From world-famous to “Who am I?”: Liam Gallagher reveals how he felt when Oasis famously split up.
The 51-year-old singer had “lived and breathed” the group for almost all of his adult life until they abruptly called it a day in 2009 following a row between himself andhis brother, guitarist Noel Gallagher, and the aftermath left him questioning who he was beyond a “that guy from Oasis”, but the solo success he has enjoyed since has helped him to “move on”.
He told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: “That was my band and that was all I knew. I lived and breathed it, so once it was gone I was like, ‘Who am I, really?’”
“Everyone knows me as ‘that guy from Oasis’. If that’s not there anymore, I’m just a hollow wandering dude from the 90s. But you move on. Life is just one big conveyor belt, innit?”
Discussing his upcoming new album with Stone Roses guitarist John Squire, he said: “John’s a dude, man. With Oasis, Noel did the writing, I came in to do the singing, and I was happy. When that ended, I had to find ways of, you know, ‘expressing myself’, and it did [my] head in.
“John came along, and we’re very different, but we must have the same vibe because these songs could have come from my brain. Do you know what I mean?”
Liam found it hard to express himself musically without Noel’s creative input. Photo / Getty Images
Although the Everything’s Electric hitmaker would welcome an Oasis reunion, he insisted it is down to Noel — who split from wife Sara Macdonald last year — to reach out to him first.
He said: “He knows I’m not going to call him. He’s the one who split the band up, so he’ll be doing the calling, and if there is no calling we won’t be getting back together.
“To be fair, though, I can see it happening. Now things have changed in his personal life, I can see him looking back, not looking back in anger, and going, ‘Do you know what? I was really mean to my little brother. Now it is time for me to send him a box of chocolates.’”
Liam insisted he doesn’t “hold grudges” and would welcome getting the band back together.
Asked if they would definitely reunite if Noel offered an olive branch, he added: “Oh, without a doubt. I love my brother, I love my family, and all that Oasis [stuff], there was no need for it, you know what I mean?
“Maybe someone can get a bit tetchy on tour. Maybe someone drinks a bit too much. But we didn’t have to split up over it.
“I don’t hold grudges, man, and if Oasis got back together it would be great because I would only have to sing 15 songs and he could do the rest. I could do that standing on my head.”
