Oasis leader Noel Gallagher has teamed up with Mantra Of The Cosmos - the indie-rock supergroup featuring Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays plus former Oasis members Andy Bell and Zak Starkey - for a new single described as “Free Bird for Mods”.
Unfortunately, us mere mortals can't hear it yet, as the single, titled Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous), is going on sale on January 19 exclusively at two Mantra Of The Cosmos shows at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, and from the venue's webstore.
Noel Gallagher says, “Mantra Of The Cosmos is like Dylan, Dali and Ginsberg on a rocketship to the moon to have it with the Clangers”, and Zak Starkey sounds suitably excited to have Gallagher collaborating with his band.
“It’s not every day that the greatest songwriter of my generation - not to mention Shaun, the greatest beat poet of our times - sends a tune to me,” the drummer says. “I was in a daze for a bit cos it’s not something you want to fuck up! It came together great - everyone digs it!”
“Noel loves Shaun,” Starkey adds. “He texted me to say, 'Do you know what you've got? The British Bob Dylan' - and he's not fucking about, because now I've witnessed what Shaun does. Noel calls him the 'king of lyrics'.”
Mantra of the Cosmos will play two sets at the famous Liverpool club on January 19, at 3pm and 8pm, with Andy Bell and Shaun Ryder scheduled to DJ in between. Tickets are on sale now, here. Zak Starkey has family ties to the Cavern, as it's one of the clubs his father Ringo Starr played regularly with The Beatles.
“Aside from the Beatles, my parents courted there,” the drummer says, adding, “who knows, I may have even been conceived there!”
