My translation, p. 24
(It's not that exciting, but I wanted to, need to practice my English!
)
He wanted an old-fashioned telephone interview, none of these Zoom things. No surprise. Surprising is how happy Liam Gallagher is sounding. The singer does not mumble bad-temperedly, instead he delightedly speaks about his third solo album and about the longing to be back on stage. Apparently he is over never being as successful as with Oasis. Since the Gallagher brothers parted ways in 2009 and Liam founded Beady Eye first, he never had anything good to say about Noel. This time he even praises him - a reunion is still off the cards though.
Birgit Fuss: Did you find it hard to find inspiration for the album, because there was not much going on in the last 2 years?
Liam Gallagher: Actually, for me it's getting easier, man. We do not make concept albums! We just play guitar and see what happens. I'm not one of those songwriters who constantly has some ideas on the go. Why should I complain about the pandemic, I was fine. Also, I don't know much about that, but apparently it was not so bad for the climate. Maybe there is more to it than washing your hands. Maybe you should look into having not that many planes in the sky. Give the Earth a chance to take a breath.
BF: The song "Everything's Electric" has been made together with Dave Grohl. How did that happen?
LG: We met a few times at festivals and always spoke about doing something together. When the album was finished, Greg Kurstin called me and told me about a song that he and Dave got for me. So I went back into the studio.
I hope so much that Dave and the Foo Fighters continue to make music, man! They say, music saves and so on, but this man has been through so much - first Kurt Cobain dies, now his drummer. His best mates. Brutal.
BF: Dave Grohl is supposedly the only person really everybody in the music business likes. It's quite another story with you ...
LG: That's what you say, but I get on with most people very well! I just have this image. People think I'm surrounded by decadent little Indie bands who follow me around and yell that I once slagged them off in the NME: "Liam, I'm gonna hit you with the paper!" Actually, they like that and invite me to drinks and bring me cigarettes. And if I really said something nasty about someone in 1996, then those were people who'd at worst hit me with a daffodil. Everybody loves to be talked about, because they feel important. So, Dave is a nice man, I'm a nice man.
BF: Today, is a career like Oasis even possible?
LG: There are many big bands out there. But people find it hard to be themselves these days. They rather bite their tongue because they have bills to pay. We were able to say what we wanted, drink what we wanted, take what we wanted. We were like the Sex Pistols. It was accepted. Today everything is so much more strict, that's why everybody is behaving. There's no more punk rock with attitudue.
BF: Do you see any musicians stepping into your footsteps?
LG: No. They just don't have the songs we had. We had the attitude, we had the look, but mainly we had Noel and I still do not see anyone on his level at the moment. Noel is a fucking great songwriter, we were lucky. Without songs it does not work.
BF: Do you miss him as a songwriter?
LG: Of course it was great then. He wrote a classic, I sang it and 15 minutes later I was celebrating in the pub. It was so easy, I had the best job in the world, and then he ruined it.
BF: Opinion is split about whose fault the Oasis split was.
LG: That's how I see it. Whatever.
BF: You are going to play in Knebworth in June, like Oasis did 26 years ago. How do you prepare?
LG: We rehearse a lot. I'm mainly looking after my voice. I do not drink so much before a show. I love to sing! Maybe I don't look like it, but I love it! Writing songs is okay, studio okay, but standing on stage behind a microphone is the best.
BF: How do you pick the setlist?
LG: Of course I play what people who paid good money want to hear. So with 20 songs that's about 10 Oasis classics and 10 of my own. Beady Eye rather not. No one wanted that then anyway.
BF: You will be 50 in september. Will there be a big party?
LG: Strange, isn't it? Maybe I look it, but I don't feel it. I feel like about 25. I have a young spirit. But of course I'm going to celebrate, maybe on Barbados. With my mum, my other brother, my kids, my Mrs and her family and a few friends.
BF: Noel is not invited?
LG: No, he's too miserable.