Noel Gallagher is not only one of the greatest songwriters of a generation, but perhaps one of Britain’s best-ever; he’s certainly in the top five of all time from Greater Manchester, but did you know how the story behind how one of his best (you heard) songs, ‘Dead In The Water’ came to be?
Or rather, do you know how one little radio performance produced one of his best vocal performances to date? Keep reading…
In case you’ve never heard the haunting ‘Dead In The Water’, taken from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds LP three, Who Built The Moon?, it is very much just that: an almost ghostly and preciously quiet, acoustic song that became a cult favourite on the LP and even more beloved live track.
But this tune was never even supposed to be on the album; the deep cut, which was only ever played live a few times during concerts prior to its being released to the world, was taken from a radio show on Irish station RTÉ 2FM – and Noel didn’t even know it was being recorded.
Played during 2015, and it barely even needed ‘mastering’ before being released in 2017.
As explained by RTÉ’s Damian Chennells, Noel was promoting the previous album, Chasing Yesterday (his sophomore HFB outing and just second solo album up to that point), and during the session in the studio, Damian decided to hit record on an otherwise behind-the-scenes moment.
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You can actually hear him going back and forth with the sound engineer at the start of the track – one he’d only just finished writing the night before – before he actually starts playing and the rest, as they say, is history.
We love the notion that the piano player didn’t even know what he was doing until Noel started playing.
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Taped and ultimately tracked thanks to a spur-of-the-moment decision made in 2FM Studio 8 at the national free-to-air network’s radio centre in Dublin, Oasis and High Flying Birds fans, as well as lovers of Noel and music in general, got one of the most beautiful stripped-back listening experiences imaginable.
Returning to Ireland some time later, and just four years prior to getting Oasis back together for the Live ’25 world tour show that is now well underway, he performed it once again for The Late Late Show, which goes out on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Some might argue he sounds even better this time around, but just as he says in the interview above, there is something truly special and unfiltered about that first raw and ridiculously good live recording.
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From 2015 to 2021, and even present day, the story behind the original ‘Dead in the Water’ recording is fascinating.
Many have even speculated that the chatter recorded at the start and played to crowds on just a handful of occasions may have even foreshadowed the eventual reunion, as it seems to feature discussion surrounding Liam
The radio tech himself said in the recent retrospective interview of his own, he felt in the moment that “this song is an Oasis B-side” and was the only one played on the day that could easily slip onto one of their records.
As for Who Built The Moon?, a.k.a. HFB3, the album never featured ever B-sides of its own; instead, it just had one extra bonus track right at the very end of the 48:46 run-time – ‘Dead in the Water (live at RTÉ 2FM Studios, Dublin)’.
So there you have it: one of Noel’s most emotional, in-the-zone/lost-in-the-moment vocal performances in history, and one that so many still rate right up there with his very bits of music, may never have been if it wasn’t for ‘Damo’. So thanks, mate, I guess…
Are there any other tracks like ‘Dead in the Water’ where you love the back-story almost as much as the song itself? Bonus points if they’re by Greater Manchester artists.
Music industry rallies around pub and music venue as it’s hit with ‘malicious’ noise complaints
Daisy Jackson
A much-loved pub and live music venue is struggling with a series of ‘malicious’ noise complaints, prompting a huge outpouring of support from music industry insiders.
The Golden Lion over in Todmorden is facing uncertainty amidst the complaints from ‘some random’.
Matthanee ‘Gig’ Nilavongse, who runs the venue and its live music offering, said he’s ‘had enough’ and believes The Golden Lion is being targeted, The Hoot reports.
It echoes a similar situation in Manchester city centre several years ago, when Night & Day Cafe faced closures based on noise complaints from a resident in a nearby flat.
Gig stressed that nothing in the venue – the sound system, sound proofing, or anything else in its set-up – has changed since the noise complaints started.
He also added that people have been travelling from across the UK and even further afield to attend its events, benefitting the wider community of businesses and local economy.
He added: “Bank holiday next weekend and I’II not tolerate the threat from anyone.”
Hundreds of people, including industry names like Sacha Lord, Luke Cowdrey, and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, have voiced their support for the grassroots venue.
Sacha Lord offered his help fighting the complaints, then added: “I’m sick to death of these NIMBYS who threaten businesses and jobs.”
Chelsea Teesdale, head of marketing for the Warehouse Project and Parklife, said: “Sorry you’re going through this. The golden lion means so much to many. I go to all kinds of gigs and venues, nothing is quite like the magic of your home.”
And Nite School Manchester wrote: “So sorry to hear you’re going through this. What you’ve built at The Golden Lion for the people of Tod (& far beyond!) is a guiding star to us Gig, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support you & the team.”
Following on from this heartwarming display of affection for the venue, Gig added: “Thank you for all supports near and far, you’re close to my heart.
“The show must go on, I’m not back down until the door is close.”
A masterclass in The Art of Loving: Olivia Dean brings two unforgettable nights to Co-op Live
Emily Johnson
Olivia Dean took over Co-op Live for not one, but two nights this weekend – and what she delivered felt like a full-circle celebration of The Art of Loving, her incredible sophomore album.
From the moment Olivia’s silhouette appeared behind the curtain on night two, opening with the album’s title track, it was clear this evening was going to be special.
With a sea of polka dots on arrival, it’s evident that the 27-year-old already has great influence when it comes to style with her fans, and you could spot anyone who was attending Olivia Dean around Manchester city centre immediately.
Despite performing to a crowd of over 20,000 people, the performance felt incredibly intimate, with interactions with the crowd through the evening, even pointing out a fan’s banner saying they had been a fan of Olivia since 2019, which she was humbly taken aback by.
Her voice carried effortlessly around the arena, somehow still managing to feel soft and personal, like she was singing directly to you.
No Dean show would be complete without her incredible outfits either, and last night we were truly spoilt, with two outfit changes throughout the evening, which split the night into three chapters.
Initially appearing in a black sequin number, before reappearing in the middle of the crowd in an all-white outfit, evocative of an angel – a moment that felt intimate even in a room that size.
Later, with disco balls lowered and the energy lifted, she returned in another glitzy look for the more upbeat tracks, including a crowd-pleasing cover of ‘Move On Up’. With her band behind her, the sound filled the arena beautifully.
Everyone was on their feet having a good time, but no one was having as much fun as the woman herself, Olivia Dean.
And that’s the thing with Miss Dean, no one at her gigs is having half as much fun as she is. She’s always smiling, always glowing.
Put simply, she’s a proper ray of sunshine on stage. Towards the end of the show, Olivia looked up at the crowd and stated, “It’s magic in here tonight, Manchester”, and we all believed her.
Looking around at the crowd, arms around each other, best friends, couples – it was hard not to feel the magic too.
Highlights included ‘UFO’ with a sea of lights, which in the moment gave the whole room goosebumps, and of course, the confetti cannon, which was the grand finale to an incredible evening.
Danny Jones -
3rd September 2025 
