Noel Gallagher says day before his first Oasis gig was the "most stressful f***ing day" of his life

24 August 2023, 10:50 | Updated: 24 August 2023, 11:00

The former Oasis guitarist and chief songwriter recalled how unprepared he felt before his first show with the Manchester band.

Noel Gallagher has looked back on the first ever Oasis gig and recalled just how stressful it was.

As reported by Rolling Stone, the Manchester legend spoke to Gibson TV for their Icons series and remembered how on the week leading up to his first show with the band, he'd never played guitar while standing.

“We were doing one song of mine, which was Columbia, but it was instrumental,” Gallagher explained.

"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. And I’m skint. Never played guitar standing up."

The Pretty Boy singer went on: "That seems [like a] preposterous f***ing notion now. But I can only tell you that the Monday was probably the most stressful fucking day of my entire life."

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Noel, who was self-taught on the instrument, also revealed he had to borrow a guitar strap and he spent a considerable amount of time in the mirror working out just how high to wear it.

“I’d say [I spent] a good hour looking in the mirror […] And I think where you hold your guitar for the first time is crucial."

Explaining his thought process at the time, he mused: "It kind of signifies how much of a c*** 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’.”

Despite the fact that he thought he'd "nailed" the performance in the end, Noel admitted: "I was stressing about it for 24 hours"

He added: "Thank f***ing God it was before phones and cameras, because there would be some pretty f***ing awkward footage of it now. But you know, an exhilarating experience all the same."

Noel Gallagher's full interview with Gibson TV is released on their YouTube channel on 24th August from 8pm.

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Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher is set to play a headline gig in Somerset tonight (24th August), before his headline homecoming gig at Wythenshawe Park this Saturday 26th August.

The event will mark the first outdoor hometown headline show for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in four years, since they played Heaton Park in 2019 and the first major show at the park itself.

This winter will also see Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds play dates across December. See his December dates below.

See Noel Gallagher's 2023 Arena dates:

• Thu 14th Dec 2023 London OVO Arena Wembley
• Fri 15th Dec 2023 Birmingham Utilita Arena
• Sun 17th Dec 2023 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
• Mon 18th Dec 2023 Leeds, First Direct Arena
• Wed 20th Dec 2023 Glasgow OVO Hydro
• Thu 21st Dec 2023 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena