More than just music and dropping the F-bomb: This is a typical day in Noel Gallagher’s life

NOEL Gallagher isn’t shy of dropping the F-bomb multiple times in one sentence — but he has a softer side to him not many have seen.

NOEL Gallagher isn’t shy of dropping the F-bomb multiple times in one sentence — but he has a softer side to him not many have seen.

What was different this time around besides the fact you produced it yourself?

There were less people involved in the making of this. Me a drummer, an engineer and an occasional keyboard player. And it was the first time I had recorded in London since 1997 and let me tell you, I won’t be f---ing* doing it again. It turns out I’ve got rather a busy social life.

So the “off and on” sessions allowed you to recover from the hangovers?

Yeah, and to fit in making a record was really impairing my social life. F---ing hell, last time I do that. I’m off to LA next time. When I was doing the last record, I was there for four months on my own and you do tend to adopt a Californian lifestyle which is lots of salads and sunshine and early nights and you feel really strong when you come back. I felt like a broken man when I finished this record.

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Writer’s muse ... Gallagher’s wife Sara MacDonald better have inspired his love songs or he is in trouble. Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

Your wife Sara McDonald appears to have been your muse for this record. There are a LOT of love songs.

I didn’t realise that they were all kind of love songs. Where I am at in my songwriting at the moment is that everything I write seems to be a relationship song whether it be the ending of one or the beginning of one or the glory of being in love or the f---ing pain of it. I guess, subconsciously, if I am singing a song about a f---ing ravishingly beautiful woman it better be about my wife. Or I’d be in serious trouble.

Just admit it. You are becoming a romantic in your old age.

I’ve always been a romantic. Anybody who is a fan of music is by that fact is into the romance of something. It just happened that I was in a very macho rock band where discussions of that were forbidden. I would have been laughed at in rehearsals. And that would have lead to violence.

What is the power of nah nah nahs in rock music? You finally went there with In The Heat Of the Moment.

It’s the first time I’ve used them and I kept meaning to change it. I’m worried about doing it live. It might have to be accompanied by a Monty Pythonesque silly walk. It won’t be me doing it, it will be some f---ing other idiot. U2 and Coldplay, The Killers and Kings Of Leon, they’ve been dining out on the woah, woah, woahs for the last 10 years. I always think when you get to that part in a song, ‘Write some f---ing lyrics’. Unfortunately I’ve gone there with a nah nah nah. I do apologise.

Are you and Johnny Marr always trying to find reasons to work together? He plays on last track Ballad Of The Mighty I.

I tried to get him on the last record to play on What A Life, which ended up being my attempt at playing something like him and it’s appalling. He couldn’t do it because he was in Hollywood doing a film score. This time he said yes and it was great having him in the studio although I am amazed we actually got anything done because of the amount of s--- we were talking for hours.

What were you talking about?

Nothing. We were there from about midday to 7pm and when Johnny left, my engineer slumped in his chair and went, ‘F---ing hell. That’s exhausting’. I said, ‘Hang on a minute, we only did four takes’. And he said, ‘No, listening to you two talking all day’.

Musician ... Noel Gallagher on stage during his concert in Sydney. Picture: News Corp Australia

Did you read that piece about how you are to blame for a father unintentionally teaching his kid to say ‘F---king hell’?

I read that, yeah. My children are banned from watching football with me at the moment because one of them asked his mother, ‘What’s a c---sucker?’ Apparently it’s something I shout at the telly.

Is it true you turned into Embarrassing Dad for your teenage daughter Anais during your restaurant encounter with her idol Harry Styles?

I didn’t! Anais, bless her, has developed her Dad’s skill at embellishing the story. I never said to her in front of Harry, ‘Are you wetting yourself now?’ I waited until Harry had gone off and then said, ‘Would you like to go to the bathroom now?’ It was a funny day. In he walked and her little face was a picture, her chin hit the floor. Yeah, she is beautiful and you should see my other two children, they are absolutely gorgeous. It is truly f---ing unbelievable. My two sons, if they manage to stop fighting, will probably be an amazing double act of some description. From the minute they wake up they are rowing all the time. It’s great to watch.

Deja vu, much?

Yeah, yeah.

Future fanboy ... Gallagher booked Future Islands for his Royal Albert Hall charity gig so he could meet Samuel Herring. Picture: Mark Brake

Did you choose Future Islands for the 2015 Teenage Cancer Trust at Royal Albert Hall concert in London purely off their performance on Letterman last year?

We’ve all seen it, right? I do actually love that tune. I have to f---ing meet that guy before I die. So I thought let’s pay him s---loads to come and do a gig and then we can all hang out in his dressing room. And I get to say to him, ‘You’re so powerful? Where does that come from?’ I instantly thought that performance was the greatest thing of all time. I sent it to my friend Bono and said, ‘Mate, this is the future. You cannot beat this guy’. What I like about them is that anti rock star thing. None of them look like they would be in any other band than the one they are in. And you are instantly singing the song so it must be a f---ing good song.

You embrace your inner Bowie on the new album track The Girl With X-Ray Eyes.

It should be compulsory in schools to do an hour of Bowie on Wednesdays. What it is, you spend so much time in a band that you know what their limitations are and what they are good at and you tend to tailor your material to that. I know the band I tour with are great musicians and can pull this s--- off so I can going to push it a bit. I also tend not to overthink things too much. The rule of my songwriting is if it can’t be done on acoustic guitar, move on.

Glastonbury or bust ... Whoever is headlining the iconic UK festival can expect Gallagher heckling them all night if he’s not on the stage. Picture: News Corp Australia

You have to keep the weekend of Glastonbury free for that rumoured Oasis reunion, right?

I haven’t been asked to play but I have kept that weekend free and I will be going and if I am not playing, I will be heckling whoever has the Saturday night slot from the side of the stage, going, ‘It should have been me. You’re s---. S---. Rubbish. Rubbish’.

Who would you want to heckle the most?

I don’t know. I’m a nice guy these days. Hang on, who do I f---ing loathe? There’s got to be someone. I think I’m done with the hating. F---ing hell. Who would I heckle? It’s too easy to say Robbie Williams. The thought of me thinking of that now has ruined my night. Whoever is doing it can be prepared for heckling.

* Several dozen F bombs were removed from this story to fit more of his other words in.

HEAR: Chasing Yesterday (Warner) out tomorrow.

Originally published as More than just music and dropping the F-bomb: This is a typical day in Noel Gallagher’s life