An unfamiliar way of playing the guitar made Gallagher sweat.
Normally, Noel Gallagher always wants to appear to be cool personified. But now he’s admitted that his first gig with Oasis was anything but relaxed for him. Because back then, the still young musician didn’t know how to play the guitar standing up and still look casual.
Noel Gallagher: “Probably the most stressful shitty day of my life”
It was in the early ’90s that Noel joined his younger brother Liam Gallagher’s band. A self-taught guitarist and songwriter, not only was he likely the most talented musician on Oasis, he also penned the majority of hits. Nevertheless, the band’s first appearance gave him a big headache.
Before they made their stage debut, Noel Gallagher didn’t know how to play his instrument standing up. The talkative Britpop pioneer shared this anecdote on Gibson TV’s Icons series. “We had a gig on Tuesday, and I suddenly realized I’d never played guitar standing up,” he began his story. “But not only that, I didn’t even have a crappy seat belt. That was on Sunday evening. And I was broke […] Now that may seem ridiculous. But I can tell you that Monday was probably one of the most stressful shit days of my entire life.”
After Noel was able to at least borrow a belt, the next problem appeared: How do you look cool enough in it? “I would say I stood in front of the mirror for almost an hour. […] And I think how you hold your guitar the first time is crucial.”
Ultimately, according to Noel, he also managed to find the perfect position for his guitar. However, he is grateful that there are no recordings from that time: “Thank God that was before smartphones and cameras, because otherwise shitty embarrassing footage would be circulating now. But all in all it was an exciting experience.”
After 30 years in the music world, Noel Gallagher seems to have perfected his rock star pose on stage. Maybe one day she will even be seen again with his brother and Oasis, because he no longer rules out a reunion.