Liam Gallagher: 10 Essential Interview Moments

During an appearance on the Graham Norton Show in October 2017, Liam Gallagher fessed up about a major drawback of being a solo artist: “See now I’ve got to do all this chatting, haven’t I?”

Concurrent with Oasis’s rise to the top of the pops in 1994, Liam and his brother Noel became media mainstays. The Beatles-worshipping lads from Manchester were arrogant, unfiltered and routinely scandalous – i.e. good value. Liam hasn’t left the limelight since, even when the critical and commercial fortunes of his music career have faltered. But unlike Noel, who positively relishes the promo circuit, Liam has never looked particularly comfortable in the interview setup.

The younger Gallagher is far more at home sneering behind a microphone or firing off tweets for the amusement of his 3.6m Twitter followers. But even if he’s just waiting for the interview to end, Liam’s media appearances never fail to offer a few memorable one-liners.

Ahead of the ex-Oasis front person’s Australian tour in support of his third solo LP, C’Mon You Know, we’ve rounded up ten of Liam’s funniest interview moments.

On ‘BBC Breakfast’

“If I did see a politician taking drugs he’d get a crack ’round the head.”

When Liam sat down with BBC Breakfast’s Colin Paterson to promote his second solo album, Why Me? Why Not., he voiced his disapproval of London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and the idea of politicians taking drugs. He also directed criticism at “fake rock’n’roll stars that hang out with politicians.” It was clearly a dig at Noel, who in 1997 attended a music industry reception hosted by former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

On Noisey’s ‘British Masters’

“I see myself as one of the fucking true great rock’n’roll singers on the planet.”

While roaming through North London’s Hampstead Heath dressed in a parka, tinted sunnies and shorts, Liam reflects on wild nights with Steve Coogan, Maradona and John McEnroe. He also lets host John Doran know, in no uncertain terms, where he sits in comparison to rock music’s all-time greats.

Promoting the ‘Supersonic’ documentary with Bonehead

“They don’t buy music because some spotty little Herbert from Hastings called Bartholomew gives it nought out of five.”

In a 2009 Q Magazine interview, Noel described his little brother as “rude, arrogant, intimidating and lazy. He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” Liam’s anger shines through in this promo interview for Mat Whitecross’ Oasis documentary, Supersonic. What’s grinding Liam’s gears on this occasion? The extent to which smartphones have ruined the concert experience, mass surveillance and the dire lack of serious mettle in the contemporary music scene.

Making Tea on BBC

“You’ve got to do it yourself these days because these fucking little smart-arses download fucking tunes.”

It’s unclear how accurate Liam’s recollections of the ’90s are, but a nostalgic glow colours his face whenever he looks back on the decade of hard-partying and ludicrous record sales for Oasis. It’s easy to perceive Liam as being a bit dim, but beneath the singer’s oft-myopic braggadocio lies a healthy sense of humour, as displayed in this short clip of him making a cup of tea.

On the ‘Graham Norton Show’

“I pissed all over his sound system.”

Sitting on the Graham Norton sofa alongside Kate Winslet, Idris Elba and Chris Rock, Liam theorises that he and Noel’s relationship began to sour when Liam couldn’t find the loo. Elba recounts a spat that he and Liam got into after the former messed up the singer’s hair. It makes you wonder how many other celebrities have had strange Liam Gallagher encounters.

‘Live Forever’ documentary

“Before you know it, I’d end up licking John Lennon’s face.”

Sitting in a leather armchair loudly chewing gum, Liam is at his most laconic in this interview, which was filmed for 2003’s Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop documentary. But that doesn’t impede the delivery of some batshit statements.

For example, he shares his belief that Mancunians have longer arms, which explains his distinctive swagger. He also declares his belief in reincarnation, insisting he was John Lennon in a previous life. The fact Liam was born in 1972 and Lennon lived until 1980 doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Behind the Tweets

“I probably walked past a mirror or something and just thought, ‘yeah, you are cool man.’”

Liam’s an active Twitter user and his tweets aren’t always polite (or coherent). Here he attempts to explain some of his more lateral 280-character musings, which range from the psychedelic to the narcissistic.

On ‘The Project’

“I bumped into John Lennon on the cosmic path.”

The Project has broadcast some pretty terrible interviews over the years. This segment revisits well-trodden Liam Gallagher interview territory, but it’s worth it for Liam’s recount of the mushroom trip that put him in touch with John Lennon and essentially ignited his passion for music.

Liam Gallagher’s Weekly Music Corner

“You know the teacups in Disneyland? Sitting on them, in the rain.”

Liam’s not the world’s most adventurous music listener. He likes The Beatles, Bowie, the Stones, the Stone Roses and not much else. But this three-part series of music reviews are still worth a look. He gets a feel for some surprising entries, including Ugly God and Tricky. Episode two includes a new single from Ringo Starr, which brings a look of pure joy to Liam’s face.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Liam Gallagher story on ‘Conan’

“I am John Lennon.”

Liam provided the inspiration for Dimwitted Nobby, the main character in Sacha Baron Cohen’s 2016 film, Grimsby. While promoting the film, Baron Cohen told Conan about a hostile run-in with Liam at a GQ Awards after-party. It turns out Liam’s not kidding about being the second coming of John Lennon.