Noel Gallagher has revealed he is already back in the studio and recording a new acoustic album which he says is arriving this year and is going to be one “for the fans”.
Just over six months on from the release of the latest Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds record, Council Skies, the Britpop icon has confirmed he is making more new music and this time, he is strictly limiting himself to acoustic-only.
Speaking once again with radio presenter and friend Matt Morgan on his podcast, the rock and songwriting legend said, “I’m back in the studio – not rock, the acoustic stuff. I’m doing it for fans really.”
He also detailed that not only will there be solo stuff that he’s sat on for years, including early demos from when he first started the NGHFB project, but even an unrecorded track written back in the Oasis days. You have our interest, sir…
As reported by Music News, Gallagher went on to say: “I’ve had to take all the electronic equipment out of the studio… because I’ve tried to make an acoustic album three times, and every time (I’ve used electronics)… so it’s just acoustic instruments in the studio.”
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“I’ve come up with working just with acoustic instruments, so instead of a bass, it’ll be a double bass — that way I can say, ‘I’ve made an acoustic album, but it’s used all acoustic instruments.’”
Joking that that won’t just be him “strumming a guitar with the same four chords and singing about the weather”, he touched upon acoustic being arguably the most unforgiving way of making tunes, adding: “It’s the essence of what every song is. There’s nothing you can do after that, you can’t f*** it up.”
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The 56-year-old also once again played with the hypothetical of him and Liam getting back together and how making a new Oasis album knowing what he knows about writing now “would be a disaster”. He also got in a cheeky dig at his younger brother’s lyricism on his debut single with John Squire.
Noel Gallagher talking about if Oasis ever get back together and singing his version of Liam's new song
However, whether he likes it or not, perhaps the most interesting prospect about this upcoming album to most fans is the fact that it is said to include an old track he never got around to recording when the rock legends were still together.
“I’ve got a CD with six [acoustic tracks] on it already”, says Noel, “There’s a song called ‘God Help Us All’, which is an old song from another 2005, so when I was still in Oasis, but I never recorded it.
He went on to add, “I’m looking forward to the challenge of seeing it through”, insisting that regardless of the style, “as long as the melody and lyrics are good, it’s good — once again reiterating that acoustic tunes tap into the very root of what the idea is.
All we’ll say is that we are always excited to hear more from one of the greatest and most successful musicians to ever walk the planet, let alone from the UK or Manchester, specifically.
Better yet, not only are Noel and his High Flying Birds playing a massive gig in Wigan this summer but he has also announced that he will be on several huge artists taking part in this year’s series of Teenage Cancer Trust gigs are the Royal Albert Hall, bringing Blossoms along with him for the ride.
While we’re well off getting any kind of release date for this acoustic album, hopefully, we’ll get to hear at least a taster of it by then.
A rave in a chippy is happening in Greater Manchester this weekend
Daisy Jackson
We have always loved a weekend trip to the chippy, but that trip might look a little different this week – because there’s a rave going on inside.
A collective of local DJs will be putting their decks alongside the fryers at one of Manchester’s top-rated fish and chip shops, Chips @ No. 8 in Prestwich.
The one-off event is part of the latest instalment of Love Dose, which has been hosting parties all over the North for more than a decade.
This week, Love Dose will be upstairs in Cuckoo until the early hours, with a number of DJs playing alongside special guest Simba.
Before the main event kicks off in Cuckoo though, they’ve announced a pre-party at Chips @ No. 8 to get warmed up.
“You’ve seen the recent trend of parties popping over in coffee shops, why not a chippy!?” they said.
Kerrie DJing at a previous Love Dose rave
Love Dose was founded back in 2012 and is run by Ste Evans, Ste Nalty and Pete Asiaw, DJs who all live around Prestwich.
They said: “We’ve always loved the vibe at Chips@No8 and thought it would be a great pre party spot.”
Previous Love Dose events have taken place everywhere from warehouses and rooftops to disused car garages and even a prison.
They’ve also appeared in legendary local venues like Hidden, Ramona and The White Hotel (before it was known as The White Hotel).
Once they finish with the chippy rave, it’ll be over to Cuckoo to dance into the early hours.
Love Dose is promising quality beats to go with your batter from 5pm til 8pm on Saturday 1 November.
Bloc Party and Interpol announce exclusive co-headline tour and a pair of Manchester gigs
Danny Jones
In an increasingly rare kind of announcement, Bloc Party and Interpol have announced a co-headline tour across the UK and Europe, and Manchester is lucky enough to be getting two dates.
How the pair of shows may differ from night to night remains to be seen, but it feels like it’s been a good long while since we last heard about two acts doubling on gigs in this kind of way.
Officially confirmed on Halloween, both Bloc Party and Interpol revealed the plans for the collaborative shows on each of their social media channels, leaving most fans delighted and plenty crying out for dates in their own cities.
It might be only a small thing, but we really enjoyed how they announced the joint performances with two different twists on the same tour poster.
It might be more of just a colour variation than two different bits of artwork, but little stuff like this is always cool. (Credit: Supplied)
As two groups that soundtracked a very distinct period and era for alternative and indie rock, some would argue that you couldn’t find a more suitable fit of contemporaries.
Having both carved out their own corner of the music industry 2000s, Bloc Party‘s breakout debut, Silent Alarm, and Interpol’s seminal sophomore album, Antics, were two of the most seminal and definitive records in the scene at the time.
With that in mind, getting the pair not only back on the road to play the hits and more but doing it together at some of the most exciting venues in the country and on the continent is quite the coup.
Props to whoever came up with the idea, seriously.
Speaking of that landmark second LP from Interpol, the New York-formed indie and post-punk revivalists last played Manchester back in November as part of the release’s 20th anniversary at the O2 Apollo.
Danny Jones -
21st January 2024 
