Just when it was looking as though Noel Gallagher was about to go a week without saying something contentious, the former Oasis main man has come through with just a couple of days to spare by taking a shot at the iconic BBC Radio 1.
Gallagher is apparently none too pleased with the station’s new direction, which will exclude bands such as Temples, Jagwar Ma…and Oasis.
As part of their new mission plan, BBC Radio 1 top dog George Ergatoudis and music policy director Nigel Harding also made the decision to move away from acts that rose to fame during the ’90s including Green Day, Robbie Williams and Oasis, explaining those kind of bands will be “more at home on Radio 2”.
Speaking to GQ Magazine, Gallagher attributes what he sees as plummeting standards to their use of market research, explaining that the common man clearly doesn’t know shit:
“I don’t understand it. It’s when radio stations start focus groups. They literally go outside their building and ask people walking by, ‘If I played you this song, what would you think?’ and all that. Don’t ask the man on the street! He’s a cunt! That’s why he’s the man on the street, not the man in the expensive restaurant eating fucking mini sausages at four in the afternoon!”
As a result of this, a younger band whose career could be launched via the platform will miss out to bands that people already recognise:
“There’s great records coming out this year you’re not going to hear on the radio. Temples. Jagwar Ma. Great stuff, but it’s on a lower level. It’s not on the battleground. You have to be in that world to hear it.”
Noel’s favourite Aussie band are well aware of their connection to the iconic rocker, with Jagwar Ma frontman Gab Winterfield chatting to Music Feeds recently about how the Gallagher brothers chat about him:
“Initially Noel did [praise them], but then Liam said as well that they were both quite big fans. Apparently someone asked them about if they were ever going to reform Oasis and they said that everytime they get together, they’re too busy talking about Jagwar Ma.”
Praise indeed. Noel unleashed upon the world of pop music in the interview, seeming to be totally OK with his own exclusion from BBC Radio 1, whereas old mate Robbie Williams described his feelings as “gutted.”
(Via NME)
