been doing interviews with American magazines, and the way it's played itself out is that I said Jay-Z had no right to play Glastonbury, which is a crock of horseshit. I got off a plane and someone asked me about the fact that Glastonbury hadn't sold out for the first time in years, and if it was because of Jay-Z. I innocently mused that that was probably right. From there it grew into this crap that I was standing on an orange crate at Speakers' Corner saying, "Gather round, brothers and sisters. Have you heard what's happening at Glastonbury this year?"
But still, you sounded reactionary and old-fashioned
I have a certain turn of phrase. So if I say, "Chicken sandwiches in McDonald's are just plain fucking wrong," it doesn't mean I'm attacking all chickens or all sandwiches. I've hung out with Jay-Z in Tokyo. I've seen his show. It's not my bag, but it's all right. We have a mutual friend in Chris Martin. So I am a guy who doesn't like hip-hop -- shock, horror. I don't dislike rappers or hip-hop or people who like it. I went to the Def Jam tour in Manchester in the '80s when rap was inspirational. Public Enemy were awesome. But it's all about status and bling now, and it doesn't say anything to me.
Do you think hip-hop fans could get anything out of Oasis?
Yeah. In England the white working class are feared, and our music is working-class expression. We have a lot in common with hip-hop. Apart from people pumping shotgun pellets into each other.
Liam Gallagher shares a tender moment with wife Nicole Appleton
He's known for his confrontational style and certainly wouldn't be afraid to challenge someone to have a go 'if they think they're hard enough'.
But while celebrating his 36th birthday in Italy this weekend, Liam Gallagher looked a picture of calm as he shared an intimate meal with friends and wife Nicole Appleton.
And there was not a can of lager in sight as the Oasis legend sipped on champagne and dined on truffle risotto.
The love-struck couple and two other friends enjoyed a meal alfresco at Italy's most exclusive restaurant Il Gatto Nero.
In the last year alone the eatery, owned by Fausto Fontana for the past 30 years, has played host to a plethora of celebrities including George Clooney, Kylie Minogue, Robert De Niro and Avril Lavigne.
The party arrived at 7.30pm on Saturday, the eve of Liam's birthday, and settled into the homely atmosphere at the waterside venue which was frequented by around 50 other diners.
After the main course, Liam was presented with a cake with the message 'aguri', which means 'congratulations' in Italian.
With a child-like grin on his face, the Oasis lead singer blew out the single candle on his cake as Nicole, who he married on Valentine's Day, watched on with a matching smile.
The star's presents included Elvis Presley's Country album and the first edition of Diana Ross' cover of John Lennon's Imagine on vinyl.
Liam was in Italy enjoying a three-day breather from Oasis' world tour and promotional work of the up-coming album Dig Out Your Soul, due out next month.
Earlier this month the frontman had to be held back by security after a mad fan stage dived on top of his brother Noel during a gig in Toronto, Canada.
But the Birthday boy was on his best behaviour during the meal, showing he was clearly not looking back in anger.
If lead singles "The Shock of the Lightning" and "Falling Down" are any indication, the Gallagher brothers are continuing to mine the formula that made them huge in the first place: borrowed Beatles riffs augmented with swirly psychedelic flourishes and Liam's lovably snotty vocals. Rather than run away from the comparisons, the Gallaghers are embracing it: the Liam-penned "I'm Outta Time" features a vocal sample from John Lennon, recorded just days before his death. "It's one for the ladies," says Noel.
Marking the release of their new album, mega rock icons Oasis speak to Steve Lamacq over four days.
Steve Lamacq Tuesday , 7th of October 4.00-7.00pm BBC 6 MUSIC
Andy Bell talks with Steve on Tuesday the 7th,
Steve Lamacq Wednesday 8 October 4.00-7.00pm BBC 6 MUSIC
Steve Lamacq continues to speak to a different member of Oasis each day, to mark the release of the band's new album.
Today it's the turn of front man Liam Gallagher, who joins Steve on the phone backstage on the second day of their tour.
Steve Lamacq Thursday 9 October 4.00-7.00pm BBC 6 MUSIC
Today, guitarist Gem Archer joins Steve from the band's tour bus.
Steve Lamacq Friday 10 October 4.00-7.00pm BBC 6 MUSIC
Steve Lamacq's week of interviews with members of Oasis concludes with vocalist, guitarist and raconteur Noel Gallagher. In this pre-recorded interview, Noel comes into the studio to talk about the band's new album, the tour and whatever else he fancies...
The New Oasis Album Dig Out Your Soul Has Leaked Online
Late this afternoon the band's long awaited follow up to Don't Believe the Truth has leaked on a Oasis fan forum. Dig Out Your Soul will officially be released on October the 6th. Stay Tuned for more details....
Have you heard the leak? Leave us your comments on the new album below !
You can also join the hords of fans discussing the tracks on our forum boards here
It's Oasis Week on Xfm... The Breakfast Show are giving away tickets to the exclusive Eden Project show and we've got Gallagher Goody Bags on offer if you can master our Beat The Intro game... Are you mad fer it?
We're challenging you to prove your knowledge of Oasisness with our incredible Beat The Intro game. By registering to play, you'll be put into a prize draw to win super-exclusive Oasis Goodie Bag featuring some wondrous limited edition badges, pins, playing cards and a tiny Oasis amplifier the size of a cigarette box. Play here!
When the band asked busker Theo Eastwind to perform songs from their new album, he couldn't really say no
Last week, I met Oasis to help them preview their forthcoming album, Dig Out Your Soul. I rehearsed some of the songs from the new album with some other street artists and then we all went out to perform them on the subway.
I used to play "Wonderwall" around the New York subways between 1995 and 1998. It was new at the time and everyone else was going down the classic rock route, "Stairway to Heaven" and what have you. My whole set revolved around when I was going to play "Wonderwall" � that song paid my rent.
I've been in New York for 13 years. My job fell through when I arrived here and I didn't want to go back home to Austria. The day before my plane ticket ran out I had $3.75 to my name. I sat there all night looking at that ticket. I eventually decided to stay and keep playing and I've been busking ever since. I'm so glad I made that decision. I've won the Williamsburg Live Songwriter Competition, the only decent songwriting competition in Brooklyn. I'm proud to be a busker.
Then out of the blue last week, at the behest of the band, someone asked me to play songs from the new Oasis album in the subway for $100. I wasn't sure. I mean, $100 is not really enough for me to learn someone else's songs. But then I remembered all the good things about "Wonderwall": I got gigs at weddings and parties playing that song. I thought it would be great to meet them and thank them for writing it. So I did. I met Liam and thanked him for writing "Wonderwall" � but Liam didn't write it. I wish he'd just said, "Thank you," as opposed to saying, "I didn't write it," but I thanked him like a dumb ass anyway. I guess I should have made it clearer that I was really thanking the whole band.
That said, Liam was extremely nice. I liked his Manchester accent. He listened to my version of "The Turning" with Andy (Bell, bassist) and Gem (Archer, guitar) and they all loved it. Liam said, "You'll do!" I told him that was the best compliment I've had in years. Gem and Andy were really nice, too, and it was interesting to get to see the dynamics of the group. It's a rock band and you expect them to be a bit, well, oblivious to reality, but Andy and Gem seem "hand-picked" for Oasis � very patient and very calm. I think you'd have to be when you're hanging out with Liam and Noel all day. They listen, but Liam doesn't. He just talks, and he'd obviously already had a couple of drinks. But it was awesome to meet him. He had his sunglasses on so there wasn't a human connection, it was more like a "same time, same place" connection. We all went on the roof and he told me that he used to play Christmas carols in the subways in Manchester. I told him I never played carols, that I always refuse to play the songs that everyone else plays. He said, "But I did that!" and I said, "Well, you sold out!" He said "Yeah! I sold out early!" and we had a good laugh. I enjoyed myself thoroughly � it's not every day you meet an icon of modern society. Oasis have been around, they're kind of the bootleg Beatles.
I only played one of their new songs, "The Turning" � they were only paying a hundred bucks. Some of my friends played four songs but I'm more of a focused performer. I do one song and I do it well. We were supposed to do four songs and wing it. I thought, "I'm going to do one song and make it a killer." My version is really interesting, it kills you. I only had a couple of hours to practise, which is not long at all. I did brush through the other songs but "The Turning" was the one. I thought it had the most potential to be another hit.
I listened to the new album and I don't think it's got another "Wonderwall" on it, but that's just my opinion. It grows on you. It's not one of those albums that when you play it, you love it right from the top and then you listen to it five or six times and you're done with it. If you don't like Oasis or you're not a fan, then it's another Beatles rip-off. But I listened to it, and I listened to it about 10 times, and what I loved about it is that you discover all these new things every time you give it another go. It's definitely one of their better albums. Andy and Gem both wrote a song for the album, too. It's a very cool, well-crafted album and it has a great sound. The vocals are great, as are the lyrics � well, I would stay away from the word "rapture" in any of my songs (for me that's a no-no), but they use it on "The Turning". "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady" is a very simple jam that you'd really enjoy singing to yourself down the street. It's a cool song, a bluesy little jam. I also like "The Shock of the Lightning" but I actually think I preferred my friend Dagmar's [a fellow street artist] version to Noel's.
When we played the tracks, there was a huge crowd and they were really positive. Gem and Andy definitely had a real respect for what I do after they heard me play my version of "The Turning". Before I played for them I was just another dude, but after I finished, they came over and we had a chat. Gem offered me tickets to see them at Madison Square Garden, but I don't think it will happen � it would spoil the experience.
Theo Eastwind was speaking to Helen Smith; 'Dig Out Your Soul' is out on 6 October on Big Brother
Oasis fans are invited to a private playback of the full new album in a TBC location next week.
To be one of the few, reply with PLAYBACK to 81088. Oasis
Winners will be notified on 22nd Sept.
Source: Mobile Text from Oasis
If you're not one of the lucky winners you could always put your patience to a test by listening to the attempts at covering the new Oasis tracks by fellow fans.
Contestants are slugging it out for great prizes including a VIP ticket and trip to see the band perform a gig on their tour anywhere in the world ! If you have a great cover let Oasis know here
BBC Radio One's Colin Murray plays new Oasis track on ukulele
Oasis' Noel Gallagher has confirmed that he plans to release a solo album.
The guitarist told Blender that he hoped the four members of Oasis would each undertake individual projects following the release of their forthcoming album 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
"I'd like for us to do separate projects after this record," he said. "We'd all have to agree on it, so it will probably never happen. I've got loads of new songs. Somewhat predictably, they're all brilliant."
The news follows Noel Gallagher telling NME.COM last year that he was collecting songs together for a possible solo release and arranging a series of solo acoustic gigs.
Gallagher also spoke to Blender about his spat with Glastonbury headliner Jay-Z, who he had previously suggested was wrong for Glastonbury.
"What did I think of Jay-Z doing 'Wonderwall'?" he asked refering to the cover of the song the rapper played to open his Glastonbury Festival set this summer. "It was pretty funny. But I'm not sure one should be seen in public with a white Stratocaster." via L4e / source : nme.com
Amy Winehouse will soon be dead, according to Noel Gallagher.
The Oasis guitarist has a number of songs left over from sessions for the band's new album 'Dig Out Your Soul' which he thinks Amy, 25, would be perfect for, but believes her rampant drug use will kill her soon.
He told NME magazine: "I've got a backlog of 30-odd songs just sitting there. I don't know what the f**k I'm going to do with them all.
"Could I give them to someone else to sing? Well, there's a few that sound like girls could sing them, but who?
"F**king Amy Winehouse? She'll be dead before I write another one."
However, the 41-year-old musician thinks Welsh songstress Duffy would be a good match for some of his music.
He said: "That Duffy's alright. I could imagine her singing a few of the tracks. But I might put them forward for a film, although I don't want them to end up in any romantic comedies."
'Dig Out Your Soul', which includes single 'The Shock of the Lightning', is released on October 6.
Live4ever has been giving the new web phenomena twitter a nice test drive for the past week now and it's been functioning flawlessly!
Don't be left out in the cold , check out our twitter page here and get the first hand scoop on Oasis from our news room even while you're away from your computer!
REASONS TO USE TWITTER
The inevitable follow up question to "What is Twitter?" is "Why would I want to use Twitter?" So now you need to explain the value of Twitter.
Part of the reason why Twitter is growing so fast is because of the variety of content available. Everyone from major icons like Barack Obama and NBC's Today Show to the average teenager and the informed fan are already on Twitter.
You can get all your Oasis headlines from our web's number one Oasis news blog free via IM, RSS Email or SMS. Twitter grabs our headlines every half hour and displays them with a link to the news room article on an easy to read page on the web or on your cellphone. If you're still a little bit confused read the Wiki description of the fairly new web tool below.
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.
Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website ( http://www.twitter.com/live4ever ) , instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.
OASIS singer Liam Gallagher yesterday revealed he got banned from a top club after setting off a fire extinguisher over Paul Gascoigne.
Gallagher saw red when he was having a bowl of soup at London's Groucho club and Gazza quipped: "Do you want a roll with it? Do you want a roll with your soup."
The singer said: "It was like 'F***ing grow up, you d*ck.' So I squirted him with a fire extinguisher.
"I got banned. It was a joyous day and I won't be back. I don't move in them circles any more."
In an interview with NME, the singer says his hell-raising days are over, replaced instead by family life.
He said: "I'm up at 6am. When the alarm goes, I'm up, have a coffee and out. I run about eight miles a day.
"Back in about 7.30am. Get the papers, get the kids up, walk them to school - nothing radical."
He added: "I don't go out to gigs, it's just not my scene. I would if it was any good. I prefer to stay in.
"There are things for me to be doing rather than going to the pub and getting wasted."
Noel Gallagher to write the next 'James Bond' theme?
Read a free extract from NME's exclusive cover story
Noel Gallagher has told NME that he's got more spare songs than he knows what to do with, and would like some of them to be used as the next James Bond theme.
Oasis speak about their new album 'Dig Out Your Soul', knife crime and what they'd do if they were Mayor of London, in an exclusive cover story in this week's NME.
Now check out an exclusive free extract from the interview on NME.COM, then get your copy on UK newsstands now.
....The songs are coming quickly, with three of Noel's - 'The Shock Of The Lightning', 'Falling Down' and another newie 'Come On, It's Alright' - being written in a matter of days. In fact, he's now got "a backlog of thirty-odd songs, just sitting there".
"I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do with them all," he sighs. "Could I give them to someone else to sing? Well, there's a few that sound like girls could sing them, you know? But who? Fucking Amy Winehouse? She'll be dead before I write another one. That Duffy's alright. I might do them for a film, but I don't want them to be stuck in divvy romantic comedies."
How about a Bond theme? Jack White's just done one.
"It's a bit of a piss-take that the greatest British agent of all time has to be soundtracked by a bunch of fucking Americans. But yep, I've written a couple of Bond theme tunes."
Really? What are they called?
"Er, they haven't got very Bond-esque titles, so I would have to tailor the title accordingly. The latest one that I wrote, I listened back to it thinking, 'fucking hell man! That'd make a fucking great Bond theme'. But it's called 'Freaky Teeth'. Now, unless there's a James Bond film that comes out in the next ten years that's very, very psychedelic..."
Or they could bring Jaws back...
"Yeah! I dunno, I would never write a song called 'A Different Way To Die' or 'Die Another Day', there's always something about death, isn't there?"
Maybe you could do 'Live Forever'.
"I could, but I'd have to re-record it. Getting back to the point, I have no idea what I'll do with these songs."...
Noel Gallagher is apparently planning to write TV sitcoms
Noel Gallagher to 'write sitcoms with Russell Brand'
Oasis leader to follow up his work on 'The Royle Family'?
Gallagher, whose Oasis song 'Half The World Away' served as the title theme to sitcom 'The Royle Family', has revealed that comedian Russell Brand wants to write the shows with him, reports The Sun.
"I'd like to be part of a team of scriptwriters," the guitarist explained. "I think I'd be good. Russell has been trying to rope me into something, but at the moment I can't commit to anything outside Oasis. But one day. Who knows?"
He also revealed that he's friends with the comedian because of their "contrary characteristics".
"Russell's a big posh Essex boy former-junkie who's been to the dark side and found Hare Krishna. He's never seen a council estate," joked Gallagher. "I'm a gruff northerner who drinks Red Stripe. He finds that fascinating."
Meanwhile, get this week's issue of NME, out tomorrow (September 17), for a special Oasis giveaway, featuring:
- Two exclusive video interviews with the band - Introduction written by Noel Gallagher - Lyrics and sheet music for four 'Dig Out Your Soul' songs: 'Bag It Up', 'The Turning', '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' and single 'The Shock Of The Lightning' - 'Dig Out Your Soul' album artwork - Video instructions on how to play Oasis' 1994 debut single 'Supersonic' - Oasis screensavers, wallpapers, desktop widget and a link to an exclusive microsite - Competition details on how to win a VIP trip to any Oasis gig in the world
Gallagher Speaks Out on Bible Influenced New Album
Oasis leader Noel Gallagher has spoken to NME.COM about the "religious theme" that crops up on the band's forthcoming new album 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
Speaking in an exclusive video interview, the guitarist revealed that a number of the songs on the album have been influenced by The Bible and "religious Armageddon".
"I was listening back to the mixes in America and I was thinking 'everything mentioned is the light'," he explained. "I was like to Gem [Archer, Oasis guitarist], 'there's a bit of a religious theme going on here, definitely Biblical'. The guy doing the [album] cover was like 'it's religious Armageddon', and I was like 'wow, fucking hell'."
The video chat also sees bassist Andy Bell discuss 'The Nature Of Reality', the track he penned on the album.
'Dig Out Your Soul' is set to be released on October 6, preceded by the first single to be taken from the album, 'The Shock Of The Lightning', on September 29.
Street musicians preview 'Dig Out Your Soul' in New York
Oasis previewed their forthcoming new album, 'Dig Out Your Soul', on the streets of New York yesterday (September 13) by selecting a group of street musicians and buskers to perform album tracks at various locations across Manhattan.
Before the performances the Manchester band joked that the buskers were so good they were considering taking them on tour with them.
The event was filmed for a forthcoming film by directors Brendan and Emmett Malloy, who had previously directed music videos for Metallica, Foo Fighters and The White Stripes.
Buskers playing on subway platforms attracted large groups of onlookers. Those playing outdoors, such as duo Thoth and Dominic Del Principe, were forced to contend with constant rain throughout the day.
Despite the conditions, Thoth and Dominic Del Principe, who played violin and acoustic guitar, performed Oasis' new single 'The Shock Of The Lightning' and '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' to a small group of hardcore Oasis fans and a few homeless people in Central Park.
"We met Noel(?) and Liam [Gallagher] this morning at a warehouse in Brooklyn and they really seemed to dig us," Del Principe told NME.COM. "Noel was fingering the fret-board on my guitar and showing me how to play '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' properly.
"I think they appreciated all the different musicians playing their songs and putting different perspectives on them. I've heard a lot of rumours about how they are but they were very affable and even said they wanted to take us on tour with them!"
While playing violin Thoth, a former 'America's Got Talent' contestant, wore bells and shells on his ankles to add a percussive effect � a touch that impressed the Gallaghers.
"They said, 'We should do that, then we wouldn't have to worry about having a drummer anymore!'," Thoth explained. "Liam liked us so much he said he was going to come out and see us, but I think the rain must have put him off."
The News of the World today reveals unseen video footage of the moment a crazed drunk stormed the stage at an Oasis gig � attacking Noel and lunging for Liam.
Our exclusive footage � shot from the side of the stage � shows the full violent attack, and chaotic aftermath, as security desperately tried to restrain the attacker.
And it shows the assailant being bundled roughly off stage by at least four burly officials, who perhaps did look back in anger, as they struggle to subdue him.
One onlooker said: �From the side of the stage you could see just how violently Noel was hit.
�He�s just catapulted forward on to his speakers, then there�s a mass of bodies as the lights go up and the security guys chase in after and jump on the attacker.
�What the crowd didn�t see was him being literally dragged off by security.
�His shirt gets pulled up around his arms, and you can see his bare back.
�Then security stop and get the situation under control. It�s darker at the side of the stage and it looks like the man struggles and needs to be physically restrained.
�But security soon show him who�s in charge.�
Noel, 41, was left badly injured after the attack - during the Canadian V Festival last Sunday - when he fell forward heavily on to a set of monitor speakers.
The band � famed for a succession of Brit Pop hits including Live Forever and Wonderwall � has since cancelled two gigs, as Noel takes time out to recover.
The guitarist � the older of the Gallagher brothers � needed hospital treatment for bruised ribs and compared the assault to sparring with boxer Ricky Hatton.
He said: �Someone, who can only be described as a Canadian, was able to get on stage, somehow managed to evade our crack security team - Trotters Independent Security Service - and assaulted my midriff.
�Can't say much more than that as the perpetrator's gonna get the book thrown at him. Repeatedly.
�It was all going so well up until that point.
�Feel like I've had a sparring session with Ricky Hatton."
He�s also accused the �drunken Canadian� of having a mid-life crisis.
The attacker then lunged for Liam, 35, who managed to drop his shoulder and dodge out of the way.
The incident was also filmed from a fan in the crowd, and later put on YouTube, but our exclusive high-quality footage gives the band�s view of the attack.
The onlooker added: �It�s pretty violent, and people were worried for Noel.
�Hopefully the man will get what�s coming to him.�
Toronto police have charged 47-year-old Daniel Sullivan with the assault.
I was working with Oasis as a producer and ideas man on their sixth album. Liam and Noel were working separately on their own songs and I was assigned to Liam, the charismatic frontman.
It was one lunchtime, very early on in our relationship, that he told me, out of the blue: 'Me and our kid never speak. Never.'
'So how do you get things done?' I asked. He told me the management sorted out all the arrangements.
'In fact, I've only been round our kid's gaff once,' he said. 'I hardly know him. We're so different.'
I looked around the table to gauge the sentiment. Nobody was saying a thing.
Having worked before with brothers in a band, I knew that this must be rubbish. I simply shrugged, said 'OK' and left it at that.
Right answer. A friend of the Gallaghers told me later that Noel and Liam often say this to team members, just to see if they will criticise the absent brother behind his back. It's a test.
'Fall for it and the chances are you'll be frozen out,' I was told.
My music career began when I signed a music publishing deal aged 14. At 19, I released my debut album on Virgin and since then I have worked with many successful bands on both sides of the Atlantic in a variety of roles, from playing keyboards and percussion to songwriting and production.
In 2002, after All Saints broke up, Nicole and Natalie Appleton made an album called Everything's Eventual which featured a cover of my song M.W.A.
When they performed it for an MTV Special being shot at the Brixton Academy, they invited me along. Nicole was Liam's partner and the mother of his young son Gene.
'Liam would like to meet you after the show,' she told me.
I knew all about Oasis, of course. Who didn't? They were one of the most successful and critically acclaimed British rock bands for years, but the Gallagher brothers - Liam and his older sibling Noel - who led them trailed havoc and chaos in their wake.
They were fiercely loyal to each other but also seemed to be constantly feuding. Woe betide anyone who fell foul of them.
They were rarely out of the headlines because of their wild antics.
However, after the brilliant start to their career, the last couple of albums had faltered.
I knew their next was the final one of the band's five-album deal with Sony. It was a make-or-break album. If it tanked, so would their ability to negotiate a decent position for themselves for the next decade of their career.
In the industry, a whispering campaign was in full swing. Oasis had 'lost their edge'. They were 'too rich' to make great rock records. The future of the band was on a knife-edge.
So it was with some trepidation that I rapped on the Appletons' dressing-room door on the evening of their MTV show.
Heidi from SugaBabes opened the door and a bank of cigarette smoke rolled out into the corridor.
Through the fug I could just about make out a room full of people. Liam was in the far corner holding court with a couple of acolytes.
Taller than I thought he would be, he wore a dapper navy pea coat, cords and, of course, the trademark tinted round glasses; very Lennonesque. Both he and Noel were Beatles fanatics. Nic introduced me.
'Hi Pete, man. That's a top tune, that M.W.A. Mad,' he enthused. 'Mega. Top,' he added.
From the off, we got on famously and we spent most of the evening talking shop. Liam sang me parts of his new songs. I suggested some production ideas.
He asked if I would go to the studio and try some of them out. They were looking for someone to collaborate with, he said.
Oasis were a famously tight unit so I wondered aloud how that would work.
'We put on white coats, like scientists,' grinned Liam. 'Walk about with clipboards writing down all the settings you use. Take all your ideas and move on.'
I liked his brazenness. As a jobbing producer/songwriter, people pay me to assist them in creating their artistic vision. If Liam or anyone else wanted to write down my methods, that was fine by me - so long as they were paying. A date was set.
Oasis had a long-term lease on Wheeler End, a wonderful facility in Buckinghamshire. It is a magnificent coach house, set in eight acres with accommodation for band and crew, with a studio attached.
My plan was to rehearse a version of The Beatles' Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey. This would give everyone - apart from Noel, who wasn't there - the opportunity to see if we could work together.
On arrival in the studio, I plonked myself down in the high-backed, faux leather swivel chair in front of the mixing desk.
There was a sharp intake of breath from Jan 'Stan' Kybert, the engineer. 'I wouldn't let Noel ever catch you sitting in that chair,' he warned. 'He'll fire you.'
'Don't kid a kidder,' I joked, but Stan wasn't laughing. 'Liam, am I right or am I right?' he said.
Both Liam and Oasis's guitarist Colin 'Gem' Archer nodded. I assumed they were winding me up.
We had fun messing about with the Beatles number and the following week Liam invited my girlfriend Bella and me to see him perform with Noel at a charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
The gig went well until Richard Ashcroft, playing an acoustic version of The Drugs Don't Work, forgot the words.
Liam sauntered on to the stage to riotous applause and sang the song faultlessly. 'That was great,' said Bella, as he walked off the stage, smiling.
'Thanks, love,' he said. 'I had to do it last year too, 'cos he forgot the f****** words then as well.'
He introduced me to Noel, smartly dressed in a blue suit and button-down plaid shirt. We chatted for about 20 geeky minutes about his extensive collection of microphones and vintage studio equipment.
I got the feeling he was weighing me up. Apparently this was the first time he had considered a collaborative recommendation from Liam.
I passed the test. Ignition, Oasis's management, called a couple of days later and outlined what was required of me.
I was to help Liam record his songs at Wheeler End, while Noel would work separately in London. I was to assist Liam's development as a songwriter - previously Noel had been the creative heart of the band - and generally, as Liam put it: 'Sprinkle some of that mad s*** that you do on our stuff.'
It was made clear that once the band was ready, I would hand over the reins to another production outfit that would conjure up the final product from the demos that Noel and I had produced.
A week later, on a sunny spring day in 2003, I met Liam and Gem at Paddington Station.
I was surprised that Liam was happy to travel on public transport, with all the other passengers gawping at him.
Just because he was the singer in Oasis, he explained, didn't mean he was going to take limos everywhere 'like a f****** ponce'. He liked going about his life like any normal person, 'because that's what I am'.
'It's weird,' he said, 'but when I'm hung over I like talking to people. Signing autographs, having me picture taken with fans is mega - especially when I've had a mad one the night before.'
However, while he was more than happy to indulge fans, he loathed the paparazzi.
'It's one thing talking to people but another when some git with a telephoto lens comes and sticks it in my son's face, when I'm pushing his pram,' he said.
'I mean, the guy has a telephoto f****** lens. Why can't he f*** off down the street and take a picture from there?' I couldn't fault his logic.
Once at Wheeler End, we got down to work straight away. Liam played about a dozen of his songs and we picked a shortlist to start working on.
Over the next few months we tried out a lot of sonic ideas: playing riffs over Liam's songs, learning to play them backwards, reversing the tape. The guys liked these new ways of doing things.
The first time we recorded Liam's vocals, I was alarmed. It sounded as though someone was mutilating a bull. Gem noted my concern.
'Don't worry,' he said. 'It's always like this for the first 20 minutes and then he'll get it.'
Sure enough, after 20 minutes we heard the transformation. It was as if someone had thrown a switch.
In terms of direction, Liam responded to four simple commands: higher/ lower, louder/quieter. Because he inhabits the songs, he doesn't require loads of technical direction. He would nail it in a couple of takes.
One afternoon Liam described the difference between him and Noel. He picked up a pack of cards. 'Imagine our kid and me are playing cards, poker, OK? This is me . . . waaayhaaay!' Assuming an expression of doe-eyed openness, he spread his cards and turned them towards me.
'But our kid, right, he does this.' Liam did a hilarious impression of a suspicious, narrow-eyed Noel clasping his cards close to his chest.
'That's him, he doesn't trust anyone, the miserable b*****. That's how we're different. I love everyone but our kid ... '
I cut him off, not wanting to be drawn into the sibling rivalry that seemed to lie at the heart of their relationship. 'The tension of opposites,' I said. 'If you were both the same, the band wouldn't work.'
'Exactly,' Liam replied. Then, as an afterthought: 'But he's still a funny one, our kid.'
Once in a while we would take the morning off and go into the nearest town, Marlow. Liam loves to shop.
On one occasion, two white-haired old ladies tottered up to Liam. 'Hello, dear, which one are you then?' asked one, sweetly. 'The one that effs and blinds and smashes things up, or the nice one?'
This tickled Liam. 'I'm the nice one, love.'
'Would you mind signing this for my grandson?' she asked, proffering a copy of the local newspaper.
Liam was charm personified. He laughed, he joked, he signed everything, chatting happily all the while, about the grandson, the weather, the shocking shortcomings of various local trading establishments.
'Hang on a minute, love,' he said. 'You've got a camera there. Hey, Pete, take a photo of us, will you?'
I got the shot of the wild man of rock, beaming broadly, arms around two adoring new fans.
When they finally ambled off - Ooh, isn't he lovely?' - I looked at Liam, grinning.
'What?' he said. 'I couldn't let them go just signing a scrappy newspaper, could I? I mean anyone could've autographed that, any local scally.'
Then there was the chair incident that happened when Noel came to see how we were getting on. He had promised to come before but hadn't shown up and I could see Liam, who was keen to show his brother how well he was doing, was irritated.
However, another date was set and on the allotted morning I was sitting in the producer's chair working the mixing desk. Liam, Gem and Stan were all in the studio.
Noel and Oasis manager Marcus Russell were due at 11am and there was tension in the air. How was it that Liam, 'our kid', was completing his songs and recording them to a standard that surpassed previous Wheeler End recordings? Noel had to find out.
At 11.20am we heard car wheels crunching over the drive. Noel and Marcus walked in. Noel smiled and said: 'Just carry on. Let's hear what you're up to.'
Then all conversation stopped and the temperature of the room dropped. I looked up. All eyes were on me. There was nowhere for Noel to sit - because I was on his special chair.
I'd forgotten Stan's dire warning. Marcus was glaring at me. Gem looked away. Stan suddenly found something deeply interesting on the computer screen.
When the ground failed to open up and swallow me, I slowly got up and left the studio to go to the bathroom. Outside the studio I found a three-legged milking stool and carried it inside.
Sure enough, Noel was sitting in the 'special chair', nodding his head in time with the music.
I gingerly placed the stool next to him and crumpled my 6ft 3in frame on to it. I was now sitting way below everyone's sightline. Each time a new song was ready for Noel to hear, I reached my arms above my head up to the desk to work the controls. Noel didn't bat an eyelid.
After we finished listening to the new songs, Marcus asked me some pertinent questions, which I answered, still hunched up on this tiny stool like a naughty schoolboy. Finally, Marcus stood and said: 'Well done, boys.'
I stood and Noel shook my hand and said 'Mega,' and left. 'Mega' is Noel-speak for 'Excellent work, chaps, I'm very pleased.' After that Liam's confidence seemed to rocket.
The next time Noel came, I made sure I left the chair empty. 'Aren't you going to sit down?' Noel asked, pointing to 'his' chair.
'No, I'm fine.' 'Really,' he said. 'It's cool.' He didn't fire me.
Indeed, on another occasion, when Noel asked what I thought of the songs we had recorded so far, I told him the truth. I told him that I didn't hear any singles, I didn't hear any of those era-defining anthems that the band were known for.
He glared at me. Here comes an argument, I thought.
'You're the only c*** around here that tells me the truth,' he finally said to me, while looking pointedly at Liam.
'Write some more songs,' I said. 'Yeah,' said Noel with resignation.
In September we went to Wheeler End to finish Liam's songs. This would be the last recording session.
The mood had changed, as had the weather. After a brilliant summer, it now rained continuously.
The first piece of information I was given upon arriving at Wheeler End was that Whitey (drummer Alan White) was gone.
Noel was there while we worked. The more he was around, the more my role diminished. It was a smooth takeover leaving everyone happy. 'We had a great time this summer, didn't we?' said Liam one day on the phone.
We certainly did. I'd spent nine months with the band and Liam had revealed himself to be a gentleman. Considerate, funny and amenable at all times. A joy to be with.
It would be another 18 months before the track list for what was to become Don't Believe The Truth was finalised. There were many more recording sessions in New York and Los Angeles.
This was Oasis's most difficult album to make, a rite-of-passage album marking the transition from youth to maturity as a band.
It was released in May 2005 to great critical acclaim and went on to sell around six million copies worldwide. I hope their new album, Dig Out Your Soul, does even better.
� Dig Out Your Soul will be released by Big Brother on October 6.
She flashed her knickers - and he fled
Liam and I were in Marlow one day when we walked past a pretty Anglo-African girl. She ran after Liam and asked for his autograph, which he gave her.
A few minutes later we bumped into her again. 'Oh, hi,' she said, affecting surprise.
Every few minutes after that we'd see her scurrying up the opposite side of the street, only to reappear in front of us.
Then, cornering us, she did a Marilyn Monroe. It was a windy day and she was wearing a skirt that she artfully allowed to billow up, exposing a microscopic G-string and a fine pair of legs. She stood there gazing longingly at Liam.
'Time to split,' he said, and we made good our escape.
It was the general consensus that Nic had calmed Liam down and I never saw him so much as look at another woman. He and Nic seemed a perfect match.
During a break in the Oasis recording sessions, I produced an Appletons track at a London studio. Liam turned up with his children. He seemed an excellent dad, tactile and gentle but firm.
He sat patiently in the studio for hours with Nic while I put the song together.
We taped Liam to the ceiling
I wouldn't say that the night we taped Liam to the ceiling was wholly typical of my summer with Oasis, but it is one of my fondest memories.
We were larking about in the Wheeler End studio after another hard day's recording, and it is fair to say that drink had been taken by most of those present. There was Liam; Alan 'Whitey' White, the drummer; Jason, the technician; Stan, the engineer; and myself.
For reasons that escape me now, we grabbed Liam, hoisted him up to the beam running the length of the studio and bound him to it with gaffer tape. He hung there like some sort of monstrous cocoon while we laughed until we were almost sick.
The conversation that followed went like this: 'How long shall we leave him up there? All night?'
'Do you think he's safe?' 'Yeah, that tape is pretty strong.' Meanwhile Liam wasn't making a sound. 'He's awfully quiet up there.'
'Come on, we'd better cut him down,' declared Jason after a while.
It proved to be a lot harder unravelling him than it was putting him up there. Once he was down, Liam looked at us, waited a beat and said: 'I really enjoyed that.'
I'm a dodgy geezer, he's a metrosexual
When my girlfriend Bella arrived at Wheeler End one day carrying loads of presents for me, Liam wished me a happy birthday.
I explained that as I was born on December 24, my parents celebrated my 'half-birthday' in June, so my birthday and Christmas did not just blend into one. Liam found this hilarious.
'Here, Gem, you heard this? It's Pete's "half-birthday". He's always on the make, a right dodgy geezer. He's a bloody Scouser. It's a Scouse birthday.'
He took 15 of us out to dinner to celebrate what he insisted on calling my 'Scouse birthday'.
For Liam's son Gene's birthday, which was only a few weeks after mine, I called Nic to find out what to get him.
'Gene loves trucks and cars,' she told me. And if I wanted to give Liam a present? 'There's a Space NK in Marlow, get him something from there.'
So, the hard man of rock moisturises, I thought. I bought him a gift bag. Enough goodies for any closet metrosexual.
As some of you loyal L4E readers out there might know I have a partnership with UK Oasis blog Stopcryingyourheart.com . We basically help each other out delivering the lastest Oasis news to you 24/7. That would be quite hard to do if our websites were both published in the same time zone. As webmaster of the US site I would like you to pay very close attention to the 'serious message' in the video below and I hope you'll do everything in your power to help SCYHO win another BT Digital Music Award by clicking here after you've enjoyed the clip!
Nearly 15 years since they first swaggered and sneered their way into the public consciousness, the Gallaghers still polarise opinion like no other. Mere mention of Oasis in a blog prompts hundreds of posts, many asking why people are still interested. The answer is simple. As bona fide rock stars, no one else has come along and, as Rio Ferdinand would put it, 'taken up the mantelpiece'. Which leaves them slightly adrift and peerless. They remain, as Alan McGee said, 'too young to be the Stones and too old to be part of that whole Libertines thing'.
Last time out, Liam declared: 'I carry madness, everywhere I go', but of late, the rock'n'roll star seems somewhat tamed and sober, getting up at 6am to go running on Hampstead Heath before dropping off the kids at school. On Definitely Maybe, the young Gallagher sang about strawberries and cream and 'lassaagnnnya'. This month, he revealed his recipe for steaming salmon in soy sauce, and how the gastropub near his second home in Henley-on-Thames is owned by Antony Worrall Thompson. He still peppers most sentences with the F-word, but now also appears on The F Word, joking with Gordon Ramsay.
Noel, meanwhile, seems to be enjoying a second youth, appearing on Radio 1's breakfast show recently, evidently still drunk, having fallen out of a rock bar in Soho only an hour or so previously.
Their last album, 2005's Don't Believe the Truth, marked a long-awaited return to form and the basics that made us take notice all those years ago. This time around, Noel set out to write 'music that had more of a groove', which he has, but occasionally at the expense of the song. Since 2000's Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, Oasis have always come back with a no-nonsense call to arms - 'Go Let it Out', 'The Hindu Times', 'Lyla' - and there's no change here. Lead single 'The Shock of the Lightning' is a propulsive, heads-down rocker, full of those trademark non sequiturs Noel reaches for when there are many things he would like to say but doesn't know how. It's also one of the few obvious singles on the album.
Guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell contribute a song each - the hypnotic 'To be Where There's Life' and the rockier 'The Nature of Reality' - but they do nothing to challenge Noel's title of The Chief when it comes to songwriting. If anyone is going to do that, it's now clear it's Liam, who has come a long way since 'Little James'. The other clear single is his 'I'm Outta Time', a Lennon-esque (shocker) piano-led ballad, showing his new, more reflective side as he reveals how he strives to 'give myself some peace of mind ... you know it's getting hard to fly'.
The Beatles influences are ever-present - from the 'Dear Prudence' guitar at the end of 'The Turning' to the 'Give Peace a Chance' clap and stomp of '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' - but they're now borrowing more freely from the canon: the dirty guitar on 'Waiting For the Rapture' from the Doors' 'Five to One', the Who on Liam's 'Ain't Got Nothin" and even, er, Pink Floyd on opener 'Bag it Up'. Overall, they have eschewed the immediacy, bolshiness and classic pop songs for slightly wider ranging influences, from drone to acid rock.
You could say that if Definitely Maybe was their Stone Roses, Dig Out Your Soul is their Second Coming. It won't win them any new fans, but those that believed the truth last time will dig this.
From Noel Gallagher's official Tour Blog on oasisinet.com
Waking up in NYC knowing you're pretty much spending the day in bed is a fucker, let me tell you. Doctor's orders though. It's too much. There's shit going on out there that I need to be getting involved in and instead I'm laid up watching BBC America. I like Top Gear. Cash In The Attic's fuckin' ridiculous. And as for that David Dickinson on Bargain Hunt? He's on acid, right? Or maybe it's these pain-killers?
Read Q Magazine today. The new one. There's 2 covers. One with Joan of Arc on and one with Albert Steptoe on. I fuckin' love David Bailey but how DOES he do that?? It's a fuckin' monster piece. Slightly over the top though. Nice to see so many people saying nice things about us and all.
Went for some acupuncture earlier. Doc says it might help with straightening myself up. Can't see it but I'll try anything to make the gig happen. The guy's not a miracle worker. He is a funny little Chinese man though. He greeted me by saying, "Come in, don't worry, be happy!" KILL ME NOW!!! Didn't work. Still feel pretty sitff. I'm walking like an old man. The NYC gig's not gonna happen. Sorry 'bout that.
Best start thinking about packing up and going home, I guess. Yet another North American trip ends in chaos. If I believed in God, I'd begin to think he had it in for us.
Earlier in the day Liam Gallagher and Andy Bell showed up at rehearsals to help the street musicians go over the new Oasis tunes . Watch themHERE
The Turning performed by Dagmar
Get of your High Horse Lady performed by Dagmar
Bag it up performed by Dagmar
Many More of the Artists' YOUTUBE videos can be found HERE in our forum.
Oasis have hired buskers to debut some of their new tracks on the streets of New York.
The Manchester rockers announced they would unveil a handful of tracks from their forthcoming album by having street musicians perform them. The songs will be from their highly anticipated album Dig Out Your Soul, which is released in America on 7 October.
Yesterday, Oasis were scheduled to meet several buskers for a private rehearsal after which the street musicians were to take to different parts of the city to perform the new tracks "The Turning", "Bag It Up"', "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady", and "The Shock Of The Lightning".
The event is a collaborative effort with New York's marketing and tourism organisation and the band's label Warner Bros. The street musicians will perform at locations including subway station platforms at Grand Central, Times Square, Penn Station and Astor Place.
Oasis recently embarked on a new world tour to promote their album but it was disrupted when Noel Gallagher was attacked by a man who invaded the stage midway through their headlining set at the V festival in Toronto. The assailant was wrestled to the floor by security. The band left the stage before later returning to finish their set.
Oasis have also teamed up with the Arts Council and the music magazine, NME, to encourage young people to pick up instruments. Instead of giving away downloads to promote their new album, as Coldplay have done, Oasis will give away a DVD and book featuring the sheet music and lyrics to three new songs with NME. The idea is aimed at promoting the Arts Council's "Take It Away" scheme, which provides interest-free loans for musical instruments.
Readers will be asked to reinterpret three songs without having heard them first. Noel Gallagher, the guitarist who has � in the past � argued that giving music away for nothing devalues it, said: "The gift of music is very special ... and anything that can bring music into a kid's life is an incredible thing."
Aspiring young musicians will be asked to submit their own versions of an Oasis song to a website, with the winning entry gaining the chance to travel to an Oasis gig anywhere in the world.
Questions Submitted to Noel Gallagher by fans via Blender Magazine
Dude, Jay-Z did an Oasis song at the Glastonbury Festival this summer after you questioned whether he belonged there. Why don�t Oasis do a version of Jay-Z�s �99 Problems�? Rosiyoung, Seattle
That�s ridiculous. What did I think of Jay-Z doing �Wonderwall�? It was pretty� funny. But I�m not sure one should be seen in public with a white Stratocaster.
I�m an aesthetician and I have to wonder: Has a girlfriend ever tried to get you to tweeze your unibrow? Tanman41, Oxford, MI
I don�t speak to my girlfriends. [Laughs.] No. My eyebrows are wild and free, man.
What was the last gift you gave your brother Liam? Sweetnsalty, Pullman, WA
I bought him a necklace that John Lennon used to wear, but that was years ago. I�m very difficult to buy for, too. When my birthday comes round, I say to my girlfriend, �Let�s just go out and get drunk.�
What was the stupidest thing you bought when you became rich? Now_im_64, Denver
I had built for me a customized 1967 Mark II Jaguar convertible at a cost of �110,000, and I haven�t got a driving license. It�s useless to me. I ordered this car and thought, By the time they build it, I will have passed my driving test. By the time I got a call saying they were delivering it, I�d forgotten all about it. Outside my house was this fucking �110,000 Jag. I couldn�t even remember ordering it.
How many pints can you handle before you�re on your knees? Woody2oo4, Durham, U.K.
I can drink all fucking day and night and it doesn�t put a dent in me.
What are the most typically British things about you? Landon, Keni, Berkshire, U.K.
My sense of humor and my sense of style. We might have shit teeth, but we�ve got better clothes and better music, and that�s the end of that.
What are the three things you do when you check into a hotel room? Klapadam, Fordoche, LA
I phone home and see how my girlfriend and kids are, then I get in the shower and check out my surroundings. I love hotels. I love being in America when the football season�s on. I�m probably the only Englishman who understands the rules of American football. I was on acid one night when I was a teenager, and I just got it. It was a revelation. Never got baseball, though. Fuck that. It goes on for �fucking hours.
I�m handing you a gun with four bullets. Do you take out Radiohead or do you take out Coldplay? Setfreesimon, Daytona Beach, FL
I�d take out neither. Chris Martin�s a friend of mine. And I think Radiohead�s guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, is a fucking genius. Every time I see them live they blow me away. But Radiohead are not as good as people think they are. They�ve been making the same record for the last five years, if you ask me.
Why can�t I ever find any good new rock bands? Every time I turn on the radio, it�s nothing but rap. What the fuck is happening? Mph1978, Amsterdam, NY
There�s still a lot of good rock & roll: Black Mountain are incredible, Mando Diao, a band from North London called the Jim Jones Revue. Unfortunately, we live in the age of rap and R&B. Don�t listen to the radio, that�s my advice.
I�ve read that you and your brother don�t speak to your dad. What was the last straw that made you decide to end the relationship? Athomepap, Anaheim, CA
He was a violent man, and violence toward my mother was the last straw. We were teenagers. It makes me fervently believe in the cosmic law of karma�little did he know that 15 years from that point, his two sons were going to be in one of the biggest fucking bands ever to come out of England. I sit and chuckle about that sometimes.
What will Amy Winehouse be doing in two years? Whuddashamey, Munster, IN
Who gives a shit? People like that have got no pride in themselves. My message to her would be: Go make another record, or did the pressure of this one fry your little brain so you became a junkie? I don�t care for fuck-ups.
When will you finally make a solo album? Pil, Nuuk, Greenland
I�d like for us to do separate projects after this record. We�d all have to agree on it, so it will probably never happen. I�ve got loads of new songs. Somewhat predictably, they�re all brilliant.
I was close to the front at your Arena Newcastle gig on the Don�t Believe the Truth tour. I had a sleeveless Nike vest on. You looked at me funny. Did the top make me look gay? Marley_Urwin, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K.
I would have thought so, yeah. Sleeve�less tops are a no-no.
I read you held up a corner shop when you were a kid. What kind of weapon did you have? And what�s a corner shop? Charleebitez, Janesville, MN
I didn�t �hold up� the corner shop. We don�t do weapons in England. A corner shop is just a grocery store on the corner. Two ladies ran it, and I think we robbed a load of cigarettes and sold them to buy drugs. [Looks guilty.] I got caught.
What�s the most important thing for me to remember if I get into a fight? TimBoslyce, Richmond, VA
Make sure the other guy�s not carrying a knife. Do I still fight Liam? Yeah. The only way anyone will win is who dies first. When he�s 87 years old, if he dies before me, I�ll say, �See?�
How would your third album, Be Here Now, have turned out if you hadn�t discovered cocaine? Nathanputtick, Melbourne, Australia
It would have been a lot shorter, and it would have had better lyrics. The royalties were coming in from Morning Glory�we were rich, and we went bananas, doing more drugs than any Colombian. Can I just point out that Be Here Now did sell 9.5 million copies? If any band sells 9.5 million albums this year, I�ll fucking shit in my trousers.
Taken from Noel Gallagher's official Tour blog on oasisinet
We're traveling to NYC today. Wish we were arriving in different circumstances. The doc says it could take 3 weeks 'til I'm 100% again. Nothing they can give me either. Just gotta grit your teeth and bear it. This gig in NYC is not looking too good. We'll take it day-by-day (if that's alright with you?)
10 hours on the bus. Felt every fuckin' bump. That film Sid and Nancy was on TV. What a ludicrous piece of shit!! I have no doubt it probably launched the career of many a U.S. "punk" band.
Russell's caused a mild shit-storm over here at the MTV awards. There was a phone in on CNN and the title on the screen was: RUSSELL BRAND - BAD HAIR, BAD JOKE. I'd have pissed myself laughing if it didn't hurt so much. Some woman called in saying as an American she didn't like a British guy coming over here, insulting her commander-in-chief!! Very funny. But NOT funny at all. If Chris Rock, for example, says that kind of thing everybody laughs because they think they should, but if it's a man who's dressed up like a vampire's lamp-shade? Well? He was wasted on the shower of God-fearing, corporate hot-dogs anyway.
We've just arrived in the capitol of the world. I'm off to bed.
At Last night's Paul Weller show at the Highline Ballroom in the meatpacking district of the Big Apple (NYC) Oasis band members came out in full support. Liam Gallagher and Gem Archer joined the Modfather onstage, whilst Noel Gallagher watched from the wings(?). Noel Gallagher is still tending to his bruised ribs and hip stemming from a crazed 'fan's' attack on stage at V-Fest Toronto.
Taken from Noel Gallagher's official Tour Diary on oasisinet.com
Nowt down today, droogs. Spent all day in bed suffering from my severe tickling at the hands of that drunken Canadian who, it transpires, is a grown man of 47 years!! (And I thought I was the oldest person at our gigs!) In his defence though, he�s probably having one of those mid-life crises things. Apparently it�s on YouTube. Imagine doing an assault on world television!? Did get to watch 4 "Seinfeld"s though. And some American football, so not too dissimilar to a normal day back home. Have to get another check up tomorrow. I�m gonna ask for new bionic ribs.
Apologies for blowing out the show in London (that�s London in Canada). You can thank your comrade from Toronto for that. We will return though. Probably in December.
Anyway, gotta go. These painkillers are kicking in again. GD
Music Video Directors to Shoot Oasis Street Performers
Sadly, Oasis cannot perform in New York tomorrow night. However you can still see songs from their new album performed live.
Friday September 12th will see street musicians performing four new tracks from 'Dig Out Your Soul'. At various locations in the city, including Grand Central Station and Times Square, the songs 'Bag It Up', 'The Turning', '(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' along with forthcoming single 'The Shock Of The Lightning' will be performed by acts ranging from 'Shred Violin' to 'Double Bass Rock'.
The event is being sponsored by the city of New York.
�We are excited that Oasis has chosen to not only launch their album in New York City, but also to enlist the help of our talented and diverse street musicians,� said George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company.
�Considering the fact that some of the most internationally-celebrated musical performers of this Century have had their start right here on our streets, there could not be a more fitting place for this to happen than New York City, and we encourage New Yorkers and visitors alike to take the opportunity to see these unreleased songs performed for the fist time on our City streets.�
The performances will be filmed by renowned music video directors The Malloys and produced by BBH. A full list of performers and locations can be found at www.nycvisit.com/oasis along with initial footage from the day which will be available to view from 6pm (EST).
The day of street performances ties in with the Oasis Songbook which goes live next Tuesday. Fans from around the world will have the opportunity to download the sheet music and vocal melodies of the four tracks then submit their renditions via YouTube to be in with the chance of winning a trip to see Oasis play at any gig around the world. UK fans can also buy a collectors version of the songbook which goes on sale with next week's NME.
Oasis just pulled out of their K Rock interview 20 minutes before taping . Plus all promo's and ticket giveaways for tomorrow's show have been pulled from the air.
This might be bad news regarding tomorrows scheduled show at Terminal 5 , stay tuned
EDIT : Oasis Show at Terminal 5 has been cancelled as per official website Oasisinet:
As a result of the incident on Oasis' Canadian tour, when Noel was attacked by a stage invader Oasis, are now being forced to announce that tomorrow night's show at Terminal 5, New York cannot go ahead as planned.
Noel fell heavily on to his monitor speakers when he was pushed suddenly from behind by his attacker and suffered bruising to his ribs and hip. Unfortunately, he still has not recovered from his injuries and so he will not be able to perform tomorrow.
Here's another review from our ' tone deaf ' friends at Rolling Stone. BTW it couldn't have been written by Jason the summer intern because he actually has good taste in music.....
Oasis - Falling Down 2 1/2 stars out of 5
Noel Gallagher used to write Oasis' most blissful rockers at the local pub during the halftime break in Machester City games. But with no real chorus, "Falling Down" suggests he needs to spend more time crafting hooks. Gallagher sings sweetly about trying to talk to God, and the breakdown in the bridge has some nice psychedelic flourishes, but he's lost the mojo that made hits like "Wonderwall" possible.
Oasis is putting a new spin on how to release a record, and they�re doing it right here in New York City. On Friday, September 12, in a private rehearsal, the British rock band will personally teach NYC street performers three never-before-heard songs from their new album Dig Out Your Soul, which doesn�t hit stores �til October 7. From there, the multi-genre musicians�from indie rockers to jazz guitarists to a shred violinist�will take the new tunes to street corners, subways and landmarks all over the City.
Check out the map below for details on where and when to catch the performances this Friday, September 12. This is your chance to hear unreleased tracks from Oasis� new album Dig Out Your Soul. Don�t miss it.
Everything but the title take from Noel Gallaghers official Tour Blog on Oasisinet
I�ll have to stop this prophesising. I knew something was going to happen last night. I said I had a bad feeling, didn�t I!?
Someone, who can only be described as a �Canadian� was able to get onstage, somehow managed to evade our crack security team (Trotters Independent Security Service) and assaulted my mid-riff. Can�t say much more than that as the �perpetrator�s� gonna get the book thrown at him. Repeatedly. It was all going so well up until that point�n�all. Feel like I�ve had a sparring session with Ricky Hatton.
Still, we�ll probably get an extra couple of days in NYC. Every cloud, eh?
L4e member Stomko just posted following info in our Forum:
Liam, Andy and Gem will be visiting the WCBS FM K-Rock Studios at 1:30p Thursday.
For Autograph hunters : thats between 5th and 6th Avenue on 57th street. Be nice since security will surely be tighter than usual after the Toronto incident.
As this week's incident at Toronto's V Festival demonstrated - when an interloper rushed the stage and tried to push Noel Gallagher off it - Oasis are still a band who inspire strong audience reaction.
Yet, despite the occasional bruising encounter, for the most part the Britpop giants' relationship with their fans is one of enormous affinity. It might be some time since they ruled the musical world, but each new Oasis album is greeted with anticipation by fans confident it will deliver more anthems they can wave their fists in the air and sing lustily along to. Just so long as they have paid for the privilege.
Oasis have aggressively positioned themselves against the growing trend to give away music free. In the face of widespread digital piracy, there have been various attempts by the music industry to commercialise the concept of free music, from Prince's newspaper cover-mount CD to Radiohead's name-your-own-price album download.
Liam Gallagher's response was to declare that Oasis would give their new album away "over my dead body". Noel kept up the fighting talk recently when he commented: "I didn't spend a year in the most expensive studio in England, with the most expensive producer in America, and the most expensive graphic designer in London, to then give it away. F--- that!"
In keeping with their retro-rocker character, Oasis are proudly Luddite, with Noel boasting that he doesn't know how to use a computer ("I'm immune from that filth"). Yet, whether the Mancunian bruisers like it or not, free downloads have become the prime marketing tool of the moment, with Coldplay and Keane recently giving away tracks that have subsequently gone on to become massive paid-for hits.
advertisement In the light of all this, the Oasis giveaway announced this week seems delightfully old school. In conjunction with the NME, Oasis will make available sheet music for three unreleased songs, Bag It Up, The Turning and (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady, to be featured on their forthcoming album, Dig Out Your Soul (due to be released in October). So it is free music, but the catch is you have to play it yourself.
This venture is supported by the Arts Council, not an organisation one would ordinarily associate with the fighting Gallagher brothers. The aim is to encourage young people to learn to read and play music. According to research by the Music Industry Association, more than 21 per cent of the UK population play an instrument (that's 11.5 million people, with 57 per cent being under 35 years old). Guitar sales have been booming, exceeding three quarters of a million a year and generating more than �100 million. And while the recorded-music industry suffers declining profits, sales of printed music have been slowly increasing, with a turnover of �32 million in 2006.
"The best sellers tend to be established rock bands with not too much electronics around them," says Richard King, chief executive of Faber Music, one of two dominant printed-music publishers in Britain. "It tends to be music you can relate to as a bass player or guitarist." Music Sales, which publishes Oasis's sheet music, claims What's the Story (Morning Glory) is the biggest-selling printed-music item since The Beatles Songbook.
Noel Gallagher has become increasingly involved in preparing Oasis's sheet music, encouraged by the number of young British musicians (such as Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys) who tell him they learnt to play with Oasis songbooks. "I'm just a strummer, that's what I do," says Noel. "Most of my songs start with open chords, usually D, G, A minor or E minor. Nothing of mine is too complicated, which is why my music connects to so many people, because it is so simple."
Next week's NME giveaway will include a link to a dedicated YouTube site, the aim being to encourage people to show off their own renditions (pre-cover versions, if you will).
The sheet music provides guitar chord diagrams and a top-line melody in staff notation. Without wishing to get too technical, Noel has retuned his sixth string (traditionally the bottom E) to D, resulting in some unusual chord shapes. And just when you are getting the hang of that, he will throw in a sequence of rapidly changing flats and fifths, one-note riffs and chord shifts where the melody line is as inscrutable as the lyrics. There are the usual references to "soul", "fire" and "sunshine", a sprinkling of "come ons" and entirely baffling lines about taking "a walk with the monkey man" and shaking "your rag doll, baby".
Business as usual, then. I have new-found respect for how Liam manages to bring so much conviction to lines such as: "Lay your love on the fire, when you come on in I got my hee bee gee bees in a hidden bag." I find it helps to sing this by putting your hands behind your back and tipping your head up towards an imaginary microphone, though it can make playing guitar a little awkward.
I have the unfair advantage of having heard the new Oasis album, although it hasn't helped much. Dig Out Your Soul is a heavier, more psychedelic affair than their earlier work, like Black Sabbath crossed with Revolver-era Beatles.
These songs might have their origins in Noel's acoustic strumming, but to get the full effect you would have to add at least 16 tracks of guitar overdubs, an orchestra, sitars, organs, ringing drums from Tomorrow Never Knows and one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time.
The modern music audience increasingly demands access and interactivity. By giving away sheet music instead of recordings, Oasis cleverly shift emphasis from the product to the actual music. Unleashing a wave of amateur versions might even increase awareness of what music is worth, by emphasising what the artists actually bring to the experience.
But there could be a downside to challenging your fans to get involved. Next time someone invades the stage at an Oasis gig, don't be surprised if he is carrying a guitar and just wants to play along.
New York City is famous for many things: the Empire State Building, immigration, pizza, traffic, Donald Trump. But we'd be remiss not to mention the folks who make this rich and vibrant city a little more musical, a little more colorful and, in some cases, helluva lot weirder: the buskers. While most have that whole marching-to-a-different-drum thing going on, there will be a whole slew of musicians singing the same tune in the Big Apple on Friday, as the performers will be covering nothing but new Oasis songs in various locations as a special promotion around the band's not-so-secret NYC show the same night at Terminal 5.
The band's label tells Spinner that one of the Gallagher brothers may even be making a surprise appearance with one of the acts, who are volunteers from MTA's Music Under New York Program, so imagine the day to be a little like Where's Waldo?, only Waldo in this case has a mop top, cigarette and, should it be Noel, a body bandage.
Oasis� eagerly awaited new album �Dig Out Your Soul� is released on 6th October on the band�s own Big Brother Recordings label around the world. The album will be available on four physical as well as digital formats.
For the first time ever, Oasis are releasing a collectors edition box set of their new record (RKIDBOX51R). A strictly limited quantity of these box sets will be available through the band�s web site at Oasisinet and at selected retail stores. The superbly packaged set (weighing in at a hefty 3.7 kilos) is the only place fans can get all the songs, remixes and audio / visual material recorded for 'Dig Out Your Soul'. It includes:
- The album on CD - Bonus track CD with 9 tracks and remixes - DVD featuring 40 mins of footage including exclusive behind the scenes making of the album and video for �The Shock Of The Lightning� - 4 x heavy weight vinyl records containing the album and bonus tracks - Deluxe 24 page hardback book - Mp3 download of the album (Oasisinet only)
Fans can see the boxset on YouTube. Plus the band have signed 20 copies of the boxset which will be sold at random from Oasisinet.
The album is also available as a special edition digipack (RKIDCD51X) with bonus DVD disc containing 40 mins of footage including exclusive behind the scenes making of the album and video for �The Shock Of The Lightning�. 'Dig Out Your Soul' will also be available on double heavyweight vinyl (RKIDLP51) and standard single CD (RKIDCD51) formats.
'Dig Out Your Soul' will also be released digitally and can currently be pre-ordered through iTunes where fans will immediately be able to download the album track 'Falling Down'.
�Dig Out Your Soul� was produced by Dave Sardy who worked with the band on 2005�s, �Don�t Believe The Truth�. It was recorded at Abbey Road and mixed in Los Angeles. All four band members once again contribute tracks.
The Track listing is:
Bag It Up The Turning Waiting For The Rapture The Shock Of The Lightning I�m Outta Time (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady Falling Down To Be Where There�s Life Ain�t Got Nothin� The Nature of Reality Soldier On
The new single �The Shock Of The Lightning� is released on 29th September.
From Noel Gallagher's Official Tour Diary on oasisinet.com
Hmmm..got a festival tonight. The V Fest in Toronto. I have a bad feeling about it. Mind you, we do have the greatest rock�n�roll singer of his generation doing the delivery so we should be ok. Weller and Stereophonics are on the bill though so it�ll be good to see Paul and Kelly.
A funny thing happened in the hotel bar last night. A guy came up to me and says very quietly, almost secret-agent-like, �Are you Jack White?�
The temptation was just too much.
�Yes�, I replied.
�Wow, really?! I love your music, man. You�re a great guitar player, man!�
�Thanks very much�, I said and declined the picture.
the cardinals send our best wishes and get well thoughts to Noel and we wish him and speedy recovery and know that he and his band OASIS are better than what happened and it is beyond me to imagine who would think to want to harm someone in this way.
the world needs OASIS and so do cardinals and violent acts of madness are just so ridiculous and don't belong in public theater or anywhere for that if you can help it really. but that is the world isn't it.
i guess what i take from all this is we all have some thinking to do and i hope whoever that was finds some way to apologize and restore what is possible.
he could have gotten really really hurt man. so un-called for and so out of line in every way.
i still have not and will not watch it as the band and myself feel like when shit like this happens you gotta ROLL WITH IT.... and DON'T LET ANYBODY GET IN YOUR WAY.
...I can only hope to one day stand as proud, with songs for EVERYONE anywhere NO MATTER who they are, like OASIS and know that music is just one more way of saying- HELLO- and HOW ARE YOU and LET'S HAVE FUN and exchange our excitement and our mutual dreams together someplace.
it just isn't a party if somebody gets hurt.
....and thank you, OASIS, for having us along fort the ride (we learned so much from you guys and had such a great time) and OASIS fans who were generous to us, and seemed very open and respectful, CARDS fans who might have been mingling in there somewhere, (i'm sure if you were a cards fan at an OASIS concert you are surely if you weren't before now aware of their rather ridiculous majectic powers) to Matt Costa who let me sit in with him- thank you- you are so inspiring and mind-blowing and also one skate rat to another- wow man, just amazing to watch you and jam too- it was so great to watch and hang with you)...
HANG IN, STAY COOL and SEE YOU ON THE RIDES NEXT TIME��!!!!!!!!
xxxx
R/
Cardinal Cave Dweller and Graduate from University of Weirdness
From Toronto's 102.1 The Edge Blog, The Music Geek (by Allan Cross)
Now Here's What I Know
Up until about 9pm Sunday night, I had unrestricted all-access wandering of the backstage area at the Virgin Festival. On Saturday, for example, I stood sidestage during the Foo Fighters performance right next to Richard Branson and (I think) Kate Hudson. No hassles whatsoever.
This is one of the defining characteristics of the Toronto Virgin Festivals: an easy-going backstage vibe where people mingle with little or no pretention. Almost all the acts had all their dressing room trailers in an L-shape back behind the stage in the trees. There were places to eat, drink, hang out, play Guitar Hero and even a bonfire to sit around (BTW, the MGMT guys were the BEST at building a roaring bonfire on Saturday night. Who knew they knew so much about lighting things on fire?).
It was cool just walking up to Paul Weller or the Stereophonics dudes or Moby or whomever and just striking up a conversation. (Weller was walking around on his cell phone, talking with people and posing for pictures. Great guy.)
However, there was a compound-within-the-compound that was guarded. This is where the Foo Fighters had their entourage--and it's where Oasis holed up before their show. Noel, however, went on a few backstage walkabouts. He was completely cool about things and was unmolested and unpreturbed by anything. Again, it was brilliant.
But then around 8:45, security began to get extra-tight. In fact, it got tighter than it had been all weekend. Suddenly, my purple all-access pass was null and void; true access-all-areas-access required an orange "mainstage" pass or a semi-mythical black all-access wristband. I was hoping to see Oasis' set from the same spot I watched the Foo Fighters. Suddenly, though, all bets were off. Even a big cheese from Oasis' record company was told to shove off and move on.
But then it got weirder. The whole ground level area around stage left (the left side of the stage as you faced it from the audience) was swept completely clear. Security made sure that it was as empty as a mine field. Us purple pass holders were rounded up and hearded out like cattle.
Rumours started to fly. One was that Brad Pitt was on site (he was in town for the Toronto International Film Festival) and was going to introduce Oasis. That didn't happen, but stories kept flying that he was watching the show from that special VIP section on stage level on the left-hand side.
Whatever. I've been thrown out of a lot of places in my life, so I wasn't going to get stressed about this. I found a spot in the crowd and began to get into the music. Then, a few minutes into "(What's the Story) Morning Glory," some weirdo shoots out from stage right and pushes Noel over from behind. Then he makes for Liam before he's tackled.
Personally, I would have liked to see Liam take care of things. Our Kid can take care of himself. The thrashing would have been spectacular.
The show stopped for what seemed like forever. Elliott Lefko, the main promoter of the festival (and the dude in the hat), came out and asked for patience. Finally, the show resumed, but momentum was lost. Did this screw up a rumoured Oasis/Paul Weller jam? (That would have been cool, especially since the rumoured Foo Fighters/The Edge thing never happened on Saturday night). No encore, either.
Whilst all this was going on, I took advantage of the confusion and circled back around into the backstage area. Taking the long way, I ended up stage right where the production office trailers were. Stage right is also where the artists' entrance ramp was. Vans brought them from their dressing room trailers right up to the ramp, on to the stage and in front of the crowd.
This area was a very, very tight squeeze: trailers, generators, road cases, vans, festival personnel--and some very, very large security people. How this a**hole managed to get up on stage from this area to sucker punch Noel is beyond me.
Was he hiding under the stage? That's what a spokesman for Virgin said. But how long was he there? How did he get under the stage? And what were this guy's motivations?
A source tells me that he couldn't have been hiding there because there was a small city of technicians constantly working on various aspects of the show. There was no room for him to hide down there. However, those technicians were not in place for the Oasis set as they weren't needed for that part of the show.
I spoke with Elliott first thing on Monday morning and he has no idea how it happened. You can bet, though, that there are some very, very unhappy people within the Oasis, Virgin and promoter camps.
Noel suffered some strained tendons when he fell over and was examined for a cracked rib. It's made news all over the world.
This--and you might find this surprising--is only the second time Oasis has been physically attacked on stage by an assailment.. The only other time was in Glasgow in 1994 when a guy threw a punch at Liam. That gig ended in a riot. Yes, they've been asaulted with objects before (Bonehead was hit in the head with a bottle once which ended a show and there was also an incident in Vancouver with a running shoe) but this no one has thrown a punch at the boys on stage this century.
Meanwhile, the jerk who ruined the weekend for so many of us was arrested and charged with assault.
Canada--and Toronto in particular--has always been very, very good to Oasis. This has really screwed things up.
I say give this a**hole to Liam. He probably knows how to waterboard.
Follow things along on the official Oasis site. One of the British papers covered it this way.
And yeah, tonight's show in London, Ontario, has been postponed. The new date at the John Labatt Centre is Dec 15
Here's another video of it :
Oh, and by the way, the dude has been identified: 47 year-old Daniel Sullivan of Pickering. According to the National Post, he had some kind of official backstage accreditation.
Awesome. That means the cool, loose backstage vibe that's marked the Virgin Festival for the past three years has been ruined forever. Way to go.
He'll be in court October 24. Wanna bet that half the British media is gonna be there?
It has been brought to my attention that some media outlets have been reporting that my forum has published Noel Gallagher's attacker's personal address and phone info.
Personally I do not support vigilante justice and the posts were edited as soon as the moderators got to them. I have faith in the Canadian justice system to deal with this the correct way. Apart from the reported boot print the assailant received from the bands security I hope he'll receive an appropriate punishment from the judge as well. Stay tuned.
A tip for Noel Gallagher on how to deal with stage attacks
In case you haven't heard, Noel Gallagher of Oasis was attacked by a fan at Toronto's Virgin Festival on Sunday. The band finished the set, Noel went to the hospital, and everything's going to be fine.
It's not an uncommon occurrence for a band or performer to be attacked (affectionately or otherwise) by adoring fans. Though Noel handled it well, he could've handled it with a lot more, well, pizazz. We hope you're paying attention, Mr. Gallagher
Assert your superiority Whereas the Oasis fan of this weekend took the musician down, the real key to getting the message across that you're not to be messed with is to take the fan down. And what better way to do so than to bludgeon the guy in the head with your guitar � and carry on like nothing happened � a la Keith Richards?
The new album doesn�t hit the shelves until 6th October, but Oasis fans across the world are set to get an exclusive preview of �Dig Out Your Soul�, in a groundbreaking partnership between Big Brother Recordings and music magazine NME supported by Arts Council England.
The band have teamed up with NME in a musical first, which will see the magazine release the sheet music and lyrics to three brand new album tracks � �Bag It Up�, �The Turning' and �(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady� in an exclusive companion disc give-away.
Packaged as an official collectable item featuring a unique Big Brother Recordings catalogue number, the Oasis �NME Dig Out Your Soul Songbook� will be free with NME�s September 17th issue and will also include a CD-Rom packed full of exclusive content and artwork.
The songbook will invite fans to play the as-yet unheard tracks themselves by filming their efforts and uploading them to a dedicated microsite housed at www.oasisinet.com/digoutyoursoulsongs. This radical move adds a new dimension to the �free music� debate and encourages all you die hard fans out there to pick up your instruments!
Noel Gallagher of Oasis said, �The gift of music is very special... and anything that can bring music into a kid�s life is an incredible thing.�
You, the fans, are encouraged to interpret the new tracks in your own personal style on whichever instruments you please and Big Brother Recordings have put together a very special prize for the best entry. A lucky winner will be personally chosen by the band and will win a unique VIP experience to the Oasis gig of their choice anywhere in the world, including travel and accommodation.
Conor McNicholas, NME Editor said: �We are ecstatic that NME has been able to work with Oasis to give our readers the very first taste of �Dig Out Your Soul�. The songbook really does mark a world first in including fans in the excitement of a new album release. With Arts Council England on board helping kids pick up instruments, this covermount could inspire and enable a new generation of Gallaghers right across the country.�
The Oasis 'NME Dig Out Your Soul Songbook' is backed by the Arts Council England�s Take it away scheme which has given out �6m worth of interest free loans to budding musicians over the last 12 months.
Mary-Alice Stack, who manages Take it Away at Arts Council England, said:
�Take it away is about helping people to get started learning and playing musical instruments of all kinds. We�re delighted to be involved with this songbook and competition, because we�re sure it will do just that.
�Along with aspiring Noels and Liams, we hope that the opportunity to perform these songs might well turn up a would-be Vanessa Mae or Seth Lakeman for the next generation."
Following an incident during Oasis' performance at the Virgin Festival in Toronto, when Noel was attacked by a stage invader Oasis are regrettably being forced to announce that tonight's show in London, Ontario cannot go ahead as planned.
Noel fell heavily on to his monitor speakers when he was pushed suddenly from behind by his attacker and suffered bruising to his ribs and hip. He was examined in a local hospital after the band's performance and has been advised to rest. Unfortunately, despite resting up yesterday, the extent of his injuries mean he will not be able to perform tonight. The band are very keen to complete their Canadian tour and options for rescheduling the final London, Ontario show are currently being looked into. Ticket holders are asked to retain their tickets until a further announcement is made in a few days.
UPDATE Show has been rescheduled for December 15. source
Band seeks cover versions in sheet music giveaway Arts Council scheme to inspire new artists
More unkind critics might suggest it will result in their most radical musical leap in years, while for others it will be final proof of the extent to which they have inspired a generation of new artists.
Unused as they may be to furthering arts policy aims, Oasis have teamed up with the Arts Council and the NME to encourage aspiring young musicians to pick up instruments.
Instead of giving away downloads to promote an upcoming album, as Coldplay and the Streets have done, or giving away a whole album to increase ticket sales, as Prince did, Oasis will give away a DVD and book featuring the sheet music and lyrics to three new songs with music weekly NME. The idea is aimed at promoting the Arts Council's Take It Away scheme, which provides interest free loans for musical instruments.
Details of how the Oasis attacker managed to get onstage and push Noel Gallagher over during a gig have begun to emerge.
As previously reported, the Oasis guitarist was pushed to the floor during their set at the V Festival in Toronto on Sunday (September 7).
According to Virgin spokesperson Nathan Rosenberg, the invader - identified as 47-year-old Daniel Sullivan - gained access to the stage by evading security, and was not someone with a backstage pass.
"This person seems to have found a hole in somewhere near the stage area and crawled on the stage," he told The Ampersand in a video interview. "Security guards are now looking at how that took place and we're looking at that as well to make sure that it never happens again."
Emailing NME.COM, fans "Derek and Adi" revealed they had seen the man moments before he got onstage.
"We saw the attacker run from the main crowd and run past security to the entrance to the stage," they wrote. "He ran up the stairs right past everyone and pushed Noel over. He literally made a break for it and made it all the way onto the stage. As soon as he was onstage we witnessed at least five police officers run after him onto the stage. Shortly after we saw several police taking him down the stairs and out of our view."
Meanwhile, Oasis fans have responded to the attack by issuing 'wanted: dead or alive' calls on Sullivan, even going as far as printing his home address, phone number and a map of where he lives on various fan forums.
Matt Bowman, frontman for UK press darlings and fellow Virgin Festival performers the Pigeon Detectives, claims he was "just bang in front of Noel" when the attacker came at the elder Gallagher.
"It looked like [Noel] was in quite a lot of pain," according to Bowman. "It was pretty shit-cheap shot-- just from the back, and Noel didn't expect it coming. It certainly wiped him out."
Bowman described himself and his bandmates as being "literally dumbstruck" by the proceedings. "I mean, we had never seen anything like it...it put quite a damper on the mood."
TORONTO: A Canadian man was charged Monday for allegedly attacking Oasis rocker Noel Gallagher at a Toronto concert, authorities said.
The British band was midway through its headlining set at the Virgin Festival on Toronto's Olympic Island on Sunday night when a man rushed the band from the back of the stage. The man pushed Gallagher, causing him to fall on his speakers during their 1995 hit "Morning Glory".
Security personnel quickly apprehended Daniel Sullivan, 47, from Pickering, Ontario. Police said Monday that he was charged with assault.
"Everyone was shocked. The fan came out of nowhere__no one even saw him run on stage, people just saw Noel fall and then people started yelling," said concertgoer Twyla DeMello.
The band members promptly left the stage and the lights came on, leaving fans confused. Minutes later, the Gallagher brothers and band returned to resume their set, performing their hits "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Wonderwall", along with three other songs before finishing with the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus".
Toronto police Const. Tony Vella said Sullivan was released from custody on a promise to appear in court on Oct. 24.
Oasis, which has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, are scheduled to play in London, Ontario, on Tuesday.
Oasis headlined the two-day festival which drew 40,000 music fans to see acts such as Foo Fighters, Paul Weller, Stereophonics and Bloc Party.
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group chairman, and the man behind the festival, attended the weekend events.
The festival began in 1996 in the United Kingdom, and now also plays in the United States and Australia. It was the third Virgin Festival show in Toronto.
Attack on Noel Gallagher Jeopardizes London Ontario Gig
My colleague and new friend Kyle Gustafson was standing behind me in the Media pit and captured these stunning pictures of the attack on Noel Gallagher at the V Fest in Toronto Canada. Read his account of the incident here
Oasis', Noel Gallagher was attacked by an unidentified man during the band's show in Toronto last night. While Noel and the band were performing 'Morning Glory', the assailant ran on from the back of the stage and pushed Noel from behind, who fell heavily on to his monitor speakers.
Despite his injuries, Noel returned to the stage a few minutes later to complete the band's set but was taken to hospital after the show to be examined for a suspected fractured rib and ligament damage. The assailant was detained in police custody and will be charged with assault.
No decision has been made regarding Tuesday's concert in London, Ontario, but fans are urged to keep checking the band's web site Oasisinet.com and local media for updates.
Here are the first batch of photos from the V Fest in Toronto . My fellow friend and music photographerChris Owyoung made the trip from New York with me and has made these cool shots available for Live4ever.
I was able to take shots of Paul Weller, The Fratellis, The Kooks and Stereophonics and will share these with you over the next few days!
Guitarist Noel Gallagher of the English rock group Oasis was attacked while playing on stage Sunday evening at Toronto Island Park.
Oasis was midway through its headlining set at this year's Virgin Festival when a man rushed the band from the side of the back-stage area and pushed Gallagher during the 1995 hit Morning Glory.
Security personal apprehended an unnamed intruder who was later charged with assault.
After a short break, Oasis did return to the stage to complete the concert, performing wistful hits Don't Look Back in Anger and Wonderwall and three other songs before finishing with the Beatles' I Am the Walrus.
However, the mood of the performance and of the crowd was notably subdued upon the show's resumption.
The interrupted concert was an unfortunate finale to a two-day festival that drew some 40,000 music fans to see acts such as Foo Fighters, Paul Weller, Stereophonics and Bloc Party.
Oasis plays the final concert of its recent string of Canadian dates in London, Ont., on Sept. 9.
The biggest rock stars of the nineties want to keep on playing. Will anyone listen?
The word rehearsal doesn't really convey what happens when the members of Oasis get together to run through some songs. They are not, by temperament, men of moderation. While you can imagine Sting, for instance, shushing his session cats and suggesting that it might sound delightful to garland "Message in a Bottle" with a tin whistle, the Manchester quintet that utterly dominated the British rock scene in the nineties have a much less subtle approach to the concept of practice: They just get up onstage and clobber you. Even though Noel and Liam Gallagher, along with their bandmates and their touring crew, are alone this July afternoon in a cavernous, black-curtained studio in a strip-mally area of West London that looks more like Phoenix, they perform one heaving anthem after another�"Champagne Supernova," "Supersonic," "Wonderwall," "Cigarettes & Alcohol," "Morning Glory"�as if they're staring down a million drunken followers on a fog-shrouded moor as the sun rises over a mythical rock festival.
They are ridiculously loud. When Noel, who at 41 still sports a George Harrison mop top, picks up and starts to noodle away on his cherry-red 1960 Gibson 355�a six-string that he mentions is worth about $20,000�the first few notes actually stab you in the face. There have been rehearsals in the past where the sound level was so high it affected not only the band members' hearing but their vision. "I nearly wept with the volume," Noel says, grinning. "It was like standing in an onion shop." Liam, who at 36 has abandoned neither his famous Brian Jones bowl cut nor that alpha-orangutan habit of swaying his arms when he walks, doesn't evince any difference between singing in a stadium and singing in an empty room. He still wraps his hands behind his back as though he's been handcuffed, leans toward the mike with a glare that suggests a familiarity with the etiquette of pub brawls, and unleashes a sound that's somewhere between an Italian aria and a sneer. When he's done, he steps down from the stage, swaggers over to the catering table for a banana, and says, "Told ya."
Even the Gallaghers' mistakes are huge. Not long after they've thundered through the self-fulfilling prophecy of "Rock 'n' Roll Star," a dinosaur-size, distortion-drizzled pop blasts across the room and makes everyone duck and wince. It's not a nice noise. It sounds as though a Marshall stack just lost a game of Russian roulette, and a roadie sets out to repair what looks like a minor power outage. "Well, there's no point in our soldiering on until he's got it fixed," Noel murmurs. "Bet this doesn't fuckin' happen to U2."
The wisecrack is revealing. If any British band of the past 15 years intended to follow the Dublin foursome into the glorious pantheon of rock gods it was Oasis, but along the way glitches in the internal wiring left the group stuck in the wings. Everything happened supersonically fast. Within months of releasing 1994's Definitely Maybe, a mix of churning psychedelia and stomping arena-rock riffage, the Gallagher brothers were selling out the same Manchester football stadium whose floodlights had once illuminated their childhood bedroom. The next year brought global domination: (What's the Story) Morning Glory sold 18 million copies around the world and "Wonderwall" became one of the decade's essence-capturing singles. Liam has come to despise it. "Everyone goes, 'You're the "Wonderwall" guy!'" he says. "Well, fuck off. I fuckin' hate it and your taste is shit." Noel has a special place in his heart for the sparkly morning when his accountant called with some good news. "He said, 'You've got a million pounds in the bank,'" Noel says. "And I was on drugs at the time"�Ecstasy and cocaine�"it was 11 o'clock in the morning, there was about 10 people in my room, and we'd been partying all night. I put the phone down and I said, 'I'm a millionaire! Let's fucking re-party!'"
Nobody stopped to notice that the third album, Be Here Now, was a bloated mess. Pausing to take stock was inconceivable for a gang that roared through each day in an impulsive, intoxicated blur. The Gallaghers got married�Liam to starlet Patsy Kensit, Noel to party girl Meg Matthews�but the settling-down phase never quite took hold. "I've got to tell you, being on tour as the biggest band in the world was fuckin' incredible," Noel remembers. "Whatever you needed you got two of. Some ridiculous instrument that you'd fucking seen some guy playin' in a market. I'd phone my manager from Hong Kong at six in the morning. 'What do you want?' 'I want a fucking glockenschplocken.'"
Just as quickly, the days of express-mailed glockenschplockens came to a close. With the release of 2000's weirdly titled Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, it was clear the band had derailed. Two of the founding members, bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, resigned. Divorces drained the band of emotional energy. "That was a rough time," Noel says. "The backlash had started. I was really, really uninspired to write anything. The tour was already sold out�but we haven't got a fucking band. The album wasn't very good. The reviews were appalling." If they were at all sensible, the Gallaghers would've packed up the amps.
But they're not, so they didn't. In spite of the drugs, in spite of the notorious fraternal friction between Liam and Noel, in spite of the fact that your average American rock fan probably isn't even aware of recent albums like Don't Believe the Truth, Oasis have become unlikely evangelists for the art of persistence. They're no longer part of the Sony empire, but this October the band is releasing an album, Dig Out Your Soul, on its own label, Big Brother. They've hired a new drummer, Chris Sharrock; the other two "new" members, guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, have been with the band for nearly a decade.
More crucially, there's been a chemical-philosophical shift: Noel and Liam, two of the high priests of rock-and-roll excess, are experimenting with�dare we say it�moderation. Over the years Liam has developed a reputation for being wildly confrontational�with the press, with photographers, with almost anyone. "I am a cunt," he says. "I can be the biggest cunt in the world, but I can also be the most spectacular person ever made. Depends." These days he's working at being the latter. At the time of the rehearsals, Liam has not had a drink in three weeks. "This is a new me, man," he says. He's getting up at six every morning at the cottage on Hampstead Heath that he shares with his second wife, Nicole Appleton, going for a strenuous run, and then spending the day taking his two sons, Gene and Lennon, to and from school and playdates. "Top kids, both of them," he says. "I prefer going out with them than to hang out with fucking rock stars and celebrities. They're all dicks, man." Twice a day he eats grilled or steamed salmon with spinach and "loads of fucking garlic," and it must be noted that years of hard living seem to have done no damage to the celebrated grandeur of his cheekbones. "Well, I've got good skin," he says. "I get it from Mrs. Gallagher."
Noel�who also has two children, 8-year-old daughter Anais and 1-year-old son Donovan�gave up drugs 10 years ago after one too many panic attacks. "The one drug I was heavily addicted to was cocaine, and there comes a point where you're just like, Man, this can't go on any longer, because it'll fucking fry your head," he says. He's sold his house in Ibiza, figuring it makes no sense to have an outpost in the dance-club Sodom of Spain. "You get to a certain age where you just look ridiculous being fuckin' out of it all the time, you know what I mean?" he says. "I used to go to nightclubs like the Hacienda in Manchester in the eighties, when the rave scene was kicking off, and you'd see people who were like 40 there and you'd just think, You look fucking stupid. I guess we've had our go at being the epicenter of youth culture, and it's now time to leave it to the kids."
He refuses to give Dig Out Your Soul the hard sell. "Listen," he says, "before you've heard our new record, I could make it sound like some fucking rock opera. I could make you believe that each song is about a schoolboy that wakes up in the morning and this is the story of his life and blah blah blah. And you would fuckin' buy it. But if you ask me about my record, I just go, 'I don't fuckin' know. It's the same as the last one.'" Besides, millions of fans want to hear the old hits, and that's fine. Noel doesn't have much patience for contemporaries like Radiohead who evolve from one clangy experimental phase to the next. "Yeah, well, they went to university," he says. "We're just working-class boys trying to make a living. They're middle-class boys worrying about pushing an envelope somewhere, and all that carbon footprint and all that bollocks. Every time there's a polar bear on his tiptoes on an ice cube in the middle of the Antarctic, you know whose fault that is? Rock stars'. That's their fault. Any time there's food running out somewhere� 'Let's do a gig. That'll sort it out. Let's do a big fucking gig. Let's fly everybody in from all over the world and pontificate to poor people about how they should be saving the planet.' Go fucking kiss my ass. It's very easy to just say, 'We're going to become difficult now and challenge our audience.' I like my audience. They paid for my swimming pool. I'm not fucking challenging anybody."
If that makes him a mossback, he doesn't care. "I'm into rock and roll," he says. "That's what I listen to. I like a certain period of dance music and hip-hop, the early stuff, when I feel�and this is my opinion�that hip-hop had more of a social conscience. Now it's all about the bling and who's got the biggest car and all that fucking shit. And that doesn't speak to me. I'm pretty much into everything from the blues to the Sex Pistols, with the Jam and the Stone Roses and the Smiths thrown in. If music doesn't speak to you, what are you supposed to do? Pretend to like it? Fuck that. I like the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who, and the Stones. Bite me."
At the end of a rehearsal, Noel pulls out a collector's edition of Dig Out Your Soul and shows it to the band. It's 12 inches tall and wide, like the turntable classics of yesteryear, and it's stuffed with lyric sheets and psychedelic art and all the other eye candy that's vanished in the age of the download. Noel's an unstoppable joker, but here on a ratty couch he holds the artifact in his hands and gazes at it, silently touching the cover with the tips of his fingers. He might be a 13-year-old kid in Manchester, or he might be an aging rock star who's content with his place in the universe. Oasis will always be prone to the grand gaffe, but he doesn't worry about that. "I don't know how much money I've got, but I said to the girl who runs the accountant's office, 'Give me a call when it's time to fuckin' curb my enthusiasm,'" he says. "Or as we say in England, 'Give me a call when I'm down to my last four million.'"
Taken from Noel Gallagher's Tour Diary on www.oasisinet.com
Fuck!! The heat. It's oppressive. We've got a photo-shoot today AND it's outside. HORRIFIC. The sky-lord is arriving tonight from England via New York. Should make for a good solid drink-up.
Ryan got up with us at the soundcheck. He's been bugging us to play "Roll With It" for him and as r-kid doesn't do soundchecks Ryan stood in on vocals.
Gig was good. The crowd were really good. An amazing thing happened on stage (and if you were there you would've witnessed this). Our bass player vanished into thin air!
One of the girls from our office in London arrives with the news that there's no news from back home.
The drink-up is good and solid.
7 hours on the bus to Toronto. Get to the hotel and who's in reception? Jimmy Page! I fuckin' love Jimmy Page. We hugged it out for breakfast.
There were no fistfights, and very little foul language. Seminal Britpop act Oasis played the Bell Centre Friday night, and the notorious Gallagher brothers kept it clean. Heck, they even seemed sober.
The 8,500 fans were on their feet from the guitar intro of opener Rock 'n' Roll Star � the perfect song to start a show by a band that has always been as much about infectious hits as the escapades of the iconic duo at its core.
Liam Gallagher stood centre-stage in his trademark pose, leaning into the microphone, one hand behind his back. His brother Noel was on guitar. Together they got down to business, delivering an array of favourites, mostly from their '90s heyday. They slipped in a few new ones along the way, unveiling the psychedelic tones of new album Dig Out Your Soul, due Oct. 6.
Lyla was rowdy and insistent; Cigarettes & Alcohol had hip-shaking riffs; The Masterplan proved a crowd-pleaser; Morning Glory elicited a boisterous singalong; and the Importance of Being Idle (sung by Noel) was good fun.
But there was no match for THE song. It came two before the encore, and Liam announced it unceremoniously, mumbling "Wonderwall," out of the corner of his mouth. It is the band's best-known track, a wistful, irresistible ballad. Everyone in the arena joined in, with joyful abandon, Liam's whine leading the way. Cheers erupted as the group broke into the instrumental coda.
They weren't done. The last song before the encore, Supersonic carried anthemic weight of its own. Don't Look Back in Anger (again by Noel) and Champagne Supernova brought out lighters and more big singalongs; while the night-ending cover of I Am the Walrus sealed the deal.
Oasis may not be as dangerous, exciting or as popular as it once was, but the band can still engender an impressive amount of good will.
Ryan Adams warmed up the room, ranging from bluesy spirituals to expansive rockscapes and heartland ballads with the help of his band the Cardinals. Matt Costa opened the evening.
Liam Gallagher�s tribute to his idol John Lennon is being hailed as brilliant by everyone who has heard it � even by his usually critical brother Noel.
And no wonder I�m Outta Time is so good � the Oasis frontman has spent almost a decade on it.
Liam revealed: �That took me f*****g nine years to write. I only finished it last week.�
Oasis are on the road across the Pond, with the tour taking them to Toronto tomorrow for the Canadian leg of the V Festival � which also has Stereophonics and Paul Weller.
Watch a small clip of the song by clicking here. via L4e / source thesun.co.uk
Between the ferocious playing, massive lighting rig and ear-splitting sound, the members of Oasis mounted an unsurpassed attack on the senses on Thursday, turning their first concert in Ottawa into a momentous occasion in the city's rock 'n' roll history.
Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but a concert on this scale would send any music fan over the moon. It was spectacular, with the extra bonus of two decent opening acts: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals and singer-songwriter Matt Costa.
Too bad there were only 7,000 of us in attendance, the low turnout possibly due to the fact the concert took place during the first week of school. In my scan of the crowd, there were scores of young adults, but not many who looked as though they needed to hire a babysitter on a school night. (Barrhaven, you missed a great show.)
Although Oasis has been around for more than a decade and has a devoted fan base in Canada, the one-time British chart-toppers usually only touch down in Toronto, Vancouver and possibly Montreal on their world tours.
But with a new album due for release in October, and a major U.K. tour already sold out, this string of North American dates (most of them in Canada) was put together to make sure the band and its crew are in tip-top form when the new-album madness begins.
The tour started Aug. 26 in Seattle so by Thursday's concert, it was clear that most of the issues have been smoothed out. Except for a couple of minor technical glitches, the production was as slick as they come, scripted according to a setlist drawn up at the beginning of the tour. The band members are playing the same songs in the same order each night, starting with a blistering but straightforward version of Rock 'N' Roll Star and ending with the intense psychedelia of The Beatles' I Am The Walrus.
The unvarying setlist might have been a drag if you were one of the faithful attending more than one show or if you were hoping for a certain tune not on the list, but with about two-thirds of the songs drawn from early discs, it was definitely a crowd-pleasing assortment.
What was remarkable was that band managed to maintain the sense that anything could happen, musically or otherwise. Of course, some of that feeling is due to the well-documented tension within the band, the longstanding rivalry between singer Liam Gallagher and his brother, chief songwriter Noel Gallagher.
However, on stage at Scotiabank Place, the brothers' differences were put aside, and, along with their bandmates, they seemed to focus on one goal:to blow minds.
With all instruments set to stun, the sensory pummeling began with the no-nonsense attack of Rock & Roll and Lyla, guitars blazing and lights strobing. Over the next 100 minutes or so, the band cycled through rapture-inducing hits such as Wonderwall, Morning Glory and Champagne Supernova, and unveiled several new songs from the forthcoming disc, titled Dig Out Your Soul.
Clad in a leather jacket, Liam adopted his bent-knee stance at the microphone as if bracing himself against his own torrential voice of anguish. Against the edge of Liam's nasal-tinged pipes, big bro' Noel sharpened his distinctive electric-guitar licks, demonstrating the base on which Oasis' sound is constructed. In the audience, fans sang along and displayed their love by raising their illuminated cellphones and Blackberrys.
As for the new songs, they seem to hint at a groovy new direction for Oasis. Played early in the concert, the first single The Shock of the Lightning featured a good chunk of psychedelic spaciness, the noodling then continuing in the middle of another new song, To Be Where There's Life, which Liam dedicated to Manchester's football team. The pulsing, trippy vibe surfaced again in the Noel-sung Falling Down, one of the finest of the new batch, and later came to a crashing finale in a fierce set-closing cover of I Am The Walrus.
Gallagher Sr says he's 'not surprised' at the quality of 'I'm Outta Time'
Oasis' Noel Gallagher has praised brother Liam's songwriting on 'I'm Outta Time', the second single due to be released from the band's forthcoming album 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
Speaking to musicradar, Noel revealed that he always expected 'Im Outta Time' to be brilliant, revealing he has always thought his brother's songs were good, despite him being the band's principle songwriter so far in their career.
"I like Liam's songs, I wasn't surprised [at 'I'm Outta Time''s quality]," he said. "He's [Liam] expected to write great songs, he's in Oasis."
Gallagher has previously told BBC 6Music that the forthcoming single is a "piano-y, John Lennon-y obligatory plodaway song in the middle [of the album].
"It breaks up the two sides which are pretty intense, and it's full-on from the start to finish."
'Dig Out Your Soul' is set to be released on October 6. It will be preceded the first single to be taken from the album, 'The Shock Of The Lightning', on September 29.
NME ----------------
The Europe Music Awards are set to take place on 6th November 2008 in Liverpool UK and nominee voting is now open! Voting is open to the public � fans can vote for their favourite artist to become one of the Top 5 nominees! Help Oasis get nominated for a Best Act Ever award by clicking �Nominate Now� banner.
Hi Liam! You're abit older now, so have you given up fighting the paparazzi?
I've calmed down, man. But it depends how close they get to me. If they're in my f***ing space then they're going to get a dig! Sometimes, they come up and take the p*ss and that's when I react.
Do you regret any of the mad stuff you have got up to in the past?
No, I'd do it all the f***ing same, man. Even the bad times were worth it because I'm still alive. I've got f***ing money in the bank, I've got a nice house and my family are f***ing happy. It could be f***ing worse, couldn't it? It's all good. How crazy was it to be in Oasis when you first started? I can't remember much about that whole f***ing thing - I was very drunk a lot of the time. I'd read some things and think, "Did that really happen?" and then I'd see the pictures. It was wild. It was life on the f***ing edge. But we weren't "Guns N' Roses wild" because were a different kind of band. We never fell over drunk because we like our clothes too much. And I've never poured Guinness or Jack Daniels on my head because we're not f***ing Beavis and Butt-head. But we had a good time. Oh yeah, man!
What about drugs? Was there lots of that going on?
Yeah, but none of us ever done f***ing smack and none of us have ever been in the f***ing Priory, like all these little f***ing idiots today. They have one little line and they are all in the Priory.
What do you think of the current music scene?
There's too much of it - its fast food music. You make one f***ing hit and everyone thinks, "Yeah, they're f***ing great". Its like having a McDonald's - by the time you've finished, you feel guilty because it weren't that f***ing good. I'm like, "Where's the Sunday roast?" I like my records played more than once.
Whats the most extravagant thing you've ever bought?
I bought a Bristol, which is one of the last hand-made English cars ever. It's a top car. I've got a nice apartment and a gaff in the country. But apart from that I am not really that bling.
Do you still think Oasis are the biggest and best band ever?
Well, when we said that, that was us just being cocky little b*stards, wasn't it. Maybe we're not the f***ing best ever but we're one of the greatest bands of the last 10 years. I don't see anyone who's set it alight more than us for the last 10 years. We burnt the candles at both ends, had some f***ing sh*t things happen to us, but we got through it. To me, that's what it's all about. Half the stuff that goes down in other bands these days is nothing. They play it too f***ing safe. So, yeah, we're the b*llocks and we remain the b*llocks.
Whats been the highlight of your career so far?
It's got to be the City of Manchester stadium gig, when we played three nights in front of people we went to school with - people who'd rip your f***ing head off if they got you on your own, but who still loved the music. To play in front of your own f***ing crowd, with 60,000 people coming to see you, is pretty special. But getting a record deal was the f***ing most important thing because that allowed us to drive your own car.
What would you be if you weren't a musician?
F**k knows! I did want to be a footballer, but I didn't have the discipline to give up the fags or booze. And I couldn't see the point of making all that money and not being allowed to get off your f***ing head. Apart from that, be God, maybe? That'd be a good job. That's the next highest one, isn't it? Being in Oasis, then f***ing being God!
Well, didn't you once say you wanted to change the world?
I don't think we said we'd change the world, I think we just said we're the best f***ing band in the world. And I don't think we've changed the world, because look at the state it's in! But we have changed our world, changed our lives and changed quite a few other people's f***ing lives, too. Even to this day, there are loads of people out there that come up and say, "You changed my f***ing life." That's nice, man. I'm happy with that.
Oasis' Noel Gallagher has bigged up Ryan Adams, whose band The Cardinals are supporting the Manchester legends on their current UK tour.
Writing on the Oasis blog on the official Oasis website, Oasisnet.com, Gallagher said that he was making an effort to get to know his touring mates.
"We're supposed to be going out for dinner tonight (September 1 � when the blog was written before being posted today, September 4) with Ryan and The Cardinals," he wrote. "Should get to know them a bit better. They seem like most Americans you meet who are in bands, pretty cool."
The Verge brings you live performances and coverage of the Toronto Virgin Festival from the mainstage action to the Molsen Canadian Rocks Zone with exclusive live performances from Oasis, Paul Weller, Bloc Party, The Fratellis, Stereophonics, Against Me!, The Weakerthans and lot's more.
Broadcast Schedule: Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7 beginning at 1 PM ET
Don't have XM Satellite Radio ? No worries listen to it online. You can sign up for a 3 day Online Radio trial for free HERE
Oasis will take to the stage at 9:10 PM until 11:00 PM (local time) after sets earlier in the day by Paul Weller, Stereophonics and more.
Noel Gallagher's Travel Blog entry for 9/01 via Oasisinet
Forgot to mention. Did a couple of interviews yesterday. One with a guy who looked EXACTLY like Woody Harrelson. And one with some guitar magazine. They�re funny those guitar mags, unless you�re into discussing the science of guitar sound. The questions are always ludicrous. Example:
Q: �Describe to me the guitars you used on this new record.� A: �Erm..one was red and one was blonde!? Are you gonna ask me what my favourite string is too?� Q: �You have a favourite STRING!?� A: �Yep..the �e� string� Q: �Why?� A: �Cos there�s 2 of �em!� Q: �Really!?� OH, FUCK OFF!!!
The journey is quite uneventful really. Had a little drink. Talked a lot of shit. Got some kip. Handsome! Pulled into some truck stop for breakfast. I love truck stops, you never know if you�re gonna meet a preacher or a serial killer. This one is pure David Lynch gear, old and deserted. Ask the waitress for 7 menus. She looked at us like it was the 1st time she�d been asked for 7 of anything in her life! The restaurant / bar area has a little dance floor and a stage at one end and a speak your weight machine at the other! What the fuck? Shit food and all. It�s a small price to pay though. The rest of the boys have flown rather than brave the bus. I�ve never understood that. This is the whole point of touring. Staring out the window, watching the world go by.
We�re supposed to be going out for dinner tonight with Ryan and The Cardinals. Should get to know them a bit better. They seem like most Americans you meet who are in bands, pretty cool. The weather�s been strangely warm. Looking forward to tomorrow.
From Noel's official Tour Blog on Oasisinet: 08/31
That hotel in Calgary was like something out of that film, �The Shining�: massive and virtually empty. There was ANOTHER wedding party going on! It must be that time of year. The gig tonight is at a place called the Saddledrome. It�s a fuckin� rodeo arena and it�s shaped like a saddle (hence the name!) Ryan Adams has really surprised everyone so far. Didn�t think he�d be this good. Our show was brilliant. Everything is beginning to click now. Again there were a lot of people for a warm up. 13,000! Great crowd though. No undies onstage this time but good crack all the same. This gig in Calgary will go down in history as the first ever Oasis gig where there was NO ONE on the guest list!
In the dressing room the traditional debate has started about �The Top 10�. This means the top 10 bands of all time. No solo artists allowed. No female artists allowed. No collectives allowed (Public Enemy etc.) This is the 1,000th time we�ve been here with this. It never gets any less interesting for me. For the record, THE DEFINITIVE top 10 is this..
1. The Beatles 2. The Rolling Stones 3. The Who 4. The Sex Pistols 5. The Kinks 6. The La�s 7. Pink Floyd 8. The Bee Gees 9. The Specials 10. Peter Green�s Fleetwood Mac End of.
Someone�s forgotten to bring the Laurel & Hardy box-set for the bus. We have to make do with watching �The Rutles 2�! It�s shit, by the way.
Tonight is a 17 hour drive to Winnipeg, the birthplace of Neil Young. My liver is shitting itself! Wish me luck.
Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher tells Radio 5 Live he always knew "40 years of loyalty would be repaid" and looks forward to seeing the club compete for trophies under their new multi-billion pound ownership.
Since their debut in 1994, Oasis have dominated the British music scene in ways that recall the glory days of The Beatles.
Which Noel Gallagher, the band's chief architect, main songwriter, guitarist and sometime lead vocalist, would inevitably say was the plan all along. When he joined the Manchester group in 1991, then led by his lead singer brother Liam, he made it clear that he would do so only if they played his songs and did things his way. So far, things haven't turned out half-bad.
With over 50 million record sales worldwide, eight UK number one singles, a boatload of awards and a history of sell-out tours, the Gallagher brothers have made good on what Noel once described as his primary goal: world dominance.
Noel's reputation for his outspoken views on everything from fashion to politics to rival bands (as well as his sometimes hilarious rows with brother Liam), sometimes eclipses his remarkable talent for crafting striking rock 'n' roll songs, best displayed on beloved Oasis albums such as Definitely Maybe and (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Dig Out Your Soul, the group's seventh's studio album (due October 6 in the UK, October 7 in the US), is a fascinating growth step for Oasis. While Noel's riveting and surrealistic compositions remain the backbone of the record, Liam is quickly blossoming as a songwriting equal. Guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell make their marks as well.
Having recently kicked off what is to be mammoth 18-month world tour in Seattle (with drummer Chris Sharrock assuming the spot once held by Zak Starkey), Noel Gallagher sat down for an exclusive conversation with MusicRadar and Guitar World magazine. The following excerpt finds Gallagher holding forth in a gentlemanly mode - a far cry from his grandiose rants of yesteryear. To read the entire interview, be sure to pick up the January 2009 issue of Guitar World.
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has called presidential hopeful Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention last week �spell binding�.
Gallagher, who watched the address while on tour in the US, also said he wished Mr Obama was British.
�Impressive stuff. Spellbinding in fact. Wish he was one of ours. Why do Americans believe they're electing the president of THE WORLD though?" he wrote on the band's website.
The guitarist has been keeping fans constantly updated with blog posts throughout the bands current tour, which is supporting their new album 'Dig Out Your Soul'.
Writing last week, Gallagher said there had been �no major drama�, except for problems with US immigration.
"Somewhat predictably U.S. immigration nearly takes as long as the flight. I think the sight of a true, real life evil genius has the young officer flustered,� he told fans.
Every star needs their signature pose. And no telling how he came by it, but Liam Gallagher has one the most distinctive in a generation.
You know the look from a million Oasis videos: the rangy lead singer, knees bent, eyes closed. As he leans into microphone, one shoulder slips downwards and a tambourine knocks against his right thigh.
Winnipeg has never before seen That Pose in the flesh. Last night at the MTS Centre, we finally did. So, was it worth the wait?
Accusations have long flown on both sides of the pond that North Americans don't "get" Oasis. But the great wall that confounds our attempts of "getting it" is never really explained. At any rate, Oasis diehards -- 14 years of brash Brit-pop fandom and counting -- get it no matter their accent.
My guess as to why this accusation exists at all is that Oasis presents such a sparse show for a band of their level.
On stage, the outspoken Gallaghers (guitarist brother Noel is the other one) aren't as dramatic as they often are in the press. They're definitely not Hollywood, but like reclusive musical auteurs committed only to making people listen.
To the uninitiated, that is going to seem boring, as has been said of them a few times on this tour already. But to a true fan, it's a stripped-down aesthetic that satisfies in an era of empty grandstanding.
Take last night. It was 9 p.m. when the lights went down, and after some pre-set soundchecking, a tinny recording crackled on: "this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." No pyro, no tricks, no grand reveal.
Don't Look Back in Anger, Winnipeg 09/01
Then Liam marched out and struck That Pose, while de facto bandleader Noel slid to the side of the stage and less megalomaniac bandmates Gem Archer, Chris Sharrock and Andy Bell followed.
They said nothing, didn't waste time. Just kicked it off old-school with Rock'n'Roll Star (the first track off their first album, 1994's Definitely Maybe), and followed it up quickly with fan-favourite Lyla and brand-new single The Shock of the Lightning, from their upcoming record, their seventh, Dig Out Your Soul.
The stage was sparse, featuring only a normal array of spotlights and four video screens. For the acoustic-laden Songbird, they even did away with some of that, strumming and singing under a gentle pinkish glow.
They turned up the stage lights again for their 1996 breakthrough hit (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, which earned enormous cheers, but shortly thereafter it was Noel's turn in the spotlight for the fresh, lively Importance of Being Idle that came more alive.
They wrapped up the main set with their gargantuan hit Wonderwall (it felt as if Liam was rushing the verses, and likely he was: the singer has said on several occasions that he loathes singing the tune) and Supersonic.
At press time, the band was coming back for an anticipated four-song encore, starting with Noel helming a gorgeously intimate version of Don't Look Back In Anger. The sound of 7,000 voices singing the soaring chorus was thrilling.
Earlier, Californian popster Matt Costa and singer-songwriter Ryan Adams performed.
Though Adams stayed true to his shoegazer image by barely raising his speaking voice above a whisper, his tunes sounded lovely, including sparkly favourite When The Stars Go Blue.
Landlords in North London will be weeping over their beer barrels.
Paparazzi, meanwhile, will be breathing a sigh of relief. LIAM GALLAGHER is leaving the UK.
The hard-drinking, snapper-slapping OASIS frontman plans to emigrate to New York.
But, he�ll be in Blighty for a few years yet.
He will leave the UK behind only when his kids have finished school.
And considering son GENE, youngest of his three children, is only seven, it could be more than a decade before he makes his way to the Big Apple.
Liam said: �I love that city, I love the buzz off it.�
His Canadian-born wife NICOLE APPLETON lived there for five years, he said, adding: �That�s the next step for me.
�And no, I�m not going to do acting or any of that s***.
�I�ve been offered a few things but it�s not me. I�m just going to a place where I can be me.�
The band are currently in the middle of a tour of Canada � but Manchester City fans Liam and brother NOEL will be itching to come back and get a taste of their team�s latest revolution.
Their eagerly awaited UK dates kick off at Cornwall�s Eden Project on September 27.
The Winners of our Live4ever Oasis Pop Art contest have been randomly chosen from the 156 participants.
The two winners of a limited edition Oasis pop-art print by UK artist Michael Hadfield are :
MICHAEL WADE and BEN WESTERN
Please email me your shipping address so I can pass it on to Michael Hadfield, your prints will be shipped out to you for free next week. Congrats and thanks to everybody who took part in this contest ! Incase you weren't one of our lucky winners visit the online store as Michael has also added a discount code LIVE4EVER (it is case sensitive) which will give L4e readers 15% off any A Northern Soul items until 31/12/09.
So we arrive at the sound-check for the gig in Seattle and Jesus, you want to see this place! It�s supposed to be a warm up, it�s massive! The sound-check�s a bit shit really. Sounds like we�ve not played for 10 days (which we haven�t). The dressing room�s a joke. It looks like the inside of a big brother house. White fake leather sofas you can�t actually sit on as much as slouch about 4 inches off the floor AND a little Buddha surrounded by little fake flowers in a little fake fountain that makes you just want to go for a little fake piss. LUDICROUS! Someone�s taking this 60�s thing too far. Who do they think we used to be? Kula Shaker? Meet Matt Costa backstage (he�s a singer/songwriter!) He�s opening the show on this leg of the tour. And Ryan Adams, who�s wearing VERY stripy socks.
Me and Gem are nominated by our fellow housemates to do ANOTHER interview which turns out to be quite serious for a change. Does kind of make me feel like I�m in Radiohead though.
It gets to that weird time of the day where no one�s sure what to do with themselves. Most have gone for dinner (I don�t do dinner before a show; there�s something not quite right about playing rock�n�roll music on a full stomach), I�m going outside for a smoke. Run into a few fans who ask THE most annoying question � �can we get a quick picture?� (�Erm..dunno CAN you?�). They try emotional blackmail by informing me that they�ve come �all the way from St. Louis" (wherever that is). I tell them that that matters not a jot as I�ve come all the way from England, which is (as everyone knows) FUCKIN�MILES AWAY!! Matt Costa gets up and sings some songs that he wrote all by himself, two of which are pretty good. Ryan gets up and also sings some songs he wrote by himself but he plays them with his band The Cardinals. It�s really good (just my opinion!). As for us? We were ok. Alright. Not bad. I know we�ve done better gigs and I�m sure we�ll do worse.
Off to Canada tonight. Vancouver to be exact. 4 hours door to door it is. Not enough time to get really pissed. Never mind, it�s early days. There�s plenty of time for that. And yes, my missing bag did eventually turn up (thanks for asking).
In a bit.
General Dread.
You can read the entries as they come in on Oasisinet.com
Noel Gallagher holds court backstage at the Pengrowth Saddledome Arena, Calgary, Canada, Saturday August 30. It was the second night of Oasis' world tour in support of forthcoming album 'Dig Out Your Soul', which kicked off in Seattle on August 26. Pic: Christina Ryan
You can check out the rest of the new Canadian Photo Gallery Here
OASISare the nicest people...plus amazing.i have to say that i just have never been treated with such respect by any band before including their crew. and this is OASIS folks. they don�t have to be this way. they wrote the rock�n�roll year-book of my youth and my middle years. wow. they are so nice about letting you watch from the control booth, or side stage, or even how the super friendly way cool two guys, like the wizard in the wizard of oz, behind the stage controlling those massive badass lazer screens (�Champagne SuperNova�- my god those effects- and the BLADE RUNNER LIGHT SHOW LIGHT RIG SPIDER ARMS- wow�.fuck�)�..or how sometimes i am playing and i look over and OASIS are watching us. man, that is fucking something. they watch neal though- marsha marsha marsha�just jkng (but not cmon i play guitar too- i just dont know what im doing- so what�..)
I was looking for a seat at lunch the other day and there was a space open next to Gem and Andy and Noel. It was crowded at catering and I saw a space open at their table. sounds like high school cafeteria right? So I sat and had the most pleasant lunch with them.
Noel and I talked about gear, but he asks me stuff, so do the other guys like �how did you guys do that thing that sounded like a robot dying- or whats the song with that three part just singing bit��.CAN U IMAGINE???? how cool�..
Noel had an interview and excused himself from the table after a bit, total gentleman, and Ian came round. He had been out for a walk and had a fascinating story about all the weddings he had seen. He�s very personalable and engaging to everyone. and very funny. they both are, that suttle english humor, which i love so much, about english culture- that sluggish grey tough - tomorrow-will-be-better- type shrug off one liners. they�re the stuff of dylan thomas and a thousand great poets before them. total culture imbedding. love it.
The funny thing is- they are OASIS and they �ASK� people questions�.me, others, how they are- what is new, and aren�t kind of pretending to be interested- i see them interact with their crew, with local crew and others- and they are so generous.
It means the world to me to be on this tour and I am learning so much.
I really like to watch from front of house so I try and change clothes and fit in and just hang back, some people get weird with me, usually if they have been drinking alcohol or something maybe they can get weird.
And I see all those beautiful girls out there too. Wow. I wish I were a scumbag then maybe it would be cool to go out hunting for some suck-face. But I am not like that. I live my dreams through the girls I love, and you just don�t meet them often.
besides- I am dating jam�s. (btw- Jambase/Relix- �Jams� means �songs� i learned that from thurston interviews- i liked how he called them jams. I love that band so much. Sonic Youth. my god. its why i am out here right now- because of how much i liked all that good music.
so I am dating my bunk and my comics. which is cool.
ill get some suck-face for i turn into bones.
anyway- i was depressed before tour- and this tour- and OASIS and my friends, and all this- i just feel better.
I play guitar- you know- and just write stuff and read and make art and STAY BUSY- like my grabndmothers rosebushes ( my Lord- she loves them- they�re seeded wild so they grow all year- �i like to keep busy- keeps me young� she say�s-
my rosebushes are typewriters- tours- drawing- making hotel rock/ vids- gettin mad crushes ( i had the feist crust i admit it- who didn�t right�)
I like to keep it simple and really I know no matter how amazing someone is, you can�y get to know them in a night, esp in a few words over the blasting of that amazing band on stage- so it sucks some when i am just finished my set and want to be in the audience. i am no celebrity. just ryan.
OASIS bring the tone man. TONE not volume. TONE. and that is what matters really�.because all the new songs, to me, are pointing in this GOLDEN ERA man, this beautiful zone�.and when the hits roll�.my fucking arms are in the air with everybody else- and u know em- riff comes- crowd explodes- my eyes water�..
AND YOU CANT HELP BUT SING ALONG- THESE ARE OUR GENERATIONS ANTHEMS- they are OUR Beatles.
I never cared much for the Beatles really( i know- i know- it just was already out there so hard when i got into recods i wanted Husker Du singles and shit)- which is odd, because Oasis were MY Beatles- and I guess my Rolling Stones were The Smiths, with Morrissey as Oscar Wilde but wounded and Johnny Marr making girl group chords sound like they were from some war torn era in an english novel or other dimension�.(AND OF COURSE- I see the Rolling Stones when I can�.) so they�re themselves too.
but OASIS kind of write songs for HERE. for, you know, the moment. very zen.
I always thought the stones would mellow into creepiness-blues-country-rock-hybrids- the same flow that gimme-shelter came from ��.i wish the Stones could go see OASIS- like as a whole band- like pal�s and stand side stage- and look at all that- all that new and old- all working forward��wise men tell new tales because they keep looking�..
still,
OASIS have taught me this since I have been out here with my friends and our lovely crew.
1. Play the HITS. not ALL of them, but give those people their ticket promise�even if you have a lot of records- hit at least three bases ( like in american baseball) and make the last song a slide into Home-Base (even if it is a live favorite)
Encores should be footnotes. the SET should be mind-blowing.
2. Don�t get scared- get connected. (LIAM stares into the masses- he embraces it like a yogi- like a wrestler- like a mythological hero. I love watching him sing so hard- give so much- he makes his own self mad and comments, in a quip to himself in the parts where he doesn�t sing- and he SONGS SO HARD HE FALLS AWAY from the MIC.
3. trust your band- even if your voice is failing or the concert is going crap- just trust always that someone to sing for is right there. My REAL brother does not mind if i say this, but Noel and Liam are REAL brothers, and mine are the CARDINALS.
4. Brad is funny as fuck and needs some upgrades on his computer-
so we are going for a walk.
like liam. liam telling me about taking a walk- then seeing him and his brother and two TWO hero�s of mine, gem and andy and their AMAZING new drummer chris- tear it down as that sweet laid back guy i had some lunch with- stood there as �What�s the Story Morning Glory� ripped into my chest on EVERY night-
it�s nice to just get out.
it�s nice to finally be mellowing-
i guess i just needed a reminder of what i do and who i am- and how all of that comes with learning and listening-
what an honor. CARDINALS will take so much from learning how to fuse an hour set. It can only open door to more tunes when it�s back to our TWO SET rule.
see you soon cave-dwellers. peace and love to you. R
Born on the Wirral in 1964, Chris Sharrock cut his percussive teeth with '80s Scouse combo The Icicle Works, before beating the skins for The La's,World Party and, for the last 12 years Robbie Williams's backing band. Then Noel called...again.
This is the second time you've been offered the job of drummer in Oasis, isn't it? Noel says you were the original choice in 2004 before Zak Starkey joined...
Yeah. Noel phoned me four years ago and said "What do you think [about joining Oasis]?" and I was like "Yeah, interested, ring us back on Friday." And I waited four years for him to phone me back, basically. This time he phoned up and I was in bed watching Bargain Hunt. I hadn't done anything for 15 months. It was a bit of an uneventful time, so it was great to get a call.
Have you always been an Oasis fan?
Oh yeah. I've loved Oasis since they kicked off. I'm a fan, course. They're f***ing great, aren't they? Best rock'n'roll band in the world in my opinion.
Talk us through your drumming history...
The Icicle Works were my first real band. Everyone talks about me being in The La's but I was only there for about eight months. I left after the Mike Hedges session [the original 1990 version of the band's sole album] was scrapped and I ended up in the practice room on the Monday, just me playing drums and Lee [Mavers] reading a book on African drumming. I just didn't turn up the next day. I went straight from that to World Party. That was weird,cos it was like going from early Beatles with The La's to the White Album. And now I've joined the mid-period Beatles.
Have Liam or Noel ever taken the piss because you'd played with Robbie Williams for 12 years?
No! It's weird, no one's mentioned it. No one's taken the piss. Yet.
As a drummer you're quite a showman, throwing the sticks around...
Well I won't be doing any of that. When you've got Liam standing in front of you, it doesn't seem appropriate. I'm just clinging onto the sticks for dear life at the moment, never mind tossing them around. I'm just trying to get the drums as strong as possible. All 20 songs in the set are classics.
via L4E / source Q magazine Oasis special ( October ) thanks scyho.com
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