Noel Gallagher: iconic moments as musician celebrates his birthday days before new album is released

When you think of music in Manchester, plenty of big names spring to mind. Joy Division and The Smiths are obvious ones, but also a stand out are of course Oasis. 

Drill into this further and when you think of Oasis- you think of brothers Noel and Liam Gallaggher. The pair were a huge part of the band which rocked the music scene to its core in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

The brothers were rarely out of the spotlight, both on and off the stage, and they played a significant role in producing some of the biggest songs the UK has ever seen. Oasis might be no more, but both brothers continue to leave their mark on music. 

As he celebrates his birthday, we take a look at some of Noel Gallagher’s biggest musical moments. From Oasis to his High Flying Birds, Noel has plenty of eye-catching moments to choose from. 

Wonderwall 

The Oasis catalogue of music is absolutely brimming with classic songs- but there are few more well known than Wonderwall. A song still belted out at clubs and karaoke across the world almost 30 years after its release, ‘Wonderwall’ was written by Noel Gallagher and released as part of Oasis’ second studio album (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory. 

The song sold over 140,000 copies in the first week of its release as a single. This number is now somewhere over the three million mark. 

Enjoying Life

You can probably write a book on the stand out quotes said by both of the Gallagher brothers over the years, but we’ve picked out one which is on the more thought provoking side from Noel. It focuses on the meaning of life and how to live life to the fullest. 

He said: "Some people live their life...they worry about the destination. They worry about where they're going. I enjoyed the trip. Wherever you're going is where you'll end up. Don't worry about that. Enjoy the scenery on the way." 

Oasis split

For many fans, the cracks in Oasis started to show well before August 2009. Regular arguments and falling outs had impacted the band for several years. 

The final straw for Noel came on the day the band were due to play at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. An argument broke out and Noel issued a statement to say he’d quit the band. 

It read: “It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.” 

Council Skies 

Coming up soon is the release of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Bird’s fourth studio album, ‘Council Skies’. The album is set for release on Friday June 2. 

Marking their 13th year together in 2023, NGHFB’s is the project which Gallagher moved on with following the disbandment of Oasis. Playing alongside fellow Oasis member Gem Archer, the band has grown in popularity and has sold out venues and played at festivals all around the world.  

Oasis reunion 

Over the past 14 years, whispers and rumours of an Oasis reunion have rarely been out of the news. Each time speculation rises, one of the brothers tends to set the record straight. 

Back in 2019, he told Big Issue why he couldn't see himself touring with his brother. He said: "I can’t envisage the morning I wake up and think I’d like to spend two years on the road, arguing all around the world with Liam." 

As recently as earlier this month, reunion talk cropped up- on this occasion it was orchestrated by Man City striker Erling Haaland. Following City’s title win, Haaland said that maybe the brothers (who both support City) need a “Norwegian peacemaker.” 

In response to this, Liam said that he would want Haaland up on stage with him. This is something Haaland liked the sound of. 

Talking on Talksport, Noel then got his point across. He said: "Well, I put [a reunion] out there, I mean, he should call me.

"He's forever going on about it, you'd have thought by now he'd have some kind of plan. And if he's got a plan he should speak to me. He won't speak to me because he's a coward. 

“But he should get some of his people, his agent, to call my people and say, 'look, this is what we're thinking' and then we'll have a conversation about it. Until then, he's a little bit disingenuous."

Noel added that he would be “open” to a phone call with Liam.