Liam

Rip It Up, Issue 241, 1 September 1997, Page 21

Liam

Was there a lot of pressure following-up the success of Whafs The Story?

“No. It goes where it goes. We just go in and make it, then the people take it where they’re gonna take it. They either like it or they don’t, and if they don’t, I’m not mithered.”

Why did you start recording in Abbey Road?

“We wanted to go there because we had the money to go there, and we thought we’d check it out because people we liked had recorded there before us. Then, when we got there, there were all the loudmouths on reception who were telling stories to people, and all these knobheads with violins and that, and orchestras saying shut up and keep it down. So we thought, fuck you! We’re going

away. But we had a lot of fun in there. Late at nights, when we’d finished recording, we’d put the Beatles on, turn the lights down and walk around the studio where they’d recorded it, and just feel the vibe.”

Were there any bizarre incidents during the recording?

“There were bizarre incidents every day. In Abbey Road there were people everywhere, in studios all around us, so we decided to go to Ridge Farm in the country, where it was just us. We can make as much noise as we want, tell as many dirty jokes as we want, and no one can bother us. We can stay up all night and do what we gotta do, and no one can

complain. So we did.” What worked for you best out the three studios you used? “I only sang one song in Abbey Road — ‘lt’s Getting Better Man’ — and I weren’t ready for it. You’ve got to wait for the cloud to disappear. It’s no use singing while the cloud is there, and there was a bit of a cloud there, so I couldn’t really get it together. I couldn’t be arsed basically, it weren’t the right moment. When I got to Ridge Farm, it weren’t the right moment either. When we got to Air Studios, it all kicked in. I don’t prepare for it. I just drink a load of lager,

smoke a lot of cigarettes and talk a load of bullshit — and it sort of goes where it goes.” One song is called ‘My Big Mouth’. What’s the biggest trouble yours has got you into? “My big mouth makes me a load of money! My big mouth is important, because nobody else has got a big mouth.” You recently described the media’s intrusion as a good thing for you. Surely not? “The more I get relaxed into my world, the more I can do what I want to do, then I reckon I get lazy. I think fuck it! But if people are slagging me off, saying I’ve got a four-

grand-a-week cocaine habit, then it makes me want to go in and show them that I’m not like that, that I can work and I can sing a good song. It does give me a kick up the arse. But I’m not happy with the tabloids. They’re slags, and your gonna get what’s coming to you — one day. It may be soon, may be a long time, but you’ll get it! I like pressure though, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

Does media interest cramp your style when you’re out and about?

“No. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I’m 24, I’m in the best band in the world, the most important rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. I’ve got a load of fucking money. What else am I supposed to do? Sit at home all fucking day? Walk around with a halo on me head? I’m a little devil, and I like life, and I like spending my money, and I like getting up people’s noses. I can’t go to Manchester much

though, because there are people there who have a problem with me, who read too many papers and think I’m mad for it 24 hours a day. And sometimes I’m not. I’d like to have a cup of tea with my mother, meet my aunties and do what I used to do, but I can’t cos everyone knocks at the fucking door. They should fucking respect a person’s wish to spend fucking a bit of time with their mother and their maker.”

Don’t you get that attention in London?

“London is just like Manchester only bigger. You can get lost in London. In Manchester you can’t, everyone knows your business. That’s why I like it here, cos you can float about, join the Japanese tourists going round Big Ben going Haaa! Big Ben, and no one gives a fuck.” And you can’t hit people anymore for fear of being sued. “That’s the journalists though. When you’re skint you can knock ‘em out for fun, can’t you? But no, I’m not going to hit people any more. But then, you never know. I might do. Depends how many snake bites I’ve had.” What incidents in your youth shaped the person you’ve become today? “No, just my mam. My mam shaped me. Mam learned me to give respect to people. And I do. People think I don’t, but I do. Basically I don’t give a fucking shit what people think, to tell you the fucking truth —

here, there and everywhere. Cos I know I’m doing something worthwhile. And that’s it — simple. If anyone’s got a problem with me, then fuck off!” Is being a celebrity couple worse than being just a celebrity? “I’m not a celebrity. People try to make me one, but I’m not. I’m just Liam Gallagher, twit first and ... (totally incomprehensible)... who’s married to a beautiful wife. Fame is bollocks! It’s not important, is it? It’s making a great record that’s important, and making your life the way you want to live it, and wearing the right pair of shoes. I think people should write about more important things, instead of me getting married. I’m sure the public don’t wanna hear about it. It’s only important to me and Patsy. I wouldn’t give a flying fuck if anyone else was getting married.” There was a time last year when you were threatening never to play

liveagain. “Yeah, but we were fibbing, telling lies because we needed some time off. We knew we would play live again. I needed time off to find a house, cos you need somewhere to live, otherwise you end up in McDonalds’ doorways, eating Burger King.” What expectations should we have of the new tour?

“Rock ‘n’ roll! We’re playing to 20,000 each night, which is big, but it’s not big when you’ve done Knebworth. I’m proud of Knebworth. It wasn’t too big for me, too big for us, and we’re gonna do it again. But now we’ve got to go indoors and capture the fucking minds and souls of people, and give them a good kicking with this new album.”

After constantly rubbing people’s noses in your coke-taking, were you surprised that the police — given the chance to nail you — let you right off?

“Well, I got caught with a gram a coke, and it was my first offence, so the law says they have to let me off. If it had been three or four grams, I’d have been charged. And if I get caught again with a load of coke, I’m going down — which I won’t, cos I don’t do it anymore. I don’t want to go to prison. People will say that I do it, but I don’t and I don’t care. Anyway, it’s bad for you. You get arrested and banged up in the cells with all the pooftahs. I meditate now. I’ve learnt to do it in the last year. I meditate, I relax and I don’t need drugs. I just like lager and cigarettes.” What do you think about when you meditate? “Me.” I don’t suppose you spend much time wondering why you re so popular? “Cos we’re important, and we’re saying something that nobody else is saying — which is get off your arse and do what you wanna do! And don’t listen to anyone else. Don’t listen to fucking me! Don’t listen to Noel! Listen to yourself and get on with it. Cos you can have everything you want, if you want it. And, if you don’t, see you down the dole office.”

Is there a definable Oasis look? “I wear what I want. I’m not a fashion victim. Fashion is for knobheads. I just wear what I wanna wear, and it fits me well. It’s what you say that’s important, and what you’re singing about, and what you do that’s important, not your fucking clothes. There are people out there who’ve not got a load of money, like my mates in Manchester, but they wear it well, whatever they can afford to get. They wear it well, and they look smart. There’s people out there with loads of fucking money, and they buy all these smart clothes, but they wear them like a bunch of fucking teds. They wear their keks wrong, their shoes wrong, their shirts wrong. All of it’s wore wrong. But people who’ve got no money, they wear their clothes well. And when I was on the dole I wore my clothes well. I might not have had the best gear, but I wore it fucking well.” What was it like supporting U2? “It was great. I didn’t support anyone though. We just played with them. I’m not a support band. I just loved playing a gig again. It was the first gigs we’ve done, and it was great just being on the stage again, playing them old songs — and the new ones.” How do you feel about the art of video-making?

“I don’t like them. I don’t like these dicks who turn around and say you’ve got to jump around when I’m standing still. Well, fuck off and go and make a video of fucking Blur or some’at, where the people are gonna be clowns. I’m not a fucking clown. I don’t

wanna dance. I want to stand still. The new one’s good, but the last ones I’ve not enjoyed. It’s a waste of time, a waste of money ‘Wonderwall’ was alright, I suppose, not bad. The rest of ‘em are fucking shit. If anyone buys our records because of seeing the video, you’re missing the point, dickhead! They’re not that important. It’s only for fucking MTV, and I don’t like MTV. It’s about time someone fucking said it. Music’s more important than a fucking square box in a room.”

What have been your best and worst experiences onstage?

“I don’t know that I’ve ever had a bad time onstage. A lot of the gigs we’ve played have been really fucking special. Then there’s a few that have been really great and a few that have been alright. I don’t think we’ve done a bad gig, never ever. D’you know what I mean? I think we’ve gone on there and done the business.”

Are there any elements of what

you do that are too British to travel? “Americans don’t like being stood and looked at, they like that whole showbusiness side of it, and we’re not showbusiness. If they have a problem with that, that’s their fault.

They like a big show, and you don’t get a show from us. You just get music. And if you don’t like fucking music, you shouldn’t be going to a gig. It’s really important to me. I’m not a dancer and I’m not an entertainer. I’m a vocalist. I was born one and I’ll die one. It’s simple.”

Don’t the fans deserve a show — something more than just playing the record? “You entertain them ... on a record you don’t see the people, do you? You just see a black thing spinning round. There’s a fucking buzz of going on and seeing a fucking bunch of five lads going on and hitting that sound. It’s a different sound every time. It’s"not the same sound as a record. And that’s all I want out of a band. I don’t want a fucking show. All that leaping about, it distracts you from the music.”

Are you still influenced by your earlier idols like Happy Mondays and Stone Roses? “Nah. You take a bit out of people, and you get on your own plane, don’t ya? You know what I mean? You buy your own ticket, and then you fly your own plane.” At what point did you first feel you’d made it?

“You’ve never made it, have you? You’re only ever happy in your own garden, aren’t ya? What’s making it? I don’t believe I’ve made it. I don’t want to make it. Making it’s boring. Making it’s for knobheads. I just want to keep on making music for us, and for the people who like it. Once you’ve made it, you might as well go and blow your head off. I just wanna keep on doing what I do, and keep on getting bigger and better — for me.” You’ve come so far in five years. Are there any dreams left to fulfil?

“Nah. Having a couple of kids would be nice — the normal things in life.” What’s a day at home with the Gallagher family like?

“Eat loads of pickled onions, man! Just chilling out and doing what you wanna do, listening to music. I’m not going to tell you, cos it’s private, innit?”

What words would you use to describe your personality? “Clever, enterprising and real.” What’s next for you?

“I’m mad for getting out there and playing the new songs, getting out there and being a band again, and seeing what it brings. We’ll go to different countries see what happens. Play the new album and see if they like it. I hope they like it, but if they don’t, they don’t. We’ll just come back and play it for people who do ... (adopts sarcastic tone again, clenching hands in prayer mode) ... but I really love you, honest! I really care for you. I hope you’re all well and fit and just doing what you wanna do.” Are there any records you wish you had made? “Yeah. ‘Across The Universe’ —John Lennon.”

I don't need drugs. I just like lager and cigarettes