Noel Gallagher has responded to news that he’ll receive the Songwriter Of The Year prize at this month’s Brit Awards — despite not having released new material in nearly three years.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, in a chat largely focused on football and Manchester City’s Premier League ambitions, the former Oasis guitarist offered a characteristically blunt take on the honour.
“If I’m being honest,” he said, “I reckon they were desperate to get someone from Oasis up there because it’s in Manchester. That’s what I think. Our kid [Liam Gallagher] was like, ‘I’m not going,’ so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll have to go then.’”
Gallagher also admitted he hasn’t written a song in two years. “I’m not sure how I’ve got away with that one,” he joked. “But I’ll take it.”
Organisers of the Brits defended their decision, pointing to Gallagher’s three-decade impact on British music. They said his catalogue has “permeated the fabric of British culture for over 30 years,” with songs that continue to connect with audiences worldwide.
Asked whether he feels he deserves the award, Gallagher argued that commercial success still counts for something. “The Brits is based on record sales,” he said. “We sold a million records last year and I didn’t even get off the couch. I’m not sure there’s another single songwriter who can match that.”
Never one to avoid confrontation, he added: “If anybody’s got a problem with it, meet me there. We’ll sort it out on the red carpet. If any of those wet wipes songwriting teams — all 11 of them — want to have it out, I’m there.”
While the interview steered clear of speculation about future Oasis activity — a subject fans remain eager to hear about — Gallagher did hint that new music may not be too far away.
“I’m in the studio now,” he said. “I’d better put something out.”