Alan dated a model but found Oasis. Life seeing nobody, but we're not alone: saw a UFO

NOWHERE, WALES - The Scottish music mogul who discovered Oasis admits he's getting old. Not only that, he lives miles from anywhere and hardly sees a soul.
Alan McGee brought us the biggest band of the Nineties, making a fortune and securing a place in music history.
But things have changed drastically from those wild, rock 'n' roll days.
Alan said: "I am 50. I am officially old.
"You can't blag anybody that you are not old once you turn 50.
"I live in the middle of nowhere in Wales, 40 minutes away from a train station.
"A lot of my life is spent seeing nobody.
"Occasionally, I'll go to London and Europe to DJ. So I don't think it's pipe and slippers for me yet."
The quiet life is a really remarkable turnaround for the Glaswegian who built Creation Records into the most influential label of the Eighties and Nineties.
But the former railway clerk insists he is happy in the Welsh countryside with wife Kate and daughter Charlotte, nine.
He sold Creation Records for pounds 30million to Sony in 1999 and retired two years ago.
And Alan revealed a UFO sighting led him to quit the music industry and embark on a path of self-discovery.
"I saw the UFO in 2007 and it changed my life," he said. "I should have been seeing my kid on her seventh birthday, but I was in Santa Monica doing drum tracks for the Dirty Pretty Things' second album.
"I was walking to a BBQ joint with producer Nik Leman when I looked up and saw a UFO going about 2000mph at 12,000ft, in and out of sight every five seconds.
"There was a noise as if someone was holding a guitar too close to a speaker, causing static.
"Then it stopped and the thing shot past at super speed and out of sight.
"I have a feeling it is the only UFO I am ever going to see. It changed my life because I thought, 'Other stuff does exist'."
The experience led Alan to investigate the works of occultists Aleister Crowley, who died in 1947, and Peter J. Carroll, a practitioner of chaos magic theory.
Alan said: "I started doing a lot of research and opened my mind up to a whole lot of other things.
"I'm not saying there were aliens on that UFO. It was probably a classified aircraft.
"But I can't explain what I saw and neither can Nik.
"It made me realise other stuff was possibly going on and it has taken me on a weird and wonderful journey and has got me into obscure books.
"It took me to a point of examining the fact that maybe we are not alone. I am really into Aleister Crowley. He was a misdiagnosed individual. I don't think he was a Satanist. If people want to call him a Satanist, fine. But he was a Libertarian. He was the biggest rock 'n' roller next to Elvis.
"I don't think Crowley would like the way he has been portrayed. I am obsessed by him and Peter J. Carroll.
"I'm interested in the spiritual side. I let every day roll. I've retired. But have I retired my brain? No.
"Do I have a sensible job? Probably being a house dad is a sensible job."
McGee's other-worldly confession coincided with a sedate 50th birthday party last night.
He said: "Just 12 people have been invited. In contrast, everybody was at my 40th. Joe Strummer was there and Bobby Gillespie. My 75-year old trade unionist mate was trying to pull Courtney Love. That was a celebrity party.
"My 50th birthday party could be described as being the opposite. Just my family, my daughter and my mother-in-law and a couple of friends.
"In terms of the disrespectful Alan McGee you used to know, I managed to cage that beast in 1994. I sobered up."
Next month, a documentary film about Creation Records called Upside Down will premiere at the British Film Institute.
Directed by Danny O'Connor, it tells the hedonistic story of the label which signed My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and The Jesus And Mary Chain among others.
"Danny absolutely captured the spirit of Creation just right," said Alan. "The film about Creation is the end of a chapter.
"When Noel Gallagher turns up on screen, it is mental. He must have been a comedian in another life.
"What I love about the movie is it captures the headbanger spirit of the label and the great people who worked for it and the great bands.
"It was psychotic. "We have been offered every film festival in the world, but I'm a house dad. My responsibility is to my daughter, not to promote a film that is the end of a chapter of my life.
"Luckily, Creation was successful enough that I did really well. I invested wisely in property and in art."
Recalling the moment he discovered Oasis in 1993, Alan said: "It was a complete fluke. Because I was single, I was always on the lookout for women.
"My sister was trying to hook me up with one of her mates who was doing a bit of modelling.
"I was on the chase so I went to King Tut's in Glasgow but she didn't show up.
"Oasis did show up and they were good. But it wasn't until they covered I Am The Walrus by The Beatles that I realised how good they were.
"I went up to Noel Gallagher and asked if he wanted a deal.
"He said: 'Who with?' I said Creation and we shook on it."
Alan hoped the Manchester band would sell 100,000 copies of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, earning gold certification.
His estimate was a little bit out. The album sold 12million and Oasis went on to become the most successful band of the Nineties, selling 70 million records worldwide.
Alan admitted his main regret was that his mum hadn't been around to see it. "My mum died in 1990, aged 54," he said. "Unfortunately, she didn't see the success Creation enjoyed or the Britpop thing. There is nobody on Earth who would have enjoyed thatmore."
Alan has no plans to come out of retirement.
He said: "I worked for almost 38 years. At 11, I was a paper boy. At 14, I was making doughnuts in a Glasgow bakery.
"At 16, I left school and became an electrician, then worked for British Rail.
"I hate revisiting the past. I'm kind of about the moment. People have asked me what I am doing in Wales.
"I am really into books. I am really into films. I am really into being a house dad. And I DJ a little bit as well.
"If that's the extent of my rock 'n' roll these days, so be it."
'I saw a UFO in 2007 and it changed my life. I thought - other stuff does exist'.

should we believe in everything we see?

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Oasis Beatles album. Noel the Beatles bootleg king

Maybe you already have this album, with the Beatles covers by Oasis. If you don't, e-mail me so I'll give you the password to download it.

1. I Am The Walrus 
2. All You Need Is Love (chorus: Roisin Murphy, Kelly Jones, Ronnie Wood, etc.) 
3. Strawberry Fields Forever 
4. Tomorrow Never Knows
5. I`m Only Sleeping (Stereophonics' Kelly Jones singing)
6. Help!
7. You`ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
8. Day tripper (feat. Ocean Colour Scene)
9. Helter Skelter
10. Whatever-Octopus's Garden

And I updated the post about the Beatles in Milan (no riots here :)

"MP3 aren't something that I know a lot about, so I'd probably reserve my judgment until I found out more. I don't have a problem with bootlegs if it's something that's already been released. Different versions of songs that people know is fine by me. I mean, I am the Beatles Bootleg king! I've got so many that I don't even know where to start."

(Noel Gallagher)

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Led Zeppelin were only 1 time in Italy, Milan 1971: hooligans war

MILAN - Notice Jimmy Page with red-white England-Milan colours :). Led Zeppelin only 1 time but of course Robert Plant came to Milan other times in his solo career, with his band, I've seen him live. Probably you have seen Oasis' Noel Gallagher wearing Led Zeppelin's t-shirts, but I dunno why he didn't put them among his 10 favourite bands. And he's always against so many bands, sometimes even his idols, so it's strange he had many bands to put in his top 10. Led Zeppelin are my 2nd favourite band (can you imagine which is the first one? Should create a competition to guess ^_^ ...right, it's Green Day ahaha)
Much has been written about this disastrous concert. This is the show where police tear-gassed the audience, causing the event to turn into a massive riot. Several people, including members of the band's entourage, were injured, and the stage itself was seemingly destroyed while the band locked up in their dressing room. Given the circumstances surrounding this event, it's hard to listen to the three tracks we have available and get past the impending doom. But the band are in good shape. Perhaps most notable is that this show is in that range of dates where Plant is still in the absolute height of his vocal abilities.
This is more or less the correct version of what happened, Led Zeppelin risked their lives and got the instruments destroyed. The hooligans were communists inspired by the french May 1968.
The worst Led Zeppelin concert in history, almost 40 years ago.

It was pretty hot out there. . .

Robert Plant: Yeah, sometimes it gets a bit scary when we see half the stage disappearing...

Jimmy Page: It was a bit rough.

I heard you had some problems in Milan.

Plant: We went to Milan, and there was a big music festival with people from all countries contributing. They travel around, and we just came for one gig. And we were told that it was a cool thing and even though there was a reputation for bottles being thrown in Rome, we were assured it wouldn't happen to us. Anyway, we started playing in a big cycle arena, and they'd been booing everybody else, and as soon as we walked onstage, I noticed some smoke at the back of the arena. And there's all this smoke and there's firemen behind us and I was going "fire! fire!" in my finest Italian.

Anyway, nobody took any notice of me and we carried on for about a quarter of an hour and the fire had gotten all around us. And I turned around and looked at everybody and Peter (Grant, the manager), his eyes had all gone big and red. And everybody was suddenly coughing. People suddenly appeared with masks and things like that and suddenly there were bombs going off, everywhere. And the whole thing about what I'm doing is that I've been doing it seven years.
And so it's been seven years and suddenly I find we've been tear gassed. So I got an Italian guy to come on and I told him to tell everybody to (Robert purses his lips and blows several times). And everybody's blowing. And everyone was just sitting down and coming around and digging it. And I was getting so I couldn't sing, and the feeling, if you've ever been tear gassed, is that if you move, you've got 15,000 kids who are going to freak out. So you don't move and you become so nauseated. Anyway, it finally broke up and there were kids running everywhere.
There were 250 stormtroopers there, in line, and I forgot to tell you, as we got there, there were wagons all alongside the road, and there were all these guys lined up by the front door. So I jumped out of the car and I was saluting and shouting and checking the uniforms and walking up and down the ranks going (makes faces) and I saw something I've never seen before, because they were completely devoid of anything human. They just looked at me as if to say "Objective number one" or something.
And suddenly everyone was running. And the kids came running over the stage, and we split and ran down a passage under the cycle arena. And then they tear gassed the passage. So Peter, who can't run very fast, was in trouble. So we found a room and we barricaded ourselves in. Broke into a medical cupboard and had all these fucking weapons and stuff. They were bringing the roadies in unconscious. We had one nurse and some oxygen and we looked out the window into the streets and there was fighting and shooting and cars being smashed and driven into trees and the whole thing was like a war. And it was because we stood up on stage. But that was not the real reason for it all. There were 250 people who just didn't know what the fuck was going on. 15,000 people are jumping in the air trying to escape the fucking tear gas and they don't understand.
And as we drove back to the fucking hotel, round the wrecked cars and round the fights and all that, there were roadside hospitals all the way to the center of Milan. I've never seen anything like that.
And I got up the next morning and got the papers and the driver translated and just told us that the kids had caused a riot and the police had had to move in and do the fucking honours. People lost their sight. I cried for days and days and everything I think about it, or I think of something gentle, I even saw a silly film with Cary Grant in it, and he was going on about what man must do to be man, and I was fucking crying. Because it just fucking hit me and if I'm ever down in America all somebody has to do is say. "Are you a boy or a girl" and I'll fucking dive at him. Because it's an animal reaction. I've already been in a rathole once.
And I know it's not just because we're radicals or rock 'n' rollers. It's because there's nobody understanding. And our side of the fence are going over there and saying "Fuck That", and that side is coming over and saying "Up Yours", and it's the wrong thing, you know. The concerts should be in twice as big a place and everybody should bring their parents. And then we can get it together. What we need is more of a bridge between the two sides... and in Milan?
...

Whole lotta love (the most famous riff in music history)

Clouds of tear gas and stones fill the air. Police attack with increased force as small gangs continue their assault. But the violence would only get worse before the riotous night was over. It was war alright, in the battlefield of Milan's Vigorelli Velodromo (same place of the Beatles in Milan, 24 July 1965, 38°Celsius :) and caught in the middle of the melee was Led Zeppelin. The somber event would scar them for quite some time, vowing to never let it happen again.
What exactly happened at the infamous riot in Milan, the worst of the group's career, to incite the crowd to such violence? Assembling the pieces reveal that it was foreseen by Italian organizers.
A government sponsored day-long festival which included an assortment of Italian acts brought 15,000 fans into the outdoor Vigorelli Velodromo stadium, with Led Zeppelin headlining that evening of July 5th, 1971. It wasn't really the best venue for a rock concert but officials were used to large crowds there. Some locals complained about the excruciatingly loud PA system, in addition to the scorching 30+ degrees (celsius) heat. But the sounds from the stage were not as frightening as the violent rioting fans, police sirens and explosions that later occurred.
A well-rounded musical package was planned. However, famous Italian pop stars such as Gianni Morandi, Mauro Lusini and Milva knew something wasn't right as they took to the stage that afternoon. Performing as part of a traditional "cantagiro", a small portion of the crowd acted on their impatience throwing objects and occasional heckling. "It could have been predicted", Morandi recalls. "They were all waiting for Led Zeppelin", explaining that it was a different type of audience than they were used to: "I shouldn't have even performed." Most of them cut short their set and angrily retreated off the stage after experiencing the police retaliation with tear gas on the increasingly hostile pockets of youths.
While the crowd's anticipation of Led Zeppelin was true, gangs of youths, described more like hooligans by most people there, had begun instigating trouble. Outside the stadium small groups (known in Italian slang as the portoghesi, the Portuguese) wanted to get in without paying. In fact, it was a normal occurrence during this period in Milan and were usually first to start a ruckus to sneak into an event. This time organizers were more prepared, especially with a major act like Led Zeppelin and weren't going to let them get away with it. Reportedly, clashes with police first occurred here.
A big headline act like Zeppelin provided a golden opportunity for an assortment of professional agitators, many with political motives from left side, anarchists who were also there distributing flyers for an upcoming demonstration for the following Thursday. Heavy police presence was everywhere as if they were preparing for a war, with an estimated 2000 officers standing guard in various positions around the building and stage.
"We noticed as we arrived at the gig that the whole militia was out", recalled Jimmy Page, "and I told the promoter 'Look, this is absurd. Either get them out or get them in trim, or there's gonna be a nasty scene", he predicted. But by show time, the crowd anxiously cheered for the group to take the stage, already forgetting about the day's pandemonium. After all, Led Zeppelin is who they came to see!
Led Zeppelin finally kicked off their set, with the thrashing "Immigrant Song". At this point in their career, they'd been hard at work on their fourth album and except for a limited number of shows hadn't performed very much so far that year. Although the album would not be released for another four months, new songs from the upcoming LP were performed. Musically, they could do no wrong. The powerful and solid Bonham and Jones gelled with Page's expanding guitar licks. Also outstanding during this period of 1971 was Plant's shrieking vocals that seemed to able to blow out any PA at will. Unfortunately, this night was not going to be remembered for its musical performance, which lasts only about 40 minutes. Surprisingly, segments of a rare audience recording survived the ensuing conflict and help to provide a taste of the night's atmosphere.
The group continued through set, "Heartbreaker", "Since I've Been Loving You", "Black Dog", "Dazed and Confused" with small fires erupting among the audience. Despite pleas from Robert Plant begging the crowd to calm down, the chaos continued. "We went on for another 20 or 30 minutes, but every time the audience would stand up for an encore, there'd be loads of smoke!", Page recalled. "So we just kept on saying repeatedly 'Stop lighting those fires, please!'. But then we suddenly realized that it wasn't smoke from fires - it was bloody tear gas that the police were firing into the crowd. It wasn't until one canister landed about 20 feet from the stage (during "Dazed and Confused") and the wind brought it over to us that we realized what was happening." The band stops playing, about several minutes into the song after tear gas lands close to the stage, causing screams from the crowd and chants of "BASTA!... BASTA!" ("enough, stop it") pleading to the police to stop.
To this point, the problems were considered minor, until about 9:30pm, where an estimated several hundred people gathered at a side street of Vigorelli (named Via Arona), and began to clap and chant a well known french phrase: "ce ne qu'un debut, continuons le combat". They began throwing stones and police quickly charged toward the crowd in an attempt to disperse them. They returned less than 10 minutes later. By all accounts, it was a small number of youths who ruined it for all, inciting the crowd and police over-reaction that would escalate the situation to a full scale riot. Police retaliated forming a line of military jeeps where the battle moved towards the other side of Vigorelli, on Sempione street. Police once again launched tear gas and spread out around the whole perimeter of Vigorelli. Police had soon sealed off all access to Vigorelli, but the hooligans, now with even more vigor continued to resist. All hell broke loose by 11:30pm.
"We were still playing in a cloud of tear gas but it was hopeless, so we said 'Blow this, let's cut it really short.' We did one more number and went right in to "Whole Lotta Love" and the whole crowd jumped up.", said Page. "By this point there'd been about 40 minutes of tear gas attacks and finally somebody heaved a bottle at the police. It was not entirely unexpected since the crowd had been getting bombarded for no reason - but of course the moment a bottle went up, that's what the police had been waiting for."
Choking and gasping for air, desperate fans began fleeing - some towards the stage. The band had seen enough and fled the stage. Thick clouds of tear gas and smoke blocked their only passageway as they attempted to find a way out, with a steady succession of gas bombs still exploding. Locking themselves in a small room backstage, they tried to catch their breath. Realizing some of their equipment was still on stage, in the middle of the ensuing riot roadies braved the war zone again to salvage what was left, including Bonham's drums who was certain they were now destroyed. An assortment of projectiles including Molotov cocktails, bottles and stones were thrust into the air.
"The roadies had to be carried off in stretchers, just for trying to save the gear", recalls John Paul Jones. "The police had cordoned off all the audience around the back and there was a big line of policemen holding them there. The only way they could move was forward on to the stage - about 10,000 kids were forced up through the stage. It was a war."
After an hour of waiting in their barricaded backstage room, armed officers provided an escort back to their hotel. Fans were still fleeing the area, hanging onto passing trucks and running in the streets. It was already evident that only a small group of youths were responsible for sparking the entire incident, and police overreactions fueled the incident to a war-like fiasco. By the end of the evening, an estimated 40 people were injured, 16 arrested, 4 cars vandalized and the Vigorelli Velodromo sustained an enormous amount of damage. With the morning light, local people began understanding the scope of the event.
As I investigated the events, it was soon clear that this type of incident had occurred many types in the past year in Italy. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds at a Santana concert the previous April. On June 8th, an identical situation happened when the group Chicago performed at Milan Arena, where small group of people forced their way inside without paying. A ruckus ensued causing tear gas being used by police. This time one teenager was seriously hurt. Recent shows by Rolling Stones, Grand Funk, Humble Pie also resulted in police attacking the crowd with tear gas. By the summer of 1971, fans who held a ticket to a show knew that a violent outbreak was possible - even likely - at any pop concert there. What the people found most troubling was not just the horrible situation at Led Zeppelin's appearance, but that it was becoming commonplace. The events were almost the same each time: small groups of trouble-makers causing police retaliation/over-reaction, which set off a dangerous chain reaction of throwing rocks, bottles = tear gas etc. Most condemned the police for waging war on the kids. In the case of Led Zeppelin's show, it was the same pattern of events, but on much larger scale, due in part to increased fanaticism with the band which brought out larger crowds.

Black dog

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you might as well quit the white line: Hollywood Milano to open again

MILAN - Gotta get me a doctor with a remedy, I'm gonna take a walk with the Monkey Man... Not Bag it up and not the Stones tune of a previous post. The main club in Milan is now open again after the drug scandal of the vips (not Oasis) having white lines in the toilets. Pour yourself another cup of Lady Grey instead. Waiting for a Pretty Green party as Liam said time ago. Tomorrow Manchester-City-(Italian) Juventus, Noel will be at the stadium to see also Del Piero.

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happy birthday Presidents

MILAN - Today's the birthday of our 2 Presidents: Oasis "president" Alan McGee, 50 years old, and Milan-Italian (conservative) president Silvio Berlusconi. He's a great fan of popular music, of course the Beatles too, and he also sings on cds. Alan sign him up :)
But Alan quit the music world and recently also said he doesn't care about politics.
The Wikipedia says he joined The Sun's campaign against Labour and in favour of the Conservatives, contributing an article to the October 1, 2009 edition of the paper in which, in a significant new development from his previous attacks on New Labour, he praised England Conservative leader David Cameron, who recently met Berlusconi.
Alan was in Milan last 29 May (Noel birthday) for the Oasis night and probably he will be again in November.
"Double" signs as Gemini and Libra are the best ones :))

song called "29 September", written in 1967 by a famous Italian singer from last century, Lucio Battisti. In Italy he used to be important as the Beatles in England. He died in Milan in 1998.

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the Wonderwall is single

LONDON - Noel Gallagher's ex-wife Meg Mathews (the most famous Oasis song Wonderwall was dedicated to her) has called off her engagement to businessman Peter Sidell, 49, according to an U.K. report. And on her Facebook she became single.
The reformed partygirl, 44, who was married to the Oasis rocker for four years until 2001, became engaged to the art professor last year after a whirlwind six-month romance.

She accepted his proposal at the top of the Empire State Building in New York last Easter and had even chosen a wedding dress but ever since pals say their relationship has been on a downward spiral.

At the time, Mathews who has a daughter, Anais, with Gallagher - insisted she was attracted to Sidell because he was such a contrast to her rocker ex. She said, "(He's) completely different. I've known him for longer; I've known him since I was 18.
It's the grown-up life that you read about in textbooks, and I feel so blessed. I've come through everything." But Mathews has now called off the wedding, reports Britain's Daily Express. Sidell owns menswear shop The Library in London and teaches at the Royal College of Art.
A source tells the publication, "Meg has gone through tough times, dealing with her marriage breakdown and drug problems and Peter was there for her. As soon as she started to gather back her strength she realized they were better as friends so called it off. She has changed her Facebook status to single and has told friends she needs to find a man.”

the stars about to fall...

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links to purchase Oasis new book

you can also find some reviews:

Laskys 

Play 

Alibris

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find a face

MILAN - Pass me down the red wine. In the pic: Noel and (Wil)Liam Tell with his apple ^_^ 

the redhead boy (girl? :) winning. Still looking for another proper girl (boy? :) here
As in the previous post: "when they're fit, they're fit", lol. 

Very '60s and still Quadrophenia sex scene alley :) 

songs: 'Monkey Man' by the Rolling Stones plus a bit of 'I am the walrus' by the Beatles. 

On one of his many Liam's absences: "he's gone to the zoo. the monkeys are bringing the kids to go and have a look at him" (Noel 2002, from 'Mad for it' book)

ma quale vino cretina! ahahaha

ghghghgay ^_^ One of many Milan red drinks ("Milan to drink") like Ramazzotti, Campari, Martini, etc. by a Milan comic music band fooling around Milan homosexual fashion stylists ^_^. One says "divine" that also means "of wine" and the other goes "which wine, you stupid (girl) !" ahahaha

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Oasis new book: a funny bible of quotes

 This new book, "Mad for it, the wit & wisdom of the brothers Gallagher" is precious as much as an Oasis cd, because it's the Gallaghers writing it, the Gospel according to our evangelists Saint Noel and Saint Liam, but not really saints, with all the funny things they have said about everything in two decades. And it's updated with the recent split and 2010 quotes. It's the best way to tell their whole story, because you're sure it's true, it's them speaking. So this book was necessary and different from all those about them, where usually you read point of views and stories you couldn't be sure they're invented or not. Besides, Oasis fans usually get bored of reading books :) but this is easy to read: it's that kind of book you always keep on your bedside table and open it sometimes to have a laugh.
The author, Paul Stokes ("Q", "NME", "Select" magazines) put it all together and told the facts around the quotes.
When you've read this book, you feel like you want to say more similar funny things :)
I'm sure you'd get a smile even from the people who dislike them, because Oasis are always so sincere (even too much). A "must-have" for every Oasis fan but not only, because they spoke about everything and everyone, about you too.

Here are some quotes:

"An advice for young musicians? Always wear a condom."
(Liam 1996)

"We've got a little Mancunian corner of north London. You'll have noticed, it's the area with no hubcaps on the cars."
(Noel 1997)

"Liam, of course, who is like a woman who's on a fucking permanent menstrual cycle all the time about everything, he's either way up in the clouds or way down in the gutter."
(Noel 2005)

"The thing about Liam and his hairdos is when he gets a new one you think 'That looks absolutely rubbish' then six weeks later everyone on Oxford Street has got one."
(Noel 2007)

"Mexican waves? I never got involved in all that, I don't even like it at gigs or anything like that, it shows that nothing is going on, on the pitch. At the snooker, I don't mind."
(Noel 2010)

"I don't see how the tabloids could get any worse for me unless they claimed I'd had anal sex with an alien. 'Liam Gallagher was caught last night bending an alien across a pool table and poking his bottom.' What more can they say about me?"
(Liam 1997)

This one's for Brian Cannon ahahaha (on learning Berwick Street, London, bears a plaque because it's on the cover of the same album) "Do you think people do the thing, walking down the street like they do at Abbedy Road? That would be fucking great wouldn't it? I wouldn't mind but it's such a fucking shit cover. It must be one of the most uninspired artworks for one of the biggest albums of all time. I'd like to think Japanese people do walk down that street in rush hour dodging black cabs."
(Noel 2007)

(one such b-side 'Acquiesce' even saw the Gallaghers dueting in 1996) "It [the title] was good because it confused Liam. 'What's a fucking acquiesce?' 'It's a new car by Volkswagen. Fucking great, you wanna get yourself one'."
(Noel 1998)

"I could put my professional hat on and I could say that it's really important to come and play for these people for the social aspect of Rock in Rio. Or I could be honest and say it's really fucking cold in England and it's really warm here."
(Noel 2002)

"If we weren't in a band, we'd be having rows in the house. If we had a greengrocers, Gallagher's Greengrocers, we'd argue over which way to set out the apples or pears."
(Liam 1995)

(on singing Noel's words) "I'm the singer and the only personal lyrics of his I'm singing is, 'I've got a 12-inch cock, d'ya want some?' I don't mind singing that."
(Liam 2002)

"I just wanted to be in a band and I wanted to tour the fucking world and I wanted to shag all the fucking birds and that was the end of it. I wanted to drink and get fucking pissed and off my tits and as high as I could possibly get. And be paid for it."
(Liam 2004)

(on sex) "Birds are all right. They're all pink on the inside. Any bird who's fit is all right, unless she's nicked or ugly and she speaks back to you. If she thinks I'm boss, then tumbs up. Chicks in Japan don't even ask your name, just 'Can I sleep with you tonight?' 'Certainly, my dear'. I like American birds till they open their mouths. Then they annoy me, but if they're fit, they're fit."
(Liam 1996)

(to Liam in 1994 after the band were deported from Holland after causing trouble on a cross-channel ferry) "If you're proud of getting thrown off ferries why don't you go and support West Ham and the fuck out of my band and go and be a football hooligan. We're musicians, right."
(Noel '94)

(on Pete Doherty) "I'm not into smackheads; smackheads need slaps."
(Liam 2005)
"I'll tell you what, he needs to wash his hands more."
(Noel 2005)

(on the White Stripes) "Jack White has just done a song for Coca-Cola. End of. He ceases to be in the club. And he looks like Zorro on doughnuts. He's supposed to be the poster boy for the alternative way of thinking ... I'm not having that, that's fucking wrong."
(Noel 2005)

"John Lennon would probably hate us, then again who gives a fuck? He's a Scouser."
(Liam 2000)

(on Paul Weller) "People think he's some deep god, but he's a moany old bastard. He's Victor Meldrew with a suntan."
(Noel 1995)

(on Keane) "Traditionally speaking, throughout the history of rock 'n' roll, the three biggest twats in any band are always the singer, the keyboard [player] and the drummer. You can't argue with that!"
(Noel 2005)

(on Florence+The Machine) "I'm not having anyone with ginger hair making music. I can't go down that road. I'm sure she's a nice girl but she sounds like someone has stood on her fucking foot."
(Liam 2010)

(on Robbie Williams) "A lot of people want to have sex with me, and he's at the fucking back of the list."
(Liam 2001)

(on U2) "Sing One, shut the fuck up about Africa."
(Noel 2007)

"I think the current prices [for albums] are ok what is it, £7.99 online? That's enough to keep my swimming pool full of mineral water."

(Noel 2008)

(by 2009 the brothers were only communicating via blogs and Twitter, despite touring together. The Roundhouse saw them making verbal sideswipes at each other onstage, which they then followed up online)

"Who knows, man, maybe he [Noel] needs to go and do his solo record ... it would sound very civilised I reckon. It's an awful thing, but maybe it's a good thing for him."
(Liam 2009)

and many more, hundreds of these.

The book will be published by Aurum Press, not expensive, £ 6.99, that's enough to keep their swimming pool full of mineral water.
:)))

links where you can now purchase this book:

Laskys

Play

Alibris

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Oasis in Milan 1997: it's gettin' better Milan!!

MILAN - Yessssssss *rarity* found the Oasis gig in Milan 1997 to download aaaaaaahhhhhh
the one where I took a piece of Noel's towel with his sweat on it :)), his efforts.
aaaaahahahah so happyyyyyyy found it exactly now that I was drinking English tea :)))))))))
This was before the G-Mex gig.
Let me know if you're looking for something, I'll try to find it.
After the first chord of 'Be here now' I was literally flying, gone fuckin' mad fer it, continuously shouting and jumping embraced with all the people. Best gig and fun of my life.

Here I was trying to write about it.

The title comes from Oasis song "It's gettin' better man!!"

In this (general) image they were wearing English military Kangol clothes and I remember at a gig in Tuscany (Lucca) I met two English girls, recognizing they were going to the gig because they had those clothes :)) so we began to talk.
To download the recordings (a bit far from the stage but quality ok) click here (I) and here (II)

audio video, recorded by some friends.

I have shivers when I listen to this recording. I know probably it's not the same for you, if you weren't there, you can hear only the bad quality, sorry.

During these minutes, maybe you can hear sometimes in the background a continuous shout by me ahahaha

Before Stand by me, you can hear us calling Noel, and the girls shouting "Liam I love you" :))

Then the recorder stops, there was too much confusion and received some knocks, reprises from the end of "Stay young", unforgettable song of that summer.

Special guest: the end of '90s band the Seahorses with John Squire, Liam co-wrote summat for them ("Love me and Leave me"). You can hear them announcing Oasis at the beginning.

G-Mex 1997

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City ended Chelsea perfect start, Man City-Chelsea 1-0

MANCHESTER - Both Man City and AC Milan winning 1-0 today in difficult matches (and Inter Milan losing 1-0 ehehe).
Carlos Tevez fired City back into the title race - and ended Chelsea's 100 per cent start.
The prolific frontman's low drive past Petr Cech just before the hour sealed the points in a close-fought encounter at Eastlands.
And having completed the double over them last season, Roberto Mancini's side are fast turning into the Blues' bogey team.
Despite crashing to Newcastle in the Carling Cup, a very different Chelsea starting eleven turned up in confident mood, with five league wins out of five, having plundered 21 goals.
However, Carlo Ancelotti was clearly wary of his first big test of the season and set his side out to stifle their hosts from the start.
Tevez was City's lone front man and fired wide trying to catch Cech unawares with an early effort.
It was the unlikely source of Branislav Ivanovic that came closest to scoring in the first half.
A well-worked corner, between Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda ended with the frenchman picking out Alex at the far post.
The Brazil centre-half nodded it back to the Serb, who found the upright with his first header and saw the recovering Joe Hart clutch his second effort.
Pablo Zabaleta was booked for cutting down Ivanovic with a crude sliding tackle and Michael Essien wasted a good opportunity by blazing high and wide from the edge of the box.
Chelsea made a flying start to the second-half, with Nicolas Anelka bringing a fine save out of Hart with a curling 20-yard shot.
Then City got their marking wrong at the corner but Essien sent his header sailing over.
Nigel de Jong responded by slipping another pass through to David Silva, who let fly with a fierce effort only for Cech to turn it round the post.
Just before the hour mark, Yaya Toure picked out Tevez who drove forward from the halfway line and with Ashley Cole backtracking, struck a low finish through the fullback's legs and in off Cech's far post.
It was the first time Chelsea had fallen behind this season but they failed to mount the required response.
John Obi Mikel was booked for going through Tevez, then Yaya Toure almost weaved his way through the entire Chelsea defence before taking a tumble.
Yuri Zhirkov replaced Mikel in the game's first substitution and Daniel Sturridge came on for the ineffective Didier Drogba.
Sturridge came close in a frantic finish but City held on to move within four points of Chelsea at the top and blow the title race wide open.

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Webber, Australian bastard

SINGAPORE - Breaking news. Hamilton overtook Webber and the Australian was behind him, so the only chance for him was to hit Hamilton and that's what he did. Lewis retired and Webber wasn't punished, not even with a drive through. Double bastard: even celebrated when he finished the race.
You see why the English created a country called Australia, to put jails for criminals far away from England. Webber is the modern version.
The other Red Bull driver, the "talented" German "superchampion" Vettel, after having done the same (even worse) against the other McLaren driver Button in Belgium, did nothing to attack Alonso.
To be added: the websites around, full of "honest" Ferrari fans (with former Ferrari the french Todt as Formula 1 Fia president...) even defending Webber (!), they seem children in kindergartens playing with toy cars. And trouble for those who are against the red one! Ridiculous. This is the confirmation that Ferrari fans are always and anyway against McLaren, as a decision against Webber would have been better even for Ferrari.
The recent Fia decision in Paris (...) tranformed a clear punishment against Ferrari into a future change of rules (!). It seems they're doing all to make them win.
Go on throwing out McLaren, the only way to win the championship (besides overtaking without moving, in the pit lane). Ferraglia means scrap iron.

"Australians only hope is cricket".
(Noel Gallagher)

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Hit the North 1993 radio session

Recently someone was asking for more 1993 recordings. Maybe you were wondering where and when "Bring It On Down (Live)" from the Shakermaker single was recorded. It's from the band's first ever radio session on the 15th September 1993 on Radio 5. Download here Digsy's dinner and Rock 'n' roll star. "I Will Believe (Live)" from the Supersonic single was also played at this session along with Cigarettes & Alcohol.

As this is a sort of bootleg download post, I have to add this again, now a bit different:

Liam said there's nothing wrong in downloading albums from internet (anyway we always buy Oasis albums in the shops, we can't miss them). Usually Noel is VERY careful with money, he wants more and more in every way. Liam is different, he says he doesn't do things for money, Noel says he does ahaha, and only for money (a bit joking but not too much, he's honest, I think Liam is a bit false only when he speaks about money). But Noel also says he's got enough money (and also too much), so we can download bootlegs ahaha we are allowed :)

"MP3 aren't something that I know a lot about, so I'd probably reserve my judgment until I found out more. I don't have a problem with bootlegs if it's something that's already been released. Different versions of songs that people know is fine by me. I mean, I am the Beatles Bootleg king! I've got so many that I don't even know where to start."
(Noel Gallagher)

"Gli MP3 non sono qualcosa di cui conosco molto, quindi forse riservo il mio giudizio fino a quando ne saprò di più. Non mi faccio problemi con i bootlegs, se si tratta di qualcosa che è stato già pubblicato. Se le persone conoscono le differenti versioni delle canzoni, per me va bene. Voglio dire, sono il re dei bootlegs dei Beatles! Ne ho così tanti che non so neanche da dove iniziare". (Noel)

Marcus Russell: "...bisogna dargliene atto: alcuni di questi bootleg sono davvero eccellenti, soprattutto le copertine. Ne è appena uscito uno della session di Mojo; la foto di copertina è migliore di quella apparsa sulla rivista. In effetti - e qui la voce si abbassa di tono - la copertina è anche meglio di quella di Morning Glory".

(Marcus about bootlegs being excellent, especially the cover images and sleeves, and saying that some are even better than Morning Glory cover - Brian Cannon wouldn't be happy of this :)

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the Greatest, only with English teams

Formula 1 weekend again, but this time we're not going, lol. Singapore is too far :) I'm waiting for a Pretty Green gift, maybe the Grand Prix jacket :D
I've been writing so much about F1, and I can't forget to put something about him.
Ayrton Senna raced always with English cars: Toleman, Lotus, McLaren, Williams. I can't forget Donington 1993, where in the first lap he overtook all his rivals under a heavy English rain. When I was a kid I used to wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning to see him in Australia, Japan... he chose to die in his beloved Italy ;(((

this is a song by Lucio Dalla (he also wrote one about Milan),
an Italian singer from the same place where Senna died.

Ayrton spoke a perfect Italian language, 

this song also says he decided to go away in a land of dreamers.

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Saturday's big match: Italian vs Italian, City blues vs Chelsea blues

MANCHESTER - It's Roberto Mancini vs Carlo Ancelotti, last season Mancini won in London beating 2-4 the Premier League champions. But to be honest: they had a bad goalkeeper for that match. Anyway City won also at home, 2-1.
Unfortunately Mario Balotelli won't play at least for 10 weeks.

London, Italy :). 

At the beginning: Vialli :). And Capello was at the stadium.
Bridge ignored Terry lol, problems with women ^_^
City wearing a lucky shirt with red-black Milan colours. 

The old shirt with red-black stripes is the same as Milan one.

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Liam with Beady Eye's finished album in his hand

LONDON - Beady Eye members Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Liam Gallagher with sound engineer John Davis.
He has worked with artists like Led Zeppelin, Paul Weller, Prodigy, U2, R.e.m., Joy Division and Arctic Monkeys.
Is that the Beady Eye album in Liam's hands? Yes, the album is finished and the first single will be out next month, in October, the album in the first months of 2011.
That's enough with the news today :)

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rare US single for collectors

LONDON - I was writing about Anita, so... 

1. Wonderwall
2. Round Are Way
3. Talk Tonight
4. Rockin' Chair
5. I Am The Walrus (Live)

download it here

This release was unique because even though it says the songs included are “Taken from the UK single…” two of the songs appear here in previously unreleased mixes. It's anyone's guess whether this was an accident or by design but the differences were noticeable enough to get collectors attention and now the single is hard to find and expensive if you do find it. The differences are : Talk Tonight runs 11 seconds shorter and at the end Noel says “You got any batteries?” and my favourite song Rockin’ Chair does not start with a fade-in like the UK version, It just starts.

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from Zani: interview with Brian

WIGAN - Unbridled access to two of the country's biggest bands, a work ethic unmatched and a walk-the-walk rock 'n' roll attitude, Brian Cannon acted as Artistic Director for a number of projects with both Oasis and The Verve. He has also created work for a number of world-wide brands such as Converse and Levi's®. His company, Microdot, has just celebrated its twenty-year anniversary at the forefront of British Rock 'n' Roll. To celebrate Brian's work and his achievements, here are some questions to Brian.

Rockfield Studios, South Wales,
during the recording sessions for the Morning Glory LP

Tell me about your youth and about growing up in Wigan – what did you spend your time doing? You’re a Wigan fan aren’t you?

Growing up in Wigan was cool. When I was young, I had nothing to compare it to, but I was happy enough. It was close enough to both Liverpool and Manchester to visit when I started buying records. There has been a good music scene in Wigan since the early Seventies and The Casino, so growing and being into music was good in Wigan. Yes, I do support Wigan Athletic. I have supported them since the non League days, so following the club now is special (if erratic.).

Was it always photography that appealed to you? Or did you start with art and drawing, etc?

I got turned onto drawing as a small child by my dad (Marco: "until I solved the mystery" :), the man appearing on Some might say, Masterplan, D'you know what I mean, etc. click here ); he was an amazing illustrator, but not a professional. He’s retired now, but he previously worked in a coal mine. He encouraged me, as did my mother.

Some of the covers you did including the Oasis single Some Might Say relayed the lyrics to the song within the artwork. Do you always listen to a song before you decide on the angle of the work, or do you just get ideas?

I find it astonishing that people actually design covers before, or not even listening to, the record at all. I think it’s impossible to do a good job that way. I am charged with the responsibility of ‘dressing’ a piece of music so I ALWAYS listened to the track(s) as much as possible and got my head around the lyrics too.

Tell me about the shoot for the Wonderwall cover – wasn’t the girl in the picture-frame an employee from Creation?

We originally shot the sleeve with Liam depicted through the frame (an idea I nicked from the paintings of Belgian surrealist painter, Rene Magritte - see this post - Marco). Mid-shoot, and I am totally serious about this, Noel just happened to be passing in a taxi. I mean, talk about a coincidence. We were shooting on Primrose Hill, London, and Noel Gallagher by chance drove past.. He obviously did not get the message I had sent to his manager about the session. The taxi screeched to a halt, and, much to everyone’s amazement, an irate Noel jumped out, called a halt to the proceedings stating that it had to be a girl in the shot. This totally put me on the back foot as the artwork was due to be delivered in a few days. Primrose Hill was a few hundred yards from the Creation Records office at the time; we called upon Anita Heryet who worked there, and that’s how she became the cover star.

"Trash" by the Whips

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french jinx, worst place for Oasis

Some other pieces of memories. Yesterday I was writing about Oasis coming back from Japan on 4 September 1995 and recording 'Fade away' at dawn, the version with Johnny Depp and Kate Moss... and...er... another certain girl, "the fucking woman".
Oasis split in Paris in 2009. The same already happened: in 2000, the french shows, starting from fucking Paris, were cancelled, as Noel walked out of the band before that gig, and the shows started again from Milan.
Another time, in 1995, back from Japan, in Paris Liam attacked Robbo, the tour manager, and then also Guigsy and Alan White, so Guigsy left the band and Robbo was (unfairly) sacked.
It seems they're quite nervous there, I hate france, as also many English and Italians do.
Recently in Paris the french booed England shirt at a Kasabian gig.
In another post I wrote about how Oasis were treated in such a dirty place as france is.

That tour in Japan had to be different, a "peaceful" one, to calm down. Of course it wasn't.
Here are a couple of other funny pieces, one with a naked Liam having a bath in the hotel swimming pool with 4 nude girls (and then Bonehead and other people), two brunettes, a blonde and a redhead ^_^, because a brunette started to show him her hands, then legs, then ass, then tits ahahaha The police arrived but couldn't do anything but watch the scene. Because there in Japan it's not easy to see naked Western people ahaha and they would have rather joined the group than stop the scene.
The other piece is about a drunk (and not only, as Liam) Noel at the airport, suddenly seeing "the Sex": a business woman, so he went to...er...introduce himself, using let's say "extended" words :), apart from a totally correct sentence: asking to take her tits out ^_^
Bonehead wasn't taking drugs anymore, 'cause he said drugs are for little students (but he used to drink a lot, to compensate :), and then also Noel quit drugs.

Che male c'è nel divertirsi un po', dopo tutto? E a che cosa serve una piscina se non a questo? Così diamo l'avvio alle danze e vediamo chi ci sta. Quella brunetta tutte curve è la prima: è stata appiccicata a Liam tutta la notte. Adesso lei mostra la mano... e poi le gambe... e poi il culo... e quindi il suo seno scultoreo. Si toglie i vestiti e si tuffa nell'acqua turchese. Liam ride e questo è il segnale d'inizio. Ci sono un'altra bruna, una bionda e una rossa e in un lampo le montagnette di vestiti sono salite a quattro, come le fanciulle senza veli. Anche Liam si libera dei suoi calzoncini da bagno, così abbondanti.

Liam ha preso da poco qualcosa e sta cominciando a fare effetto. Siamo 6, Lion/Liam, Pole/Bonehead, Stone/Guigsy e Nile/Noel e io. Noel è già partito, è già in viaggio: un bel cocktail di sostanze. Improvvisamente vede il Sesso camminare attraverso la zona di controllo. Indossa i panni di una elegante donna d'affari che sta entrando nella nostra sala. Porta un abito di lino grigio e calze fumè. Che male c'è a presentarsi? "Ehm, come... va, chi ssseii, doove vai, tira fuori le tette" (questo l'ha detto giusto :). Non ho mai sentito Nile usare la voce in tono così alto.
Lio si volta verso di me con le sopracciglia sollevate. "Ma... è completamente fuori".
Liam, da che pulpito viene la sentenza.

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Pretty Green Steve McQueen :)

Recently we're dealing with cars only :)
GP jacket, available also in white. Introducing the Green Label Autumn Winter 2010 collection. Very Formula 1 Grand Prix :), and it seems inspired by Steve McQueen, in fact Liam said he loves him. 

The colour palette is a combination of earthy darks and warm bright's. The fabrics are sumptuous and luxurious made from fibres; merino wool, lambs wool and high quality cottons. Key pieces for this season include the long awaited GP Jacket, the Hooded Parka (see a previous post) and the outstanding tailored denim range.

I was writing about Jaguar, he also had a Jaguar D-Type XKSS

advert with him "driving" a Ford Puma, I drove this car on Monza circuit

McQueen & McLaren's :) Lewis Hamilton

Bullitt trailer (Jacqueline Bisset is English, not french ^_^)

famous car chase (see at 6:35 the sign "Mansell" ahaha)

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F1 2010 out now, with Oasis idol Ian Brown song

Codemasters Formula 1 2010 remix of F.E.A.R. by Ian Brown, Stone Roses legend

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Russell: the night I copped off with Kate Moss aka Elvis Presley :)

LONDON - This time with Russell there wasn't Noel, but this is all about our "inspiring muse" Kate :). 

Waiting for her autobiography... 

Russell Brand has slept with more than his fair share of women, but few have stirred his emotions as much as the "explosion of perfection" Kate Moss. 

An extract from Russell's new autobiography, Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal (to be released on 12 October 2010), the comic reveals how he bedded the supermodel back in 2006.

Russell has cleared everything written in the book with all the famous faces who feature - Jonathan Ross, Noel Gallagher and Morrissey, among others.

His little black book is more like a heavyweight tome, packed with conquests including Page 3 girls, Big Brother contestants, air hostesses and even a "Satanic Slut".

"I was with Kate and Liam (Gallagher) the other day. Kate wants to meet you," Sadie Frost said.

"Oh really, Kate who?" I repeated.

"Kate Moss."

There follows a sort of a silence which I vulgarly interrupt with the sound of my own swallowing, which makes more noise than it usually would. I try and stifle it and just do a normal swallow.

"I'll just do a normal swallow," I think, a quiet unobtrusive swallow. But my body interprets that as 'Hey let's do a ridiculous cartoon parody of a swallow that advertises your huge discomfort with this situation.'

A pornographically inappropriate gulp echoes through my oesophagus.

"Kate Moss? Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, she'd like to meet you. She saw you on Jonathan Ross and thought you were fantastic."

Clearly in this situation I cannot afford to do anything so brazen as be myself, I must quickly construct an edifice of studied coolness, like barely a day passes when my life isn't kicked on its arse by staggering beauty.

I must say something normal and cool. "Oh, right, well I've got a gig on Monday so perhaps she should come."

Heavenly... but Kate Moss met Russell 

in a drab North London pub.

'A goddess'... Russell was infatuated with her

The gig was at The Hen & Chickens on Highbury Corner in Islington, a 50-seater venue above a pub, small and drab, where Edinburgh Fringe shows go to practise, where faded stand-ups go to die.

The idea of Kate Moss turning up there is like attending a church fete in Dorset to find that the raffle winners are being announced by Christ.

When the night comes, I arrive typically late and notice the place seems to have been dusted in majesty.

Glamour. Whatever it is, that unknowable, unnamable quality that these people bestow upon a place or a conversation or a clothing range, was present at The Hen & Chickens.

As I attempt my unflustered entrance, I cannot help but notice the static explosion of her perfection.

A Geiger counter unhelpfully chirps within me as I see her deifying the bar with her elbow from the scorched corner of my reluctant eye.

Beyond the dreams of Pharaohs and Nazis there is an inaccessible gold that shimmers like a halo above Kate Moss.

Is it her hair? Her aura? Her hair's aura? Her aura's hair? I try to drift past her nonchalantly, ignoring my own cacophonous swallows and ticks. A recalcitrant orchestra of discordant twitches.

It's like meeting an angel of my own devising - and perhaps that's all angels ever are.

Maybe celestial beings are only in the heavens because that's where we look for redemption.

Be normal.

"Hello Kate, nice to meet you," I burp. I can make it up with a gesture, I reason to myself.

I try a gentle backhanded greeting, a slow, subtle sweep such as one might make when introducing a new range of lawnmowers in an Argos commercial.

She nods and smiles and seems impressed enough - kindly neither she nor Sadie remark on the gin and tonic I sent hurtling from her hand, so a partial triumph.

"I go to up der stairs now Mate Koss," I suavely announce, then step on a guide dog and make my way cautiously to the tinpot theatre up the rickety staircase.

When we arrive at Sadie's house in Belsize Park - a real-life Stella Street where David Walliams also lives as well as Bob Hoskins and Derek Jacobi - it is decided that Matt Morgan (my BBC Radio 2 co-presenter) should walk Kate into the house so that there is no photo of me and her together.

This gives me hope that we do have something to hide, but also makes me jealous of Matt as he gets to walk up the driveway with her.

Within the beautiful house we flirt for a while, then under some mutual pretence of looking at hung photographs of Sadie's deplorably gorgeous children we wander off. We are alone.

The rest of the evening was like a beautiful road accident. I passed in and out of consciousness, scored by sirens, sporadically lit by flashing blue and red light, time bending. On a sofa in a world made only of Kate Moss's face.

I cannot recall a single word of the conversation that took place; for all I know we communicated in whale song. Drifting closer and closer together, my heart pounding, of course, but also my liver and lungs and feet. Things that don't have pulses join the unwelcome percussion.

Paul Simon thinks my vital organs may be a lost African tribe and considers recording a follow-up to Graceland in my colon.

Eventually there is no more universe between our lips and so we kiss, and yes, on one level I'm enjoying the kiss, but my mind is screaming, screeching, body- popping, lambada-ing, every dance-craze-there's-ever-been-ing.

Playground fads are revisited: Yo-yos, hula hoops, pogs, the works, every exciting moment from childhood condensed into a single kiss. "Kiss properly, stop thinking about pogs, you idiot, get on with this kiss, stop thinking how this is going to sound in a book and get on with the kiss."

So I get on with the kiss, and I think it's a good kiss, but of course there's all this analysis going on simultaneously.

I've got to get her out the house. Ludicrously I say to her: "Do you want to come back to mine... Kate Moss?" We get a minicab - from a number I had in my phone.

Some bloke comes round in a beat-up car that stinks of fags, there's a blanket on the back seat.

Kate Moss gets in, I get in, we sit in the back seat and drive the short journey geographically but a long journey in terms of interior design style and property value from Sadie Frost's in Belsize Park to mine in Gospel Oak - what Matt calls "not quite Hampstead". A garret, digs. Mismatched pans and a duvet that was there when I moved in.

I make her tea. There's a bit where she's in my garden, there's a bit where she's sitting with my cat and he doesn't care that she's all mysterious and wonderful.

I know he's a cat but he should recognise that she has transcended the everyday. To be in her presence in my house doesn't make sense. It is a baffling fusion of the real and the imagined.

It's like looking into the garden and seeing Vegas Elvis mowing the lawn, or going into the kitchen and finding Elvis in the Elvis Comeback Special '68 suit cooking up beans, or going into the bedroom and there's golden jacket Elvis from '54 before he cut his hair, before the army cut off his balls. Elvis, lying on my bed looking into my eyes. Elvis Presley has entered the building. Of course my mind will not shut up and let me enjoy the moment, there is an endless incessant narrative throughout it.

Which is a shame because what I enjoy most about encounters with women is relief from the endless buzzing of needless thought, the neurological chaos, the Tokyo of neurons smashing into each other, the fizz, the buzz, the clatter abating, the hive of my mind quietening, but not that night.

The next day, ludicrously, I had to get up and live my normal life.

Oasis + Kate Moss playing tambourine + Johnny Depp (guitar)

exactly 15 years ago, well on Monday 4 September 1995 at dawn coming back from Japan

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