Liam Gallagher recalls the gig that made him want to join a band: “It blew my mind”

Liam Gallagher has recalled the gig that made him want to join a band in a new interview with NME – watch it above now.

The former Oasis frontman looked back on his life in music in the latest in NME’s Firsts series, sharing his first festival, the first thing he would do after the release of ‘C’mon You Know’ and more.

When asked what the first gig he went to was, Gallagher replied: “The Stone Roses in [ex-Manchester music venue] International 2. It was ‘89, ‘Plymouth Grove, with my mate Dave.”

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He added: “It blew my mind and that’s when I wanted to join a band.”

Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher. CREDIT: JMEnternational/Getty Images

The star also revealed that the Roses were the first band he fell in love with. “Our kid was into The Smiths but they were a little bit too early for me and a little bit too student-y,” he explained. “But the Roses were a bit more laddy – not as laddy as us, but it felt a bit more right.”

Ian Brown’s band were also the artists behind the first album that he bought. “The first record I bought was the Stone Roses’ debut album,” Gallagher shared. “I know this is all sounding very cool and people won’t believe me, but it is [true] – I’m just very cool […] I was obsessed with [the Roses].”

Watch Gallagher’s Firsts interview with NME in full at the top of the page.

In 2017, Gallagher recalled the first Stone Roses song that hooked him. “I remember our kid having ‘Sally Cinnamon’, but it was ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ that first got me,” he told NME. “I remember going to school, and my mate Damian, he had an elder brother who was well into them as well, and he was going ‘have you heard that band The Stone Roses? There’s this song called ‘I Wanna Be A Dog’.’

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“‘I Wanna Be A Dog’? What the fuck’s that about?’ I must have been about 15 or 16, and then when I finally heard the record properly, it had a real fucking summery feel to it, a real lightness to it. And I was going through all this family shit at home and all that, and I just needed a bit of uplifting, you know what I mean? It was like having a B12 shot or something.”

Ian Brown on stage with The Stone Roses

Meanwhile, the musician will headline two sold-out gigs at Knebworth House in Stevenage this weekend (June 3, 4), making his return to the venue where Oasis played two iconic shows in 1996. Stage times for the event were revealed yesterday, while the weather forecast for the area suggests a rain-free weekend for gig-goers.

The gigs follow closely after the release of Gallagher’s latest solo album, ‘C’mon You Know’. In a four-star review, NME said: “At once experimental and familiar enough to keep his stunning second act on course, ‘C’mon You Know’ finds Liam Gallagher having his cake and eating it – and there’s plenty to go round at this party. If he doesn’t overthink it, why should you? Turn off your mind, relax and bring the cans.”