Photo by MAGIC LIWANAG FOR OVATION PRODUCTIONS
Liam Gallagher emerged onstage at SM Mall of Asia Arena on Monday wearing his usual windbreaker with a nonchalant rockstar swagger. Arms behind his back, he leaned toward the microphone, almost kissing it, as he sang one song after another in a no-nonsense fashion.
He didn’t move around much, except to rattle a pair of maracas in one hand; slap his tambourine against his chest; and cockily strut while staring down the crowd chanting his name. Still, Liam, the former front man of the iconic 1990s British band Oasis, oozed with stage presence that was undeniable.
While it seemed that a good chunk of the audience was expecting and hoping for an Oasis greatest hits set, it was clear that the 44-year-old British singer’s more urgent goal was to introduce his new songs from “As You Were,” his coming debut album as a solo artist. Among the most warmly received were “Wall of Glass,” “Bold,” “For What Its Worth” and “Universal Gleam.”
Much to the fans’ excitement, Liam did dish out a handful of Oasis hits such as “Rock ’n’ Roll Star,” “Morning Glory” and, of course, “Wonderwall” for the encore. But also, much to their dismay, the show was over before it began—Liam performed only 13 songs, which were more or less the numbers he had been putting out in his recent shows. Needless to say, the crowd was left wanting more.
Earlier in the day, Liam sat down with select reporters, and candidly talked about going solo, his other band, Beady Eye, and the unrelenting clamor for a reunion with his elder brother and ex-Oasis bandmate, Noel Gallagher, with whom he has a longstanding and much-publicized spat. Here are excerpts:
Did you ever think of forming a new band? No, because if you do, it would just be compared to Oasis.
How are things going so far? It feels normal, actually. As long as the music’s good, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a band, really, or on your own.
Do you think this is your best version yet, musically? Oasis was great. Beady Eye was great. This is just another side of me. The new album is good, without a doubt.
What’s your biggest challenge as a solo artist? Are you confident enough in your songwriting? I’m confident (as a singer), but maybe not about songwriting—it’s all new to me. I’m still learning, trying to crack the code. But I have had a bit of help from a few friends, and together, we were able to come up with a good record.
What was the difference of not having Noel around? It was nice to have him around, he’s a great songwriter … But, we did all right without him. There wasn’t much of a difference, really.
What do you think of the constant clamor for an Oasis reunion? Well, it just goes to show you how f**king boring everyone else is … if they’re still f**king looking for 50-year-old men to get back together. But Oasis is a good band, we have good songs and I don’t think we should have ever split up.
Should the reunion happen, would you have conditions? No conditions—I sing the songs, you (Noel) stand over there, mate.
You have said before that you sing the songs better than Noel. Yes, I do. He sings them like f**king Dolly Parton.
Any regrets? There’s a few people I would like to apologize to, but … I have nothing to apologize to him (Noel) for. But, there are lots of people—my kids—who I have let down along the way.
Some people call you the last living rock ’n’ roll legend. Yeah … It’s just because everyone’s a bit boring …
How do you maintain a sense of normalcy in your life? I don’t take things too seriously. We don’t go to these famous parties—we did in the ’90s, and they were boring. I don’t hang out with celebrities. I live a normal quiet life when I’m at home.
How do you see yourself five years from now? As long as I’m healthy and I could still sing, I would be very happy. It’s not about making money or selling out stadiums anymore … But now, it’s about being f**king happy.