Liam Gallagher talks NME through his ‘Firsts’

Liam Gallagher might be regarded as a national treasure thanks to his anthemic music catalogue, DGAF attitude to life and inimitable style now, but things haven’t always been quite so rock’n’roll. “The first job I had was [with] my dad,” he tells NME. “He had a little firm – he put the beams in and we’d put the breeze blocks in and cement it. It was a very hard job and I shouldn’t have been anywhere near it cos I could have died.”

That job, in fact, could have put paid to one of British music’s most iconic bands before they even began. “I think Noel fell a few floors through once and he nearly broke his back,” the younger Gallagher recalls.

Thankfully, both brothers made it through without too much harm and went on to shake up the music world together – at least for a little while. Although Liam can’t remember the first gig they played as Oasis – he offers up three potential dates, unable to narrow it down more – their first festival performance at Glastonbury felt like a turning point for the star. “I don’t think we had a record out but [some kid] came up to me going, ‘Oh it’s that Liam Gallagher’ and that was the first time I got recognised,” he says. “Then he calls over his mate and goes, ‘He’s even got cocaine in his hair’ – not that cocaine’s big and clever – and I’ve gone ‘have I?!’”

Unfortunately for the fan, the reality was a lot less glamorous. “I have psoriasis so when it gets hot my head gets a bit itchy so there was a bit of white stuff – not far off dandruff, but it’s not dandruff,” he explains. “Anyway, they were getting it and putting it up their noses and on their gums and stuff. It was a bit weird.”

Filmed ahead of the release of Gallagher’s third solo album ‘C’mon You Know’, the musician also looked ahead to the future and what the first thing he would do after it arrived would be. “I’ll probably be grafting and that so not gonna go too mad,” he says. “I’m saving all this partying now til after the second night at Knebworth – after that I’ll probably let my hair down, I’ll have a drink and that but I’ll try and be good up until then.” He pauses and reconsiders. “Who am I kidding, I’ll probably have a couple of drinks and that but I won’t go too mad.”

For the latest NME Firsts, Gallagher also discusses the first thing he does when he gets off stage, the first band he fell in love with and the first festival he went to. Watch the video in full above.