Out of the shadows
MANILA, Philippines - Don’t believe the truth, as people sometimes say. Oasis has been through the dark side and are back with their “Dig Out Your Soul” album and world tour. Young Star sat down with Oxford-raised bassist Andy Bell (formerly from Ride and Hurricane #1) and former Heavy Stereo guitarist Gem Archer (pronounced with a hard “g” like r ganja) for a chat about the new drummer and connecting to the band.
YOUNG STAR: How is it playing with the new drummer Chris Sharrock as compared to Zak Starkey?
ANDY BELL: Chris is great because he has a deep memory of Oasis tunes, the same way we have. He is quite respectful to the original versions of songs from previous drummers and at the same time injects his own personality.
GEM ARCHER: I think all three drummers are different. I learned to play with Allan White and I always knew what he was going to do next. So, I knew when a song was going to finish because I could just feel it with Allan. This wasn’t the case at all with Chris. I have to look at him to know when he’s gonna do what. But that doesn’t mean he’s worse it’s because I learned with Allan.
Did the so-so or lukewarm reviews of “Dig Out Your Soul” bother you?
AB: Not so much. Bad reviews are great. Good reviews are hard to take. Medium reviews you can be indifferent about. But really, you shouldn’t take them seriously. If you start to believe all the good press you get, it might affect you and might make you feel too confident. I think the best barometer of how good you are is if you play it to a friend.
Gem, what was it like playing with Paul Weller of The Jam and The Style Council for his solo album?
GA: It was amazing. He brings out things in me that I didn’t even know were there. He’s that kind of an artist, truly inspirational. He’s the real deal, same as Liam and Noel are. It’s like, the first time I played Cigarettes and Alcohol, playing along and then the real voice comes in and it just goes up, man. It’s the same with Paul Weller.
How do you connect to Oasis songs that were written before your time?
AB: Yeah, well, it’s easy to connect with them. I mean I connect with them as a fan. Someone who appreciates how great the music is.
GA: Yeah, good question actually, because you know, when I was going out in the ‘90s, getting ready for the weekend, Slide Away was one of my tunes to get ready to before taking a shower, thinking of what clothes to wear. And then suddenly it got kinda taken away from me by having to play it and become it. So, I don’t get ready to Slide Away anymore. But it changes, like what Andy was saying about Chris Sharrock, what you use is that mental filing cabinet of Oasis moments, and it’s useful; we connected to it a long time ago before we were in the band.
