Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Burnage, Manchester, England) is an English songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the English rock band Oasis. He is the older brother of Oasis lead vocalist, Liam Gallagher, the two of whom are famous for publicly squabbling.
In the 1990s, Gallagher was centre-stage of what the media coined the Britpop movement. The band enjoyed much critical and commercial success. His outspoken opinions on other bands and modern culture have, more recently, earned him something of an "elder statesman" reputation, leading NME to dub him "The wisest man in rock".
BiographyEarly yearsGallagher was born in Longsight, Manchester, to Irish parents Peggy and Peter Gallagher. He is the middle child of three — his older brother, Paul, was born in 1966, and Liam was born 1972. The Gallagher brothers grew up in the suburb of Burnage. Noel had an unhappy childhood. He and his brothers were often beaten by his alcoholic father, and he was often reclusive — Liam described him as "the weirdo in the family" As the oldest child, Paul was given a room to himself, and Noel was forced to share with Liam. His childhood nickname was Brezhnev, after the former Soviet leader known for his bushy eyebrows. The Gallagher brothers were regular truants — as teenagers, they were often in trouble with the police. They allegedly broke into cars and stole bicycles, and at the age of thirteen, Noel received six months' probation for robbing a corner shop. It was during this period of probation, with little else to do, that Gallagher first began to teach himself to play guitar, imitating his favourite songs from the radio. Many claim that Gallagher was first turned on to music at his first gig, a Stone Roses show at the International Two club. While this may be true of his younger brother, and Gallagher, by pure coincidence, was also at the gig, he claims that this was neither his first gig (that distinction belongs to Irish band Stiff Little Fingers), nor was it the one that first made him seriously consider being a musician. Apparently the gig in question was another Mancunian band, The Smiths.
At some point in the early 1980s (sources vary), Peggy left her husband due to his violent mood swings brought about by his alcoholism, taking their three boys with her and according to the eldest brother Paul, the only item the family left their father was the carpet. Noel has since maintained a strained relationship with his father, not withstanding periods in the 1980s in which all the Gallagher siblings (along with numerous cousins and uncles), at one time or another, worked for their father's construction company. Other jobs Gallagher held include writing signs for an estate agent, as well as working in a bed factory and a bakery.
Having left his father's building company, Noel took a job at another building firm sub-contracted to British Gas. There he sustained an injury when a heavy cap from a steel gas pipe landed on his right foot, crushing it. Following a period of recuperation, Gallagher was offered a less physically demanding role in the company's storehouse, freeing up time in which to practise guitar and write songs. Gallagher now claims to have written at least three of the songs on Definitely Maybe in this storehouse (including "Live Forever" and "Columbia"). Much of the late 1980s found Gallagher unemployed and living in a bedsit, occupying his time with recreational drug use, songwriting and guitar playing. This was not helped by the fact that he suffers from dyslexia.
Gallagher's musical interests at the time revolved largely around British rock music, most notably The Beatles, whose influence is heavily reflected in his songwriting. Other influences were T.Rex, The Rolling Stones, Slade, The Kinks, and more contemporary bands such as The Smiths and The Stone Roses. Gallagher has been criticised for plagiarising his greatest influences — for example, he has used the opening guitar riff from T.Rex's 1971 hit "Get It On" in "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (1994).
OasisIn 1988, Gallagher auditioned to be vocalist for the band Inspiral Carpets. Though rejected for the position, he was hired by the band as a guitar technician and toured with the band for some years along with his friend Mark Coyle. In 1992, he returned from an American tour with the band to find that his brother Liam had become the lead singer with a local band. Originally called "The Rain", Liam had pushed for the band to be called "Oasis". It transpired that Liam had joined the band with the hope of adding his brother, and his songwriting abilities, to the formula. Gallagher attended one of their concerts at Manchester's Boardwalk, finding himself unimpressed by the group's act. After persuasion from Liam, he agreed to join the band, on the condition that he maintain creative control of the group and become its sole songwriter. His control over the band in its early years earned him the nickname "The Chief".
At the end of 1992, Gallagher contacted Tony Griffiths of Liverpool band The Real People (who he had met when they were supporting The Inspiral Carpets), and arranged to record a professional-sounding demo at their Liverpool studio. The resulting tape, known as the Live Demonstration tape, later formed the basis for their first album.
In May 1993, the band heard that a record executive from Creation Records would be scouting for talent at a club in Glasgow called King Tut's. Together, they found the money to hire a van and make the six-hour journey to the city. When they arrived, they were refused entry to the club as they were not on that night's set list, forcing the band to bully their way in. They were given the opening slot and impressed the scout, Alan McGee, who then took the Live Demonstration tape to Sony America and invited Oasis to meet with him a week later in London, at which point they were signed to a six-album contract. Gallagher has since claimed that he only had six songs written at the time, and has put his success in the interview down to "bullshitting". However, McGee believes that when they met, Gallagher had fifty or so songs written, and merely lied about how prolific he had been following the contract.
Oasis' first single, "Supersonic", was released April 11, 1994 and peaked at #31 on the official UK charts, despite Gallagher's claims that he wrote it in "the time it takes to play the song." "Supersonic" preceded Definitely Maybe, Oasis' debut album, which was released in 1994 and was a critical and commercial success. It became the fastest-selling debut album in British history at the time, and entered the UK Charts at #1. However, Gallagher faced problems when it became apparent that, on the album's second single, "Shakermaker", he had used the melody from "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (the song made famous from its use on Coca-Cola advertisements in the 1970s). In fact, the first verse of "Shakermaker" had originally been the same as the verse used in the advert. Gallagher's unlicensed use led to Oasis being successfully sued by The New Seekers for A$500,000. His songwriting landed the band in trouble again in 1994, when Neil Innes, formerly of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, successfully sued on the basis that a substantial part of the melody of Oasis' first UK top 5 hit, "Whatever", was taken from his song "How Sweet to Be an Idiot".
Despite their rapidly growing popularity, Gallagher briefly left Oasis in 1994 during their first American tour. The conditions were poor, he felt the American audience — still preoccupied with grunge and metal — did not understand the band. (Liam summed up his view of the problem saying, "Americans want grungy people, stabbing themselves in the head on stage. They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don't get it." Tensions mounted between him and Liam, culminating in a fight after a disastrous L.A. gig. Having effectively decided to quit the music industry, he flew to San Francisco without telling the band, management or the crew. It was during this time when Noel wrote "Talk Tonight" as a "thank you for the girl he stayed with, who "talked him from off the ledge". During recording sessions for Oasis' second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the Gallaghers had a violent fight involving a cricket bat, when a drunken Liam invited everyone from a local pub back into the studio whilst Noel was trying to work. Further problems arose when tension mounted between Noel and Tony McCarroll (then the drummer of Oasis), and, in 1995, the band asked McCarroll to leave. He was replaced by Alan White.
Britpop, the height of fame and the Blur rivalryOn the back of Definitely Maybe, Oasis quickly gained a strong following in Great Britain. Gallagher's extensive catalogue of songs — ironically written in the storehouses and the bedsits he had so bemoaned — were the fuel behind Oasis' success in the 1990s, and made him a rich and respected man. They won him acclaim from critics and peers, such as Sir George Martin, producer for The Beatles, who stated "I consider Noel Gallagher to be the finest songwriter of his generation".
Gallagher followed up the debut in 1995 with Oasis' first UK #1 single in "Some Might Say". This preceded their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Though it suffered initial critical apathy, the album became the second fastest-selling album in the UK, entering the UK album charts at #1 and peaking at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Morning Glory became the springboard to mainstream commercial success for Gallagher and the band. Noel and Liam became household names, and as the momentum of the album built, Oasis went on to become one of the most popular and successful British acts of the 1990s. The album even propelled the band to success in the United States, albeit temporarily. The track "Cast No Shadow" was written for Richard Ashcroft, the lead singer of The Verve. Around the same time, Ashcroft wrote "A Northern Soul" for the album of the same name for Gallagher.[16] Oasis had become so popular that a June 1996 NME article argued that "If Noel Gallagher, the most successful songwriter of his generation, champions a group, then said group are guaranteed more mainstream kudos and, quite possibly, more sales."[17] The NME article grouped the bands Gallagher praised, including The Boo Radleys, Ocean Colour Scene, and Cast, under the banner of "Noelrock".
However, Morning Glory's success also laid partly in a well-documented feud with fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands, Oasis being gritty, working-class, and Northern, and Blur being art rock, middle-class, and Southern, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the supposed rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the 1996 BRIT Awards by singing a rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their "Best British Band" award (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life"). However, it was Noel who proved the most aggressive, telling The Observer that he hoped Damon Albarn and Alex James of Blur would "catch AIDS and die".[18] He subsequently apologised[19] for this in a formal letter to Melody Maker magazine. Much banter was exchanged between the bands (including Albarn threatening to "twat" Noel), but in a 1997 interview Gallagher maintained "I've got nothing against him… I just think his 'bird' (Justine Frischmann) is ugly." Gallagher maintains that the rivalry was conceived by the magazine NME and members of Blur's entourage as a ploy to raise their respective profiles on the back of Oasis' success, and that since this point he has had no respect for either party. However, Albarn has suggested the roots of the feud were much more personal.
The success of Oasis and his newfound fame and fortune were not lost on Gallagher, and both he and his brother became famous for their "rock and roll lifestyle". They drank heavily, abused drugs, fought fans, critics, peers, and each other, and made celebrity friends such as Ian Brown, Paul Weller, Mani and Richard Ashcroft. Noel Gallagher was known to spend money extravagantly, buying various cars and a swimming pool, despite the fact he can neither drive, nor swim. He also famously named his house in Belsize Park in London "Supernova Heights" (after the song "Champagne Supernova"), and his two cats "Benson" and "Hedges" after his favourite brand of cigarettes.
Oasis went on to have greater success than Blur with their next two singles, "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger" charting at number 2 and 1, respectively. Originally, Noel had wanted to take lead vocals on "Wonderwall", but Liam insisted on singing it. As compensation, Noel decided he would sing lead vocals on "Don't Look Back in Anger". The latter is now regularly played at Oasis' live shows, with the crowd encouraged to sing the chorus. 1995 also saw Gallagher join his idols Paul Weller, Paul McCartney and close friend and Oasis fan Johnny Depp to form the Smokin' Mojo Filters. The supergroup, assembled by Weller, covered The Beatles' 1969 hit "Come Together" (the song's lyrics "He no Mojo filter" inspiring the name for the makeshift band) for the charity album Help!. Noel has also collaborated with the Chemical Brothers, Ian Brown, The Stands, The Prodigy and Weller, amongst others.
In March 1996, Noel and Liam Gallagher met their father again when a British newspaper paid him to go to their hotel during a tour. Noel left for his room, later commenting "as far as I'm concerned, I haven't got a father. He's not a father to me, y'know? I don't respect him in any way whatsoever". Liam took the opportunity to confront his father and threaten him.
Also in 1996, Oasis sold out two nights at Knebworth, playing to over 250,000 fans. Both nights included acoustic sets featuring a full brass band for the rendition of "The Masterplan". These shows represented the largest crowds ever to see a single act in British history, a feat only topped by Robbie Williams' three night gig at the same venue some years later. Gallagher then provided lead vocals at Oasis' MTV Unplugged set when Liam backed out minutes before the set was due to start. Liam claimed to have been struck down with a "sore throat"; the band later found out that Liam does not like performing acoustically. Noel was further angered when Liam proceeded to heckle him from the balcony while the band performed. Noel was again forced to fill in for Liam on a short North American tour when the lead singer walked out on the tour on August 21, supposedly to buy a house with his girlfriend. Liam returned a week later, but tension between Noel and the rest of Oasis mounted, and on September 11 Noel left the tour, causing many to question the future of the band. Gallagher claims he had intended to finish work on Oasis' next album and then retire to the English countryside, but this never came to pass.
Following the worldwide success of Morning Glory, Be Here Now became Oasis' most eagerly anticipated album to date. As with the previous two albums, all the tracks were written by Gallagher. After an initial blaze of publicity, positive critical reviews, and commercial success, the album failed to live up to long-term expectations, and public goodwill towards Be Here Now was short-lived. The album was ultimately regarded by many as a bloated, over-indulgent version of Oasis, which Gallagher has since blamed on the drug-addicted state and indifference of the band at the time. He was critical of the album even before its release. When asked by an American interviewer what was "new and different" about Be Here Now, he simply replied "It's got a different cover."
Gallagher began to suffer drug-induced panic attacks during this period. His lonely, paranoid state inspired the song "Gas Panic!", subsequently included on the 2000 album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Gallagher claims to have quit drugs on June 5, 1998. He stated in 2001, "I liked drugs, I was good at them. But I'd had panic attacks for about a year and I stopped because I wanted to. After you make the decision, it is quite easy." Between 1993 and 1998, he claims, "I can hardly remember a thing."
Post-Britpop yearsAfter the near-hysterical hyperbole surrounding the release of Be Here Now had started to wane, critical response to the band became calmer and more considered, leading to a media backlash. In 1997, Noel was criticised for attending a high-profile and well-publicised media party at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the newly-elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair, along with other celebrities and industry figures that had supported New Labour in the run-up to the general election. Both brother Liam and Blur's Damon Albarn declined their invitations, with Albarn commenting "Enjoy the schmooze, comrade." The perception of Gallagher as someone now mixing with politicians — and, in particular, a famous photograph of him sipping champagne with Blair — conflicted with the "working class hero" status championed through songs such as "Up in the Sky".
The turn of the century did not bode well for Gallagher. In 1999, Bonehead quit the band after a row with Noel, with Guigsy following soon afterwards. As a result, the fourth studio album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, was recorded by just the Gallaghers and White, with Noel playing all guitar parts. Gallagher appeared unfazed with Bonehead's departure, commenting, "It's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles, is it?". After the recording sessions were completed, Gallagher selected Gem Archer to join in place of Bonehead. Though Archer's official role is rhythm guitarist, in reality, he and Gallagher now often split the roles of lead and rhythm guitar.
1999 also saw the end of Creation Records as Mcgee decided to quit Creation and sell the rest of the 51 % of shares to Sony as he had became fed up with the label and Sony. Gallagher took this opportunity to set up Big Brother, which now handles Oasis' distribution in the UK (Sony/Epic Records continues to handle the band's international distribution as of 2005). The name refers the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty Four, but is mainly a reference to Gallagher[citation needed], as the elder brother of Liam. Each release's catalogue number is prefixed "RKID" (our kid), as a reference to Liam. The first Big Brother release was the single "Go Let It Out" on February 7, 2000, the lead single from Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The single peaked at number one in the UK chart. The album also customarily peaked at number one, but was met with an even greater level of contempt by the critics than their previous effort. Around the time of the album's release, Andy Bell, formerly of Ride, joined the band as bassist.
2000 also saw Gallagher's rivalry with Damon Albarn rear its head once more, having cooled off in the late 1990s. In response to a comment made by Gallagher, decrying him as a "knobhead" who "dresses like a dustbin man", Albarn accused his old foe of selling out, saying "I just think it was a shame when they started appearing in Hello! and OK! magazines… For me it seemed such a betrayal of what they were all about."
In 2006, it was claimed that Gallagher had been instrumental in Italy winning the 2006 Football World Cup. According to Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero, Gallagher was the Italian Football team's lucky mascot for the 2006 World Cup. Gallagher struck a friendship with the Italian star after he appeared at some of their Italian gigs. He was invited to the World Cup by Del Piero, and was the inspiration behind Italy's semi-final victory over Germany, in which Del Piero scored. Gallagher was asked to be in Berlin for the final, and he proved to be the lucky mascot for Del Piero as the striker scored one of the penalties in the shootout to decide the destiny of the World Cup. Gallagher, like brother Liam, is well-known to be a Manchester City supporter.
In November 2006, Gallagher won a Spanish court case against fellow musician Mike Oldfield. Gallagher had bought the Ibiza villa for £2.5 million from Oldfield in 1999, but quickly discovered that part of the cliff-top property was falling into the sea. He was also annoyed by the huge "eyesore" of a yacht moored in his view — but it turned out it was his with the house. Gallagher and girlfriend Sara MacDonald spent summer 2006 at the villa, and the resulting court case paid Gallagher a six-figure sum in compensation.
In late 2006, Gallagher toured the UK, Europe, Japan, America and Australia in a series of acclaimed intimate semi-acoustic gigs accompanied by Gem Archer and Terry Kirkbride on percussion. The show proved successful and a further series of sets took place in 2007. March 2007 saw Gallagher perform in Moscow — the first time an Oasis member has performed in Russia. The set list included acoustic Oasis songs such as "Married With Children", "Half the World Away" and "Talk Tonight" as well as acoustic versions of Oasis favourites such as "Don't Look Back in Anger", "Slide Away" and "Fade Away" as well as a version of "Wonderwall" similar to the Ryan Adams cover of the song. A version of The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" was also included. However, Gallagher dismissed claims that he was planning to embark on a solo career, saying "I could do it easily but if I was a solo artist I would be the biggest solo artist in the country easy, no messing, within a year...seriously... but I prefer being in a band. But don't ever think that I couldn't do it. I could. I'd be bigger than Elvis. I would." Gallagher's solo shows proved so popular that in April 2007, Michael Eavis announced his desire to convince him to do a set at Glastonbury 2007, with Gallagher showing a desire to appear in the acoustic tent as "second on the bill on the [secondary] stage" is "the best slot".[37] Gallagher has also admitted considering working a solo album using songs which he has written, but which would not suit Oasis although the official Oasis website has since rubbished these reports.
On Valentines Day 2007 Gallagher joined the rest of Oasis to collect the "Outstanding Contribution to Music" Award at the Brit Awards 2007. Gallagher collected the award from his friend Russell Brand, saying "We'd like to thank everyone who has bought our records. It's been a fucking pleasure." Following the ceremony he commented on the award saying ""Yeah, we're finally up there with The Eurythmics, Sting and Bob Geldof. I don't think congratulations are in order, to be honest." Gallagher clarified his decision to accept the award stating "We're taking it now because otherwise they're going to ask us every year. It seemed the right time. We'd put out Stop the Clocks and we're all under 40. So we just decided, 'Fuck it, lets do it now'."
Noel Gallagher appeared at the "Manchester Versus Cancer" event on 30th March 2007 at the MEN Arena. Headlining alongside big names such as Ian Brown, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Charlatans, Gallagher wowed the crowd with a selection of acoustic fan-favourite classics. He covered "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths and dueted with Paul Weller for Jam classic "The Butterfly Collector". The tickets were not selling too well originally, possibly due to the high price of the tickets, but once Noel announced he was playing the gig, tickets sold amazingly quick and reached high prices on eBay.
Source: Wikipedia
Thursday, May 31, 2007
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