Liam Gallagher wants to be an angry old man

Oasis have grown up. It´s the anger that makes the old hellraiser a good singer.
By Kalle Dixelius

He is actually kind. Even nice; speaks slowly and asks kindly if I understand what
he is saying in his sometimes hard to understand Manchester dialect.
It hasn´t always been like this.
From the time when Oasis broke through in 1994 their history has been a long
journey of fighting, alcohol, drugs and scandals.
Liam has stood in the spotlight of all this- more arrogant than every other rock
star together.
But now, when they are releasing their fourth album, something has happend.
Both Liam and his brother Noel have stopped drinking and taking drugs.
Both have become married men and have babies
Astound english tabloids write about how Liam walks around the town with Lennon
and kindly lets people take photos. Two years ago that would have been
connected with physical danger to pull up a camera infront of him.

Could this really be good?
Of course it´s good for Liam and Noel- a life of drugs and alcohol isn't very safe.
But is it good for Oasis?
More than any other band they have built their greatness around one of the 2000
century biggest clichés: Rock´n´Roll.
To be dangerous, cocky and not be scared to hit anyone in the face. To live a
hellraising life until whole hotel rooms are destroyed.
When they threw out a whole "room" through the window during the Hultsfred
festival in 1994 they motivated it like this: "The staff have themselves to blame
when they closed the bar so fucking early."
Liam is banned from the airline Cathay Pacific. And so on.
Their music, excellent rebuilt 60s rock and songs that get stuck in your head right
away, have never been that big. But on stage, when everything is perfect, they
become so much bigger. Straight forward, angry, yelling and full of emotions.
A quite pathetic line like:
"I´m feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic", suddenly meant something.

But can they do the same thing now when the alcohol and the drugs are gone and
diapers are taking up all their days?
"Of course you could be rock´n´roll when you´re sober. I really don´t know what
rock´n´roll means, but it hell doesn´t mean that you should be totally gone all the
time. It´s Shane McGowan and I don´t want to end up like that. Without teeths
and fucking ugly."
Liam Gallagher stares at the glass full of juice with empty but clear eyes.
"When I am infront of the microphone and all the thoughts come back, then I get
angry. And that is what makes me a good singer. If I would get too satisfied with my
situation then I don´t think I would be as good. I have a lot of anger in me. Nothing
will change that, not even how many children I will have. I will always be an angry
young man, or an angry old man."
What makes you angry?
"How life is, it´s shite. You have to kiss so much ass to get anywhere. How people
treat eachother, how they treat me. All that comes out when I´m singing. I want to
be really pissed sometimes. I don´t want to have it too comfortable. When I get old
I don´t want to be some fucking humpty-dumty old man."
Last autumn when the new record, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, was done,
Guigsy and Bonehead left the band. Noel Gallagher commented on the losses with:
"It´s not like it´s Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles", which is true.
The musical force have always come from big brother Noel and the stardom from
Liam.

Maybe it will be a change from now on. The new members Andy Bell and Gem are
both from other bands: Andy Bell in the shoegazer heroes Ride and then in the later
half stinking Hurricane #1, Gem in Heavy Stereo. Without a doubt you could say
that the musical competence have increased pretty much. And the chances for
Oasis as a band to survive as well.
"I really think this record will kick up the door for the next step. We have only
done four records, and that is not enough. When Oasis no longer exists I want
people to be able to say "they did 15 records and were a fucking good rock band."
Not that we want to be like Rolling Stones, as I think haven´t done any other than
shite the last fifteen years. But look at Neil Young. He still does great music.
It´s hard to just put the guitar away if you write good songs."
Besides, the new record is really good. Not that Oasis has taken one step from
their sound- it still sounds like the Beatles and Liam is still angry and sneery. But
it´s definitely more well- produced than the latest record Be Here Now.
Another factor that can jeopardise Oasis´ future is the fights between the two
brothers. During 1996 the Us tour was cancelled since Liam in the last minute
refused to jump into the plane due to a fight with Noel. And like that it has
continued. The brothers have fought, rumours about splitting have always been
there.
"We aren´t that close, I mean we don´t take walks in the park together and that
shite. But it works and it has probably become slightly better. But all that is
blown up really. Sure, we have fought a couple of times, but there are others that
fight a lot more than we do. Our fights are the ones that are more popular."
Oasis have now, as said, become more grown up and responsible. The thought hits
you a little hard.
"I don´t regret anything really. I play in the world´s greatest band, but other
than that I live like any other 27 year old. If I wouldn´t have the band I
probably would have been sitting on my arse, been in prison or been dead.
The only thing I might regret is the guy I hit in Australia. He deserved it, because
he was a real pain in the arse with his fucking camera. But he cost me a whole lot of
money that fuck."

- Written by the swedish newspaper DN 7 January 2000 -
- Translated into english by the webmaster -
- And Heidi...thank you. You know what I am talking about  :o) -