Noel & Liam Gallagher on Radio 1’s Evening Session

If the Be Here Now premiere had shown Oasis’ handlers on high alert, the band’s interview on BBC Radio 1 two months later reminded the world why that caution existed. On 23 October 1997 Noel and Liam Gallagher turned up at the Radio 1 studios for Steve Lamacq’s Evening Session. Expecting only Noel, Lamacq found both brothers in his studio, reportedly already several drinks in. The resulting conversation was raucous, sweary and revealing.

During the interview Noel spoke passionately about his admiration for The Verve. Referring to frontman Richard Ashcroft, Noel said: “Richard is a genius. Nick McCabe is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen. Even when we supported them years and years and years ago, they were a great band then”. He added that he rarely wrote songs about other people but had written about Ashcroft, his brother Liam and their mother. The quotes, preserved on fan sites and repeated by Radio X, show how high Noel’s regard for The Verve was at a time when the two bands were riding parallel waves of success.

The rest of the conversation veered between heartfelt and confrontational. The Gallaghers joked about their future (“We won’t even be in a band at 50, will we?”), mocked each other’s habits and swore liberally. Lamacq, a seasoned broadcaster, let much of it go out live. The interview later became known among fans as one of Oasis’ most infamous media moments. In retrospect it offers a candid snapshot of the brothers’ dynamic: equal parts love and rivalry, charisma and chaos. It also underscored just how unpredictable Oasis could be at the height of their fame.