Dig out the Britpop soul
It was the greatest gig ever, at least for me. Somewhere in a crowd of thousands at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, a teenage girl was looking for her right shoe. Lost and found, that is exactly what an Oasis concert can do — blow your mind, body and soul away into a stellar supernova of sorts. Cheers to the band who was recently in Asia to promote their, uh, “Dig Out Your Soul” album.
A gazillion thanks to Mark Bonifacio of Sony-BMG, through whom I was able to score an interview with Noel Gallagher again (the last time being at the 2005 Bangkok Rock Festival). Turning 42 years old soon (on May 29 to be exact), Noel looked cute as ever with his ash-brown tousled hair and crystal blue eyes. Although he looked a bit haggard from the hectic tour schedule, he showed no signs of trauma from the Toronto V Festival attack last year. A brother grim, perhaps.
Dig this: two historical events were happening in rock music back in the Nineties. In America, grunge brought about Seattle’s best with Nirvana singing about death, Pearl Jam painting it black and Soundgarden dwelling in the superunknown. In the UK, there was no anarchy but a phenomenal emergence of Cool Britannia.
A period in recent pop culture history, that phrase paved the way for the Britpop movement, which started the rivalry between Oasis and Blur. At the same time, young British Artists like Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst were on the rise. Alexander McQueen was also making splashes in fashion and so were the Spice Girls. Sharing the limelight was newly elected leader Tony Blair. No wonder this was the best time to be British and absolutely fabulous.
High and mighty at that time and dominating the world with “Definitely Maybe” and “What’s The Story (Morning Glory),” Noel was even seen in No. 10 Downing Street with his ex wife Meg Matthews shaking hands and having a laugh with the PM. And since Blair was in Manila a few months ago for that leadership conference, I just had to ask Noel how he felt about him now.
“Tony Blair is a brilliant politician. Unfortunately, his legacy is entwined with George W. Bush because of Iraq,” points out Noel. As he explains the unwritten law of England to follow American politics after World War II, he is proud of the fact that Blair was able to change subtle things in the country and adds, “He’s a nice guy but a s*** guitar player.”
Terribly outspoken, eh? Well, NME dubs Noel Gallagher the “wisest man in rock.” In the course of digging deep for trivia, here is some cool stuff about him. Noel is a fan of Paul Weller of The Jam. He worked with the Modfather on Champagne Supernova (they trade guitar solos) and on Weller’s Echoes Round The Sun. So, whenever they collaborate, he thinks it’s just like working with a friend. Oh, he even sang backup for David Brent (played by comedian Ricky Gervais of The Office) on the Free Love Freeway, which was quite crazy but great fun. He doesn’t use a computer; all he needs is dinner, a few drinks and a good-looking bed. As the other half of Oasis, he digs Liam’s songs because they are the best thing about his entire being; everything else about his bro, he confesses, he doesn’t get.
Like the Rolling Stones, Oasis just seems to keep going, going and going. Admittedly, the reason for this is that Noel is a fan of music and loves playing it. He can’t play his electric guitar really loud at home because of the kids, so he makes up for it on tour. I ask him about how he still manages to connect with songs he has sung a thousand times.
“My songs are timeless. Ever time I sing Don’t Look Back In Anger, it’s like singing it for the first time. I f****** love playing music really loud,” Noel laughs. “And going to different places and performing to audiences still fascinates me. I don’t see it as a job and I never get bored.”
Now, with six tracks from the new album and classic Oasis tunes, Noel promised he will be brilliant in Singapore, which is all part of the master plan.
Waiting For The Rapture
It was 15 past 8 o’clock in the evening and the lights were out. In the background was the instrumental F***** in the Bushes. That was it and Liam Gallagher walked out to the stage with his trademark swagger à la Ian Brown wearing his Pretty Green (his own clothing line that will be launched in June; check out www.prettygreen.com) below a knee parka. Gem and Andy took their place together with new drummer Chris Sharrock, George Harrison look-alike Jay Darlington and of course, Noel got his cherry Gibson ES-355 ready for Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.
So, when Oasis cast their shadow, the stadium was transformed into a pulse-racing delirium shaking all the ends of the earth. And being crushed in the crowd of Westerners and Asians just didn’t matter anymore. As promised, Oasis sang stuff from their new album and their greatest hits. At one point, Liam said, “This one’s called Some Might Say.” But when we heard the first few chords of Wonderwall, everyone pulled out their mobile phones and cameras for that special moment.
Shying away from the electric feel of Don’t Look Back In Anger, Noel played an acoustic rendition with Gem doing the guitar solo with a gray Fender Stratocaster. The unforgettable thing was he made the audience sing the chorus before breaking into a sweet smile. And this just started a revolution in my rubber ducky soul.
After Falling Down, the crowd was silent under the dim blue lights. I just knew from my heart what the next song would be. So, I screamed “Champagne Supernova!” and the fans beside all looked at me and screamed as well. Fanatics. Every single note, melody and lyrics of this song makes perfect sense. The best part was feeling the energy from Noel’s psychedelic solo. In the recording process, he asked Paul Weller to do the dirty guitar part. But this time, he used the tremolo arm of his Gibson 355. We were getting high.
And since all good things come to an end, I am glad I was able to see Oasis perform Slide Away, Masterplan, Supersonic and they ended the night with the biggest bang ever — a cover of the Beatles; I Am A Walrus. I don’t think I will ever get tired of Oasis. Even if they cannot reach their old glories and are constantly being accused of ripping themselves off, their music digs me out of my black holes. Because they are still a great freakin’ band to watch, it’s all about their soulful connection with the fans. In this concert, the timelessness of the songs make it a great atmosphere for some “stadium-oke” where everyone gets together singing loud and jumping to the sound of their favorite Oasis tunes.
* * *
Before members of the press disappeared into a crowd unfamiliar to millions, I asked Noel one question: Does he think there is a new Oasis to inherit the throne or are they the last great British rock band?
“A long time ago, I think around the time of Knebworth, I said that Oasis was the last truly great Brit rock band and I can be proven right,” he concludes. “We came along before mobile phones, Internet and all technological malarkey. You see the bands now with one album and the weight of expectation crushes them immediately. Before there were no bootlegs and we did things how it’s supposed to be, very organic and old skilled. There was an instant connection with the fans like a contract. You have to buy our album or tickets to see us. That’s the way that we are. I don’t see anyone else coming up behind us.”
As Noel Gallagher was being called out of the meeting room, I screamed (sort of like Penny Lane in Almost Famous): “Noel, I’ve got some things (tiny bamboo flute and Ifugao figurine) for you from the Philippines.” He turned to me, gave a smile and said, “Oh, thank you.”
The clock stopped and I was out of breath and time.
My Brit pop hero walked away clad in black leather jacket and round-neck tee, white jeans, gold ruby ring with his Modfather-inspired shoes like the rock star that he is carrying a sinamaygift bag.
Now, that memory is definitely going to live forever.
* * *
For more of Noel Gallagher, check out his Tales from the Middle of Nowhere blog at www.myspace.com/oasis. Or follow his brother Liam Gallagher religiously on Twitter.
