Noel Gallagher’s First Time Onstage With Oasis: Day Before ‘Most Stressful F-cking Day of My Entire Life’

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Noel-Gallagher-Oasis-Gibson-TV - Credit: Ian Dickson Getty Images; David J. Hogan/Getty Images
Noel-Gallagher-Oasis-Gibson-TV - Credit: Ian Dickson Getty Images; David J. Hogan/Getty Images

A few days before playing onstage with Oasis for the first time, Noel Gallagher remembered that he had never played the guitar while standing up.

In a clip from Gibson TV’s upcoming “Icons” episode shared exclusively with Rolling Stone, Gallagher mused about a humorous behind-the-scenes look into the band’s early beginnings.

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“We were doing one song of mine, which was ‘Columbia,’ but it was instrumental,” recalled the guitarist, who joined the band in the early Nineties. “We’ve got a gig on Tuesday, and it suddenly dawns on me that I’ve never played guitar standing up. Not only that, I don’t own a fucking strap. This is Sunday night.”

“I can only tell you that the Monday was probably the most stressful fucking day of my entire life,” he continued, noting that he spent a “good hour” in front of the mirror once he got home.

According to Gallagher, who helped lead the band during Britpop’s peak, “where you hold your guitar for the first time is crucial.” He added, “It kind of signifies how much of a cunt you’re going to be, because if it’s too high, you don’t get no fit birds, mate. If it’s too low, she gettin’ a goth, alright? But if you get it right, you know, the ‘Gunslinger’… and I remember looking in the mirror thinking, ‘Doesn’t look right.'”

“Anyway, nailed it, alright. Clearly,” he said, before concluding, “Thank fucking God it was before phones and cameras, because there would be some pretty fucking awkward footage of it now, but you know, an exhilarating experience all the same.”

In June, Gallagher spoke to Rolling Stone about Council Skies, his band High Flying Birds’ fourth studio album, and more. The LP, recorded at his own Lone Star Sound Recording Studio in London, was produced by Gallagher and Paul “Strangeboy” Stacey and features orchestration laid down at the famed Abbey Road Studios. The band is currently on an international tour in support of the new record.

The full interview featuring Gallagher with Gibson TV airs on Thursday at 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m ET on YouTube. In the episode, the prolific songwriter and singer talks music influences, his writing process, and shares personal stories from his musical journey.

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