Oasis On Oasis

02/01/00 3:03pm

by Sean K. Robb (CHARTattack)

Recently, Chart sat down with Noel and Liam Gallagher to discuss the past present and future of one of the greatest bands of the '90s — Oasis. For a full story about the boys, check out the February issue of Chart Magazine. In the meantime, here's the fab two's views on three major events in the life of Oasis: Their controversial Vancouver concert, their world wide smash "Wonderwall," and their brand new album Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants.

On the infamous Vancouver concert that was stopped 20 minutes in, when the band left the stage after being pelted with coins and shoes...

Noel: I don't feel that because somebody's paid 'X' amount of dollars for a ticket it gives them the right to throw shoes at you. If we were to stand on stage and let coins rain down on us and not say anything, if I was in the crowd and I believed in the band, I would think, "Why don't these guys walk off?" We won't be there to be fuckin' takin' the piss out of. We play to the best of our ability, and if you don't like it, then don't come again. We're only human beings trying to make a living.

Liam: I won't have that, that fuckin' throwing business. That's not what I'm about. People throw things, and I'm going home. We're here to play music, and that's the fuckin' end of it.

On "Wonderwall," their biggest ever single, and the song that brought the band to international prominence...

Noel: That song is just about putting your arm around someone, and saying, "We're in this together." When it was the big, massive hit around the world, I was moved by that. For awhile, I had great difficulty singing it, 'cause you'd start, and everyone else would be singing it. Sometimes I used to do it acoustically, and I'd just sit on a stool and do the intro and I wouldn't have to sing a word of it. And it's almost like just giving it away to the people, and it's great.

Liam: That's why we make music... To reach people, to make people feel safe when they're not feeling safe. To make people feel positive when they're not feeling positive. To make people go and do something when they're feeling like shit, to make people feel special when they don't feel special. That's what I get from my music, that's what [John] Lennon does for me.

On Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, the fantastic fourth album from the band, to be released this month...

Noel: Journalists will always just pick the most controversial thing, and go 'Oasis make a dance record. Oasis make a heavy metal record. Nobody's prepared to say 'You know what? It's just a really good rock 'n' roll record.

Liam: It's definitely darker. It needs a couple listens. It's a fuckin' big album, like those Pink Floyd albums, like The Wall or something. But there's some dark shit going on there, and there's some heavy words going on there. I hope they like it, ya know. But then again, if they don't I could give a toss. And I'm safe to say that, 'cause I like it. If they like it, that's great, 'cause that means we can all have a fuckin' party together. If they don't like it, so fuckin' what? We'll go in and do another one. We're always going to do another one.