grahamorama

A real Noel-it-all

Oasis leader shares his views on Detroit, being attacked and manners

By Adam Graham/Detroit News Pop Music Writer

“Are you drinking while you’re speaking to me?”

The question was abrupt and was delivered in an accusatory tone from the famously candid, infinitely quotable and almost always profane Noel Gallagher, songwriter and leader of Britpop bad boys Oasis. The group plays The Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday with special guests Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.

For the record, I was not drinking, but he insisted I had taken a sip of something.

“You know, my (bleeping) girlfriend does that, and it’s really (bleeping) annoying,” said Gallagher, half-joking, half-not. I explained I had not taken a drink, and after some back and forth, he acquiesced, but accused me of swallowing “really (bleeping) loudly.” For that, I was guilty.

“Right, then, so don’t swallow loudly on the phone … for crying out loud. If I don’t swallow loudly, you shouldn’t. Carry on.”

We carried on, about his daughter’s taste in music, his feelings on Detroit and a recent incident where he was attacked onstage by a crazed fan in Toronto.

What happened at the Toronto show?

Well really, I don’t know. I was playing away there, and he attacked me from behind. So I have no recollection of it whatsoever. I was playing, and then I was on the floor, and then I was in the hospital, and then I was back in England, and then I was (bleeping) in bed for five weeks.

Have you watched the incident on YouTube?

No. I don’t own a computer.

So what was recovery like? Did you have bruised ribs?

Three broken, and I had five bruised ribs. I was just laid up in the house for five weeks.

Boring.

Well, you should see my house, it’s hardly boring. It’s (bleeping) awesome.

You guys have been playing here for years. Do you have any good Detroit memories?

We played there a few years ago with Soundtrack to Our Lives at some really famous theater.

The Fox Theatre.

Yeah, that was a really great night. We always have a great night in Detroit — after the gigs, d’ya know what I mean. There’s always weird and wonderful and clever and interesting people in the dressing room. It’s a nice place to play, we feel at home there. It’s not too dissimilar from Manchester.

You say that to everybody.

(Pause.)

Or don’t you?

Well, I don’t say that to people in Tokyo, do I? That’s not a (bleep) at all like Manchester, is it? (Detroit) is a working-class town, d’ya know what I mean; and it’s seen better days, that kind of thing. And all of the music that comes out of Detroit, from the Stooges to MC5, to the electronic stuff in the ’80s, the house music, up to Jack White and the White Stripes, it’s always cool as (bleep). Always. It’s uncanny. Like Manchester.

How old is your daughter, and what music is she into?

My daughter is 8 years of age, and she is into that (bleep) on the Disney Channel, the Jonas Brothers and all of that (bleeping) nonsense. “High School Musical.”

Do you find anything to enjoy in the Jonas Brothers?

Not in the slightest. No. Is there anything?

“Lovebug” is the catchy single on the record, and it’s not bad…

No, it’s not. I’m not going there.

Do you have any final thoughts ?

Any final thoughts? (Pauses.) Stop (bleeping) buying Nickelback records. Have you heard that tune “Rock Star?”

Yes.

They can do better than that, surely.

They probably can.

I bet you could. I’ve gotta go, I’ve got to go see my drug dealer in Mexico. Bye-bye.