Why Liam Gallagher stopped drinking on stage after Oasis' 2000 Wembley gig

7 September 2024, 19:00

Liam Gallagher plays with Oasis at Wembley in 2000. Picture: Brian Rasic/Getty Images

The singer revealed his drunken antics with Oasis at Wembley in 2000 caused him to lay off alcohol during live performances for good.

By Radio X

@RadioX

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With news that Oasis have reformed and will be playing seven nights at Wembley Stadium in the summer of 2025, let's turn back the clock a quarter of a century to when Liam and Noel Gallagher played the iconic venue in July 2000.

An album of the first show on Friday 21st July that year was issued as Familiar To Millions, which may have debuted at number five in the UK charts when it was released, but the gig itself is cited as the reason Liam Gallagher stopped drinking heavily on stage.

Asked by Radio X's Chris Moyles back in 2019 whether he drank booze on stage, the Manchester rocker replied: "Just water man."

He went on "I’ve not drank booze on stage since that famous Wembley gig. Remember that one where it all went a bit…?"

He added: "Apparently people like that kind of thing but now I steer clear of all of that, do you know what I mean? It’s just water man, stuff like that. Every now and again, it depends if it’s a short gig, I might have a little cheeky tequila just to get the party started. "

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Asked whether he'd have a few drinks before going on back in the day, Gallagher quipped: "And the rest, yeah," adding: "I think as you get older though, you just can’t do it, can you?

"When you’re 20 and that, you can do what you want. I used to smoke ganja on stage and everything. But now, I’d end up singing Taylor Swift songs, you know what I mean, forget what band I’m in.

Judge Liam Gallagher's performance for yourself below:

Oasis - live forever familiar to millions (dvd quality)

Liam's brother Noel has also previously cited that Wembley gig in 2000 as one of his lowest points in Oasis.

Speaking to Radio X's John Kennedy in 2017, the elder Gallagher called the : “THE low point in Oasis. It was a horrible two-and-a-half hours on stage. Liam can hang his head in shame.”

The show came off the back of the band’s fourth studio album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants.