"BACK WITH A VENGEANCE"

"Every woman adores a Fascist," wrote Erica Jong in Fear of Flying and this is basically my sentiment towards Oasis. Sure they’re thugs and "loud-mouthed louts" as one prominent print magazine once dubbed them, but they’re also one of the most talented bands to come along in ages. Few songwriters have the sheer brilliance for melody and song structure that Noel Gallagher has; few frontmen have the charisma and bravado of younger brother Liam.
At this point, however, the animosity between the Gallagher boys is legendary in the modern music press. Until very recently, it was widely speculated that the band was pretty much defunct owing to irreconcilable differences between the brothers. In fact, Oasis has been rumored to have broken up so many times, they make Humpty Dumpty seem like some solid piece of work. But, alas, the band has persevered; their latest album, Be Here Now, is due in late August.
Oasis’s unruly behavior - well documented by legions of rock journalists - can be traced to the beginnings of their career. The band, who was reputed to have squandered their first advance from Creation Records on booze and drugs, had to rely on petty larceny to sustain them through their debut tour. The number of hotel rooms and bars left plundered in the band’s wake are far too many to mention. Says guitarist Paul Arthurs (AKA Bonehead), "It takes years of practice to get this good. I’ve got a chair in my house that I practice throwing through the window."

c 1998 Andrew Turner

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