Fault 27: Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
As you were. As you are.
Words: Adina Ilie
Photography: Jack Alexander
Menswear Editor: Kristine Kilty
Grooming: Natalya Chew
FAULT Magazine is proud to present our Issue 27 cover story with non-other than Liam Gallagher. With a career spanning over 25 years and a myriad of stories to tell, we sat down to discuss the ups and downs of his career and get to know Liam Gallagher as he was and as he is. Enjoy.
FAULT: Do you recall the first 24 hours after Noel quit the band? What was going through your mind at that point?
Liam Gallagher: Oh fuck. That very moment I just went– right, there have been certain powers at play. It wasn’t too big an argument; we’ve had worse arguments. What went down was something that was pre-planned.
FAULT: What was the lead up to that point that makes you so sure that it was pre-planned?
Liam Gallagher: Lots of things. A lot of sneaky little meetings. People might say that it’s paranoia. But you can never be too paranoid in life. I kind of knew he was going to map it at some point. It was going to happen at V or it was going to happen at Reading. It only got postponed until Paris. I knew he was going to jump ship at some point. And that’s what made me feel that my paranoia was right. Or maybe I’m clairvoyant; I’ve got 6 senses.
FAULT: Did you feel Noel’s absence while writing this record?
Liam Gallagher: Yeah – because I don’t want to be solo. I don’t want to do it on my own. I’m not a guitar player or a prolific songwriter. I can write a few songs every now and again but I miss being in a band. I miss my brother the way he was back then. I miss singing those great songs that we all made great.
FAULT: Were you disappointed that your former bandmates did not reach out to you in times of crisis? Are you resentful in any way?
Liam Gallagher: My older brother has always been there. I thought I’d at least get a call from Noel, but there was no call. I thought I’d get a call from my other manager, but nothing from them fucking cunts. But then I met Debbie and she’s been there all the way. A lot of my mates are gone; I don’t really have anyone in London and that is fine. The universe is my mate.
Liam Gallagher: “I’ve been through a lot of shit, but it was shit that I caused. When you cause shit – you man up and fucking deal with it. Sometimes you have to fucking man up to your shit.”
FAULT: Did you ever feel that you were done? That you hit your peak in ’96 in Knebworth and then it was all downhill from there?
Liam Gallagher: I feel like I’ve maintained it without turning into the traps of the business. I’m still outspoken, I’m still wearing my heart on my sleeve and if people like it that’s fine. If you don’t then you don’t. I’m not a ‘yes man’.
FAULT: Did you ever see yourself hitting the top once more by yourself?
Liam Gallagher: The night Oasis split I felt absolutely disappointed and then I felt exactly the opposite when my album went number 1. In this day and age, rock’n’roll has got cobwebs on it. I never actually saw myself hitting the top once more. But if you truly believe, things will happen. I’ve been good to rock’n’roll and I reckon rock’n’roll will be good to me. It saved me twice.
FAULT: Hollywood is ablaze with accusations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein. Have you seen similar occurrences in the music industry?
Liam Gallagher: : Not really, but you know it’s there. The shady little fuckers at the top. It’s not even with just men and women, it’s men and men too. All these pop bands – you hear about it with Take That but I’ve never witnessed any of it. Nobody would come near us. We were caught up in our own bubble. We weren’t hanging about with the record company. We’d go to the awards show and they’d be there, but we’d just get off and do our own thing. And I certainly didn’t see any weird shit.
FAULT: What changes do you reckon we should make to keep things safe for both men and women alike?
Liam Gallagher: That’s a big tough question. Obviously get rid of all the shit bags. Obviously, if everyone took care of their shit – everything would be cool. We all live together under one sky at the end of the day. Everyone just needs to cool the fuck out.
FAULT: Do you think Liam Gallagher has the power to get people to go back to the roots of rock’n’roll?
Liam Gallagher: I’ve got a lot of fans out there and I always have. My oldest kid is 18 and my friends have kids about the same age – so they’re going to bring them to the shows. That’s a good thing. All you can do is make good music and do good gigs. Do good interviews and try to sell it how it is. Stay honest to what you are and don’t get carried away with all the show business shit. That’s all that I can do. I’m definitely not the savior of music, I’m the savior of me.
Liam Gallagher: “I don’t get involved with the industry and the business side of it. I let my manager do that. That’s the problem with music today – it’s got no fucking soul. I get being business minded, but it can overpower. You forget about the fucking music.”
Find out who else will appear in the issue here
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