Noel Gallager assaulted by audience member

[Granny Gremlin]

Every time I start thinking TO is boring, something like this happens - we've had a bunch of audience/performer fights lately (mostly smaller touring acts so far - see Jay Reatard, there's a vid of that one on Youtube as well), I think it's becoming a 'thing.'

Toronto seems to have a love/hate relationship Oasis in particular - recall the penny throwing incident on one of their last tours (they stopped playing and canecled the show after the crowd wouldn't stop throwing pennies and other things). 

I love how Liam looses his shit and tries to beat down the audience member who shoved his bro while 3 bodyguards are already holding him down and dragging him away.  What a peice of shit - anger is fine and  defending your brother is too be expected, but if you wait to throw a punch until the dude already has 3 bouncers on him, then sorry, you're a pussy bitch and it should have been you that got shoved (look at hime stand back until the bouncers rush in).



(check out the rev TBird leaning on the Marshall Bass stacks after the incident).

another angle:

[Dave W]

No class. Let the bodyguards do their job.

Punching him while he's being held might incite some other obsessed fan to violence.

[Blazer]

It's rather easy calling Liam a pussy when you're not in his shoes isn't it? Sure the body guards got to the guy first but I don't blame him for getting a quick jab too, I would have done the same thing, this asshole got what was coming to him. Liam stood back for a few seconds because he at first didn't know what happened.

And that non reverse Thunderbird actually is one of Lead guitarist Gem Archer's non reverse Firebirds which he plays almost exclusively.

[Chris P.]

Nice to see Andy's playing Marshall now. He used to have two SVTs with 8x10s.

I also think it's one of Gem's Firebirds.

It's strange to see Andy playing a P. After some years of touring with modern Burns Bisons and a Vista Sonic Bass, he tried a '73 for a while. I believe he bought tow '73s. But they he switched back to Burns after a while. i'm going to interview him (and maybe Gem) soon.

 

[drbassman]

Two things come to mind.  What the hell is wrong with people these days?  What kind of cretin attacks a musician while he's playing for crying out loud?  Talk about pussies!  And as far as taking a jab at the douche bag, who care's how he does it?  The jerk deserves it!

[Granny Gremlin]

The audience member being a dick goes without saying, I realise that my crit of Liam may have seemed unbalanced considering I didn't say anything explicitly against the shover.

[uwe]

I don't think the fan actually wanted to attack or did attack Noel. I doesn't look like that to me at all (though perception on stage may have easily been different). Seemed more like idiot moshing to me, people do that all the time at some concerts, even Brit Pop ones. He probably said: "Bet I can get up on stage and give Noel a good shove and get away with it?" And so he did and had his little practical joke that endangered somebody else's health. Which was moronically reckless (and was dangerous for Noel as it was coming from behind and he probably fell because of it), but I don't think it was with vicious intent. The guy wanted to be the star on stage for a few seconds and shove the mighty Noel Gallagher, but not actually hurt him - he probably adores him and thinks him real cool. That said, I can't blame the Bros Gallagher for being genuinely pissed off and reacting the way they did.

Compared to how little Liam used to have himself under control in the past, I think this particular reaction was measured and largely based on instinct. Likewise the bouncers, I've seen a lot worse for a lot less.

[Dave W]

Whatever his intentions were, the "fan" has been charged with assault, and according to this BBC story he did push Noel over.

After the murder of Dimebag Darrell, I don't blame security people for reacting. You just don't get up on stage like that unless you're invited.

[uwe]

I hear he fell into the orchestra pit and broke a rib, but did continue to play that particular gig after a short pause. So he still has some of that Irish hardiness in him. Contrary to popular belief, the Gallaghers are not from Manchester initially, but born Irish who only migrated into that Anglican hell hole from the holy Irish grounds as kids. Hence the name (and the faint possibility that Rory Gallagher might be a distant relative after all - a broken rib wouldn't have kept him from playing either).

Uwe

[Blazer]

On other forums, people already are talking about this being staged just to have Oasis re-kindle a bit of their former greatness.

COME ON! Why would they stage such a heavy push which broke Gallagher's ribs and damaged a vintage Gibson 355? For some reason that doesn't add up, I can't envision them giving each other high fives back stage after that nasty fall.

It's true that Oasis aren't as big as they used to be but their shows still sell out and the band still is putting out a healthy stream of music and actually thriving because they are not as big as they used to be. Because now they can work on albums without the preassure of having to deliver because they have to supply to meet the demand.

But they still made their mark, hang up a poster in any town that says "Oasis live tonight at-this-and-that-venue" and it will sell out in only a matter of hours.

[Dave W]

No way was that staged. You're right, they don't need any help selling tickets.

[Chris P.]

I read another show was cancelled because of Noels injuries.

[uwe]

I've seen the Bros Gallagher twice. I think they are so-so as performers. Liam and Noel are unable to communicate with the audience (maybe if they play a stadium in Manchester and their mom is in the audience). That is fine with a couple of 18 year olds who are a mix of shy/insecure and arrogant. With two guys in their thirties I find it grating and frankly adolescent/childish. The clip where Noel is shoved off the stage says it all. With any other band, the lead singer would come to the stage and announce that the band needs to recuperate from the attack and that they will be back. Here some stage hand/promoter does it.  And it's not like the Gallaghers have this "you never know what is gonna happen next"-appeal to them like Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Blackmore or Lou Reed have. They are not interesting grumpy old men that have a lot to offer musically. Oasis live sound like Oasis in the studio - only sloppier and with a more indistinct sound. They don't even know how to spell "i-m-p-r-o-v-i-s-a-t-i-o-n".

Any second league hard rock band can build a more convincing stage rapport with an audience than they can and project their - however limited - music more effectively live. 

I saw Velvet Revolver with Scott Weiland after he had already gotten the boot and he was warring in public blogs with Matt Sorum the drummer. He did not once communicate with the other band members during the whole set, it was like they weren't there, but put on a stellar performance of himself and communicated with the audience. As did the other VRs backing him. That is a type of "in your face" professionalism the Gallaghers can only dream of. If being rock stars is all so dreary and jaded to them, I recommend they go back to their beloved Manchester factory assembly lines and test real life there.

[Chris P.]

Normally I almost always agree with you, Uwe, but this time only to a certain amount.

I saw Oasis twice too, but the first time doesnt't count. it was a troubled gig at a Dutch festivl without Noel, et cetera.

The second time was in AB Brussels and it was more than great. Normally and on record I like Noels voice better than Liam's and I never understood why people are so positive about him. Until I heard him live... It was just great! What a voice if you hear him live through a big PA. It's like comparing the sound of a T-bird through a 15Watt Squier rehearsal amp (Oasis on records) or hearing the same Bird on a big fat Hiwatt stack. or something. It was a shame though, they mixed Noels voice very low volume-wise. Even on the songs he sings.

And the show... No laser, no video or LED screens, no spectaculair lights... Just Liam, Noel, Gem, Andy, Zak and the Kula Shaker keys guy. Only Gem walks a yard to the front and a yard back sometimes but I just had to look at this band. Sheer magic. I dunno why and how they do it, but i never so a concert as good as that(*)! Even not from Weller or The Who, which are big heroes.
I can't say why it was so great, but it was:)


(*) The Bees live where maybe better.

[uwe]

I'm not saying Oasis can't write songs and I like Liam's voice live better than on record too. But I have yet to witness a gripping live performance from them. Even Familiar to Millions - their live double - is lackluster, certainly no Made in Japan, Live at Leeds or Get your Yayas out in my book. Maybe they just don't like playing Germany where Oasis were never much of a draw. We didn't share the Morning Glory frenzy in the nineties and these days Oasis restrict themselves to three or four concerts every three or four years in which they fail to sell out 3-4.000 seaters. Or have to call off concerts after Liam has had his front teeth knocked out after having (unsuccessfully) picked a fight with a group of Italians in a hotel bar. Very rock star. Brits just can't behave when they're drunk, can say?