Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds band perform Sunday, May 31, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre.
Photo by Lawrence Watson
Sound Check: Noel Gallagher's still flying high beyond Oasis
By Gary Graff ggraff@digitalfirstmedia.com, @GraffonMusic on Twitter
Gary Graff
@GraffonMusic on Twitter
It's been six years since Oasis broke up, and he's recorded two solo albums since.
But Noel Gallagher, the group's guitarist and chief songwriter, finds himself answering almost as many Oasis reunion questions as he does about the music he's making on his own — including recent reports that the band is set to get back together next year.
"There has been no gentleman's agreement to reform Oasis," says Gallagher, 47, who's currently touring to promote his latest solo effort, "Chasing Yesterday." "There will never be a gentleman's agreement to reform Oasis. There is no 'source close to the band'; there might well be a source close to Liam (Gallagher, his brother and Oasis' singer). It isn't going to happen — the end."
Gallagher is, of course, happy enough to be pursuing his own creative path these days. "Chasing Yesterday" came out in February, debuting at No. 1 on the British charts — as did 2011's "High Flying Birds." And Gallagher reports that whatever adjustment was required in becoming a frontman in his own right has been made successfully.
"I knew what to expect this time, so I was a bit more relaxed about it," he says. "Saying that, it's a whole new set of songs, so it was a new challenge. I'm enjoying it, though — that's the main thing."
And while "Chasing Yesterday" was billed, like its predecessor, to Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, he affirms that there are no plans to create yet another formal group.
"Having been in a band for 20-odd years, that's the last thing I want at this point," Gallagher says. "I see (High Flying Birds) in the long run as a fluid collective of whoever's around at any particular time for any particular project."
• Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
• Sunday, May 31. Doors open at 7 p.m.
• Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St.
• Tickets are $39.50-$75 in advance, $45-$75 at the door.
• Call 248-399-2980 or visit www.royaloakmusictheatre.com.
Gary Graff is a multimedia journalist covering music and entertainment for MediaNews Group.
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