Noel Gallagher has shared his thoughts on the Oasis reunion for the first time since the band began playing shows last month following a 16-year hiatus.
Speaking exclusively to UK radio station Talksport, the older Gallagher brother expressed his excitement to have the gang back together, including his oft-estranged brother, Liam.
“It’s great just to be back with Bonehead and Liam, and just be doing it again," Noel said. "I guess when it’s all set and done, I’ll sit and reflect on it, but it’s great being back in a band with Liam. I’d forgotten how funny he was.”
Although he joked that Liam's voice is sounding good because of AI, Noel was full of compliments for his younger brother, marking a complete about turn from the kinds of comments made since the band split up in 2009.
“Liam’s smashing it, I’m proud of him,” Noel added. “Having been fronting a band for 16 years, I know how hard that is. I couldn’t do the stadium thing like he does it, it’s not in my nature, but I’ve got to say, good for you, mate. It’s been amazing.”
Noel said that he was "stunned" by the overwhelmingly positive reception the band has received from the shows so far. “Yeah, completely blown away," he added. "Everyone is. It’s difficult to put it into words actually.”
“Every night is the crowd’s first night, do you know what I mean?" he added. "So every night’s got that same energy to it. But it’s been truly amazing. I’m not usually short for words, but I can’t really articulate it.”
He explained that he didn't really know what he was getting into when he agreed to the reunion, but it hit him when he first took the stage for the first show in Cardiff on July 4.
“For me personally, I grossly underestimated what I was getting into," he said. "After about five minutes, I was like, alright, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again? I’ve done stadiums before and all that, but I don’t mind telling you, my legs turned to jelly after about half-way through the second song. It’s been an amazing thing, it really is an amazing thing.”
Watch the full interview below.
If you want more Oasis in your life, check out the latest episode of iHeartRadio Canada's podcast Encore: The Stories Behind The Songs You Love where we take a look back at the band's biggest hit "Wonderwall."