Noel Gallagher

Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Longsight, Manchester) is the lead songwriter and guitarist with the British rock band Oasis. He is the older brother of Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher and the two are often pigeon-holed as squabbling siblings.

Public persona

Oasis appeared on the music scene in 1994 and quickly made a public image for themselves. Whereas other Britpop bands such as Elastica and The Manic Street Preachers chose not to play the media "game", Oasis chose to portray themselves, arguably realistically, as loud mouthed, arrogant and aggressive. This caught the public's imagination. Though Liam appears to have really taken it to heart, often verbally abusing photographers and members of the public, Noel tends to be more reserved, becoming aggressive only when provoked by people such as Robbie Williams, Damon Albarn of Blur or anyone who challenges his belief that Oasis are the best band in the world. On one occasion he became slightly confrontational when an interviewer praised them as "one of the biggest bands in the world", Noel immediately snapped "What do you mean one of? Name one band who's bigger." In one of his more "tongue-in-cheek" moments Noel simply stated "If people don't like Oasis, they're shit."

Related Topics:
Music - 1994 - Elastica - The Manic Street Preachers - Media - Arrogant - Aggressive - Public - Photographer - Robbie Williams - Damon Albarn - Blur

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Noel is well known for his controversial, outspoken statements in the press. In the midst of their feud with Blur, he told one interviewer that he hoped lead singer Damon Albarn and bassist Alex James would die of AIDS. When George Harrison accused Oasis of being little more than a passing fad Noel commented "George was always the quiet Beatle, maybe he should keep that up" (this however, was not as threatening as his brother's promise to play golf off of Harrison's head should they ever meet). When George Michael released the politically charged single "Shoot the Dog", Noel observed "He's... trying to make social comment, this is the guy who hid who he actually was from the public for twenty years, now, all of a sudden, he's got something to say about the way of the world. I find it laughable. That's even before you get to the song, which is diabolical." He said of Kylie Minogue "I don't hate Kylie but I hate her music with a passion - it's just unbridled filth, it's disgusting." He described the protests against the second Gulf War in London as "a bloody waste of time". In the same interview he said of the British "We are a nation of moaning sissies, regardless of who governs. The British get on my nerves. They moan about the weather, about the French, about the Germans. They moan about cricket, football – they should just keep their mouths shut." When asked about American youngsters taste in music, he stated "(They) shouldn't be able to buy records until (they are) 16. You'll buy any old nonsense - fucking Britney and Eminem." Noel acknowledged his tendency for faux pas in the song "My Big Mouth" on Be Here Now. In early 2001 he was criticised for saying that the Backstreet Boys "should be shot" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1324838.stm

Related Topics:
Blur - Damon Albarn - Alex James - AIDS - George Harrison - Golf - George Michael - Kylie Minogue - British - Weather - French - Germans - Cricket - Football - Britney - Eminem - Backstreet Boys

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Gallagher is often criticized for the praise he gives to his own songs. Though many consider this to be intense arrogance, he himself maintains that it is merely self-confidence and points out "If you'd written Live Forever, you'd be walking to a different tune the next day too". He is not afraid to poke fun at his 'self confidence'. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, he joked that there was nothing he liked to do more that to gather a group of friends and to discuss just how great he is. When Ross asked if he would ever do the same with a group of other legendary musicians, Noel was quick to point out that that would be very bad for his ego.

Related Topics:
Live Forever - Jonathan Ross - Ego

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He is famous for taking inspiration from The Beatles. Oasis often made comparisons between themselves and The Beatles. On the inlay to Be Here Now are scrawled the words "The Beatles - quite good, Oasis - much better". The video for All Around The World has been said to resemble Yellow Submarine and in the video for Don't Look Back in Anger, he wears a pair of Lennonesque orange-tinted circular glasses, which Lennon referred to as "granny glasses". Both he and Liam can often be seen wearing similar glasses. There are several references to The Beatles in his songs, and for the intro to Don't Look Back in Anger, Noel 'borrowed' the piano intro to John Lennon's Imagine.

Related Topics:
The Beatles - Be Here Now - All Around The World - Yellow Submarine - Don't Look Back in Anger - Lennonesque - Imagine

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