As a former headliner of the Glastonbury Festival, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher is not happy with this year’s lineup, which is headlined by Jay-Z (for now) and apparently suffering from low ticket sales. Why? Well, of course, it’s hip-hop’s fault! Because it hates melody! Or something like that.
In an interview with the BBC, the Oasis man said the festival was “built on a tradition of guitar music” which the rapper failed to fit into.
Asked by the interviewer what he made of Glastonbury’s failure to sell out, he responded: “Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Gallagher continued: “Sorry, but Jay-Z? Fucking no chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music, do you know what I mean? Even when they throw the odd curveball in on a Sunday night and you go, Kylie Minogue? Don’t know about that.”
According to the BBC, Gallagher, whose band Oasis headlined the festival in 1995 and 2004, also said: “I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.”
Hmm, he didn’t seem to have a problem with the Black Eyed Peas sharing the bill with his band in 2004. Could our man Noel be a little, well, embittered over the fact that his band isn’t sharing top billing with the Verve and Kings Of Leon? Or does he just have a long-brewing crush on Fergie?
Gallagher brands Jay-Z ‘wrong for Glasto’ [Guardian]
[Photo: AP]
In answer to Oasis’s perennial question “Where were you while we were getting high?” I offer that we started buying hip-hop records and began ignoring Oasis en masse. Good thing AT&T has your world delivered or someone might mistake you slags for Jack White.
Jay-Z’s only recourse is to show Glastonbury an old picture of Noel wearing a tutu. Works every time.
Veiled racism is a bit of a left field description
Hate that I know this, but isn’t that Liam in the photo?
Hey there is guitar in “99 Problems!”
@heidiho: Oh God, is it? AP identified him as Noel.
@Maura Johnston: I’m about 99 percent sure. It’s the stance that gives it away. Noel always has the guitar and Liam always does that bizarre neck-straining pose.
Again, hate that I know this…
What about the mash-up with Linkin Park? Surely Jigga can mash up “Parking Lot Pimpin” with “She’s Electric”! Give him a chance Noel!
99 Problems but a Brit ain’t one.
Yeah, I said it.
yeah it’s definitely maybe Liam in that picture.
@lax_dangerhouse: Yeah, I didn’t see anything racist about any of it. I mean, guy’s a douche, agreed, but I don’t see it, veiled or otherwise.
he’s not racist, he’s noel. he hates everyone equally regardless of age, race or gender.
actually i’ve been told its all an act, that he’s secretly a (gulp) nice person.
Maura, I’m with you 99% on this, but Midget Devil’s Advocate: could you really call the Black Eyed Peas hip-hop in 2004 — in this context?
That’s Liam in the picture.
I interviewed Noel once, and found him quite well-mannered. He did mildly slag off Inspiral Carpets, though.
photo fixed.
@mackro: in the context of that lineup? sure.
@Chris N.: Can you blame him, though?
D’you think they’d let him join the band now, instead of just hiring him as a roadie?
And he has the audacity to ignore the fact that white people had to ruin perfectly good black rhytms with all that shit we derived from lutes and the Gregorian Chant.
@Lucas Jensen: yes, but you can’t be a white person and say anything negative about rap or other white people will brand you as a racist. As KRS One once asked, why is that?
I love me some hip-hop, but I’ll say this, outside of The Roots, Lyrics Born and a few others, bad live rock often beats “good” live hip-hop, or at least “live” hip-hop of the DJ + rapper variety. (No, I will not put my hands in the air like I just don’t care…)
@Maura Johnston: zing accepted.
When was the last time any live rap act asked the audience to put their hands in the air like they just don’t care? Surely that’s the realm of thirty- and fortysomething rock types fishing for an ironic laugh.
“Could our man Noel be a little, well, embittered over the fact that his band isn’t sharing top billing with the Verve and Kings Of Leon? Or does he just have a long-brewing crush on Fergie?”
whaaaa?
if any band can draw, it is them, still-to-this-day.
they might suck now, but they get people out to shows in the UK.
loved or hated, but never ignored.
I’d call it in a second if I thought there was evidence of it but I agree with others above. I don’t see veiled racism here, just an anti-hip hop artist which I don’t agree with either but each to his own, I guess.
Noel can’t be racist, he collaborated with Goldie at some point in the late ’90s.
Hey Reidicus
Sorry, but I have to call you out on your erroneous commentary. I can list at a MUCH longer list of good live hip-hop that’s a FAR better show that any ‘bad’ live rock you can dig up. I mean, Atmosphere or Maroon 5? The Cool Kids or Lifehouse? Brother Ali or hipster fakes like Glass Candy, possibly the worst live show I’ve ever seen EVER. The Fader should be ashamed for putting that trash on the cover. Even the catatonic Chromatics were better than that idiocy.
Hell, I’d go see Nas live over 90% of what’s generally lauded over on this site. And I’m not ‘hating,’ I’m “JUST SAYING.”
Cocaine is one hell of a drug…
having heard the comments on 6music i’m pretty certain noel had had an ale or two and was trying to make a few headlines. i’d side with the “yes this is borderline racist” viewpoint though.
Oasis can certainly still pull ‘em in to Glastonbury - but the vibe at the festival they headlined a couple years back was the most aggressive and least Glastonburyish I’ve encountered (bearing in mind I am a softie who has only been to the 00s events). They filled the festival with fans, but said fans were largely beer monsters with zero interest in seeing anyone but Oasis and 100% interest in sitting round the beer tents getting lairy.