Noel Gallagher: "You Have To See Us in a League With the Rolling Stones"

Is there something in particular that you'd like to achieve with this tour?
Five million dollars. Besides that, not really.

Have you pulled out any songs that you haven't played in awhile?
Yeah. "Slide Away," "The Masterplan," "Supersonic." We're not going to turn any new people on to Oasis. Oasis is a band that you either get it or you don't. Everybody knows who we are. You have to see us in league with the Rolling Stones now. Everybody's heard of the Stones, everybody knows what they sound like, everybody knows what they do. You either go because you like it or you don't. It's easy.

There was a time when the band didn't seem to be enjoying themselves in concert that much.
Well, I'm not sure about that. There was a few years where I really should've traveled the world with my girlfriend and shit like that but we decided to carry on putting out records. But I love being on stage. It's the one place where there's no bullshit. Don't get me wrong: It looks like I'm having a bad time. But that's because I'm not a fucking asshole that feels like I have to talk to the crowd every two minutes or put on a big smile or run up and down the stage like an idiot. I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I?m playing it because I'm not very good at playing it.

What gets you off at a show?
If I'm singing well and I'm playing well, then that's enough for me. Obviously there are nights where you go off stage and think, "Well, that was a bit fucking shit" because there were technical problems. But I can assure you this: I am fucking brilliant every night I go out there. I could give a fuck about anybody else in the band. They look after themselves. But I am always cooking on a solid eight-and-a-half out of 10.

What do you do to do that?
I'm afraid I was born with it. It's not something you go out to Wal-Mart and buy. "Can I buy some brilliance please?" They don't sell that shit over the counter. You either got it or you don't.

How do you get back the high that drugs gave you?
Drugs brainwash you into thinking you can't survive without them. I was never in a mess mentally or physically. I have the constitution of a large ox. If anything, it was the people that I had surrounding me that were very uncool. I never needed to be on drugs. I just wanted to be on drugs because it was fucking brilliant. But then there came a point where I didn't want this anymore. So I wanted to be straight. And then there comes a point where you maybe want to be somewhere in between, which is where we're at now I think.

That you're able to take them occasionally and it's fine?
Well, I wouldn't say I take them at any point. But when I gave them up I gave up drinking and everything. But now I drink like a fucking fish and I smoke like a chimney. I've always been a magnificent drunk. I've been told by hundreds of people I'm actually a better person when I'm drunk.