Noel Gallagher “gobsmacked” after London clubber fails to recognise him, tells stranger to use Google to find out

Noel Gallagher
(Image credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

After years of being treated like a BritPop god, Oasis' former leader Noel Gallagher was left "gobsmacked" recently when a girl failed to recognise who he was, and asked him what he does for a living.

Speaking on Absolute Radio yesterday (January 17) to announce his new album Council Skies, the Mancunian singer-songwriter recalled the bewildering moment, after detailing how socialising and going out is still a huge part of his life.

"Every Thursday you can catch me in the West End – not on stage – usually in the [Chiltern] Firehouse, talking nonsense to somebody," he explains.

“Somebody asked me in the Firehouse the other night, ‘What do you do?’ And I was like… I didn’t know what to say.”

Elaborating on how he reacted to this rare interaction, Gallagher continues, “Well, I didn’t know what to say because I’d never been asked before. I was like, ‘Really?'”.

In the interview, he then points at his face in an exaggerated manner before singing a fragment of Oasis’ Don’t Look Back in Anger.

“[The girl said], ‘So what is it you do?’ and I was like, ‘I change people’s lives for the better’. She was like, ‘Oh, what – you’re in the medical profession?’ I was like, ‘Of sorts’.”

Gallagher then goes on to explain how the encounter left him feeling "genuinely gobsmacked".

“I was like, ‘Look, Google it, love… just put in ‘Noel Gallagher’, ‘High Flying Birds’… owt you want. ‘Oasis”, before quipping: “Put in Liam Gallagher, you’ll probably see a picture of me.”

In the same interview, the singer weighed in on the current "nepo baby" debate, in which examines whether the successful children of famous couples have been given an unfair advantage in the industry.

"It depends which way you look at it” he began. “My daughter she follows me around with a camera and she films me and all that. She did a film about the making of the [upcoming High Flying Birds] album [Council Skies].

“I guess you want to keep things close to home, but they have to be good at what they do. She’s good at what she does. She’s not just wondering around pointing a camera going, ‘Muhh there’s my dad’, she is great.”

Watch the full interview below:

Liz Scarlett

Liz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.