"I'm Not Playing..."

Noel says no gigs this year and court case was a waste of everyone's time

Noel Gallagher has spoken exclusively to NME about the recent court case involving Oasis and original Oasis drunner Tony McCarroll. Although the case was settled moments before the trial began on March 2, Oasis have so far made no comment on the matter.

Noel said: "It's something that dragged on for two years when it could have been sorted out in ten minutes at the f*****g court door. It's just a waste of two years of everybody's time. The only winners in the end were the lawyers, you know. So it's like, although the lawyers got a load of money, we got something that we didn't really want and he got something that he didn't really want, and it's all bullshit at the end of the day. But, you know, that's just the business, innit? That's just the way it is."

McCarroll had been rumoured to be claiming £18 million in lost earnings and royalties, but surpised everyone by settling beforehand for a one-off sum of £550,000. Oasis were not even required to show up at court.

Meanwhile, Noel confirmed that Oasis would begin recording their new album on Monday, March 29. As NME has previously reported, it will be produced by Mark 'Spike' Stent, the man behind Mansun's 'Six'.

Noel said: "Everything's going to plan...well, there is no plan (laughs), but it's all going according to that plan! It'll all become apparent in the end. Hopefully!"

Noel was also quick to scotch the rumours that Oasis would play Glastonbury in June: "We're not doing Glastonbury and we're not doing any other festivals," he said. "We won't be playing until we put the record out, which will be next year now. We're not playing anywhere this year, I can tell you that. Well, I'm not playing anyway. Unless the other four are doing it without me and I don't know about it! I've not been told anyway!"

"Noel's Nights Out"

The Beta Band hosted a playback of their debut album proper last week at The Strongroom recording studio in London. Released on June 14 through Regal Recordings, the as-yet-untitled album is the band's first release since September 1998's 'Three EPs' compilation....

Noel Gallagher, who attended the playback, told NME: "From what I can hear, it's pretty f*****g mental! I've heard a bit of Eddie Cochran, a bit of Ian Dury and the Blockheads too. It's f*****g really good."

Andrew Turner, who was also present, told himself: "Noel was very chatty. Very pleasant company for three minutes!!"

Noel Gallagher [and] Jarvis Cocker were among celebrities who attended the reopening of London's Scala nightclub last week. The former cinema in King's Cross was shut down in the early-90s with bad debts resulting from a lawsuit for illegally screening the banned film 'A Clockwork Orange', has been transformed into a three-storey multi-purpose venue by London promoter Sean McLuskey.

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c 1998 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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