Noel Gallagher Hong Kong Interview

I was there when you came to Hong Kong to play in 1998!

N: Oh were you? Was a shit gig, wasn't it?

It was great...

N: (cuts in) I don't bloody think so! From what I remember we were awful....but it's gonna be much worse tonight I think!

Oh why'd you say that?

N: See for yourself - you'd know.

I loved the first part of the There and Then video. I still remember how at the end of The Swamp Song Liam walked on and shouted Acquiesece to the mic, while you striked the chords to kickstart the gig. It was unforgettable. Amazing.

N: Hmm that sure was a good show.

What do you think tonight's gig is gonna be like?

N: I think it'd be interesting! Our lead singer is in a funny mood now and we're probably gonna have a car crash tonite. I never try to predict anything. You know there's so much shit in life you're gonna be dragged down if you set your hopes too high, right? What I know is I'm gonna be brilliant, but I can't control the crowd to sing along, or clap or anything...I'll just make sure that I play well and sing well, that's what I'll try to do.

How do you prepare yourself for a show even when you know you're not at your best?

N: That's a difficult question...You don't really need to be in a good mood to play a gig you know. For me it's always do it first, and worry later, yeah.

Sometimes I feel so inconfident on stage.

N: Why? What's the worst thing that can happen?

Like, your monitor goes quiet, and all sorts of things...

N: I don't use a monitor. Never. Just shut it down, man.

What, really?

N: I only need one when I need to sing, rest of the time I'd switch it off and just listen with me ears. I mean what's the worst thing that can happen? People might get up and leave, big deal!

Not able to hear anything from the monitor...that freaks me out.

N: So what? You should know what you're playing anyway. Even if I can't hear anything, I'd still know how to play a song! You're never gonna, and you should never, never try to play a song as it sounds on the record! I'm never bothered with with that.

Any words of advice for people in a band?

N: Just don't think too damn much, you know? Just chill and enjoy it! Tell you what, I never give advices cos I don't take any. Just enjoy yourself....How old are u, son?

28.

N: 28, that's great, soon you'd be 50 and it's all gonna pass...so don't worry about anything.

Thanks for the advice!

Where do you get your inspirations from?

N: Man, I dunno. It just comes. I was not trained to be a musician or lyricist or anything like that. You just pick up the guitar and it'd come. I don't know where that's from. It just happens.

What are your plans after this tour?

N: We aint got any to be honest. Apart from a long break. No plans whatsoever for the next record or for other people.

Which songs would you recommend? Out of Dig Out Your Soul

N: The first one, Bag it up, Waiting for the Rapture, Soldier On.

What kind of music fans would you recommend these to?

N: I don't think like that. You should just get the sound right. It's to do with What I do and Who I am and not Who YOU are. I think if I like something then someone else would probably agree it's good as well.

You mentioned in an interview that you liked this song Magic Colours by a 70s Hong Kong musician called Teddy Robins. It happens that Dig Out Your Soul is very psychedelic sounding as well. Did you get you inspirations from there somehow?

N: I got this record called Love, Peace and Poetry in a record shop in London which was supposed to be a 60s psychedelic record from Asia. I thought there might be some good stuff in there and that track, Magic Colours, it fxxking blew me away! A bit like Jimi Hendrix or something, probably one of the best thing I've ever heard! But no I didn't get my inspirations from there, at least I probably don't play guitar as good as he does.

Are you familiar with other Asian music?

N: No to be honest I don't know anything about the music here. I'd listen to stuff from the US, India, Germany, Sweden and France though.

I got into Oasis since WSTMG, and I was crazy about it, singing Don't look back in anger with my twin brother all the time...

N: You have a twin brother? Is he in the same band as you?

No...

N: He was, wasn't he?? Kick him out!!

Now you used to be working class...

N: I still am.

...well our band is sort of from the working level as well. We're still struggling. Do you have any things to say to young people and musicians here, cos most young people would just spend their time playing video games and stuff...

N: That's what it's about these days isn't it? In my days, people were into music like people are into video games now. If they want to sit in front of a computer all day long...then they could try to make some music on the computer. In fact, the guitar is one of the most difficult thing you can learn in the world. It's much easier with a computer. I started playing the guitar becos I had nothing better to do. My life was really shit.

And it took me around 15 years to really learn how to play it well. Even now I'm still spending all my time learning things about the guitar...compared to that...video games are much, much easier.

You know it's a wonderful thing to be...with music. Whether you're just singing it or playing it...it's all brilliant. But it's hard to get other people into music though, you have to try it and see if you'd like it.

So do you really not use a computer?

N: No I don't. Tell you what, there was this time I was at home and my missus went out, leaving the computer on in the kitchen. So she called me and asked me to shut it down for her and I said "alright". Then I went into the kitchen and I found out I didn't know how to bloody turn it off! So I just unplugged the thing from the socket, you know?! Then she came back and found out and was mad at me, saying how I was an idiot or something...But then you can live your life so so many years without using a computer, so I don't think I'd need one. I can't drive, can't swim, but I'm doing alright.

Don't you think the Internet can let you see more of the world?

N: Nah I'm not having that...What I mean is, I'd get up and go there if I want to be somewhere, you know what I mean?

Do you not use a computer to record demos either?

N: I don't do demos. I'd just play something and sing, keep it in my head, then go straight into the studio. Sometimes I think all this stuff on the Internet aren't really real, like you can't really know what Hong Kong is like with a single click. You have to be there to feel it. I think the kids might find it useful, how they can search stuff when they need it...but I come from a different time, I don't need to know how much does a tiger fxxking weight, how many nails an elephant's got or how many bricks was The Great Wall of China build with, you know? That's got nothing whatsoever with how I live my life now... but I know, kids are into that sort of stuff.

Source: Milk Magazine

Noel's TCT gig 'The Dreams We Have As Children (Live For Teenage Cancer Trust)’ is available to download now, click here for more details.