Liam interview, Worldpop, June 2000

worldpop: Oasis are embroiled in another scandal now that Noel has quit overseas touring - how do you cope?
Liam: That's life! You gotta lead your life and do what you have to do. You are where you're meant to be each day and I am happy where I am today cos I'm meant to be here. Tomorrow I will be happy too, because I'm meant to be there. If you can't deal with situations then you have to barricade yourself behind closed curtains because life is meant to throw situations on you and you have to deal with it.

worldpop: Have you ever thought about closing the curtains?
Liam: No. Cos I enjoy living. I am quite happy with me and my life.

worldpop: And the paparazzi can't stop you?
Liam: No, because that would mean that they win.

worldpop: How will people remember Oasis in 20 year's time?
Liam: I don't know. A f***ing honest band. That's what matters, being honest! We are the f***ing most honest band on the f***ing planet.

worldpop: What makes Oasis so honest?
Liam: Cos we just f***ing can't lie!

worldpop: So the song I Can See A Liar isn't about you then?
Liam: That's just a song and I don't know what it is all about.

worldpop: Is it hard for you to sing Noel's songs when you don't understand the meaning?
Liam: No, they are my songs. As soon as I get them they are mine. They are in fact all mine. They're his lyrics and they're his songs but as soon as the band plays they are mine.

worldpop: What about all the fights between you and Noel?
Liam: What about them? I have disagreements with everyone, it's not just Noel. It just goes on about Noel and me but that's fine. We've had a couple of fights in our lifetime but that's about it. We're brothers! No matter what job you do, you'll have disagreements with people.

worldpop: What about your attitude - is it good or bad?
Liam: I think I've got a good attitude. I'm confident and I do believe in me - that's not a bad attitude. Bad attitude people are ignorant but I'm not ignorant. People say, because you don't dance and you stare at the crowd you've got a bad attitude, you're disrespecting the crowd. But at least I know that they're there and they know that I know that they're there!

worldpop: How was the American tour?
Liam: Great. It was the best we have ever done, I was in bed as soon as we came offstage. We are like the Waltons on the tour bus, going 'Night night, John Boy.'

worldpop: Were there any bad responses cos you cancelled the last time around?
Liam: No. If you cancel you cancel. You don't cancel because you don't wanna do it. You cancel because in the long run if you can't sing and your throat goes then it goes. If you do it, you do it. If you cancel one gig then in the long run you can do the rest and that's what matters: doing the rest. If you play with a sore throat then you can f**k up the whole tour.

worldpop: Do you think Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants was a failure?
Liam: It's no failure to me. I love it. I think it's a great album but certainly not our best, but we haven't done our best one yet and that's what it's all about - you can always do another one and be better. And that's what we intend to do. I don't think anyone is doing anything amazing with rock 'n' roll at the moment. I think it will pick up again soon. There have been few changes within the band and we're doing quite alright.

worldpop: Would you like to be on the stage alone sometimes?
Liam: I do that enough. Noel will always sing a couple of songs.

worldpop: How long can you see yourself doing this?
Liam: The day the music doesn't mean anything to me is the day I stop doing it. Music turns me on big time and I love it and I'll always do it - regardless whether we'll sell records or not. I will still do music. The most important thing to me is just writing the f***ing music.

worldpop: What other albums out there do you particularly like at the moment?
Liam: I like a band called Cotton Mather, the Travis album is good, Richard Ashcroft's album is going to be good and that's about it. But ours is still better than all that!

worldpop: What makes it better?
Liam: I'm on it!

worldpop: Are you the last rock 'n' roll star?
Liam: I hope not, but it seems that I'm the only person left who's into rock 'n' roll these days. I am the only one who f***ing thinks, 'I wanna be a rock 'n' roll star' and who hasn't got any f***ing guilt in doing his thing.

worldpop: How would you define being a rock 'n' roll star?
Liam: I've always been a star. And I am in a rock 'n' roll band - so that makes me a rock 'n' roll star! I was a star the day I was born!